[size=15pt]Okonjo-Iweala Slams Punch Newspaper Over ‘Malicious, Defamatory’ Editorial[/size]

Posted by: THEWILL_ Posted date: November 19, 2013

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, November 19, (THEWILL) – The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo- Iweala, has described an editorial titled, “Jonathan, Okonjo-Iweala and Waivers” published on Monday, November 18 by The Punch Newspaper as malicious and defamatory.

A statement issued on Monday by the Senior Special Assistant on Media to the Minister, Paul Nwabuikwu, said “We are astonished to find that The Punch, a national newspaper, can publish an editorial that is so ignorant, malicious and defamatory.”

The statement said ” We know the antecedents of this newspaper, but this recent editorial truly beggars belief,” adding “When a newspaper can trivialize corruption by branding the country’s industrial policy and underlying fiscal regime as corrupt, it detracts attention from the serious issue of corruption.”

According to the statement :

“This is a disservice to the Nigerian nation, and to all Nigerians.

“It is shocking that The Punch newspaper is not up-to-date on Nigeria’s industrial policies. In the past, waivers were granted to individual businesses in an approach that resulted in rent-seeking behaviors and an uneven playing field for other businesses. It was precisely the need to stop such a discretionary approach that led to reforms by the Economic Management Team under the leadership of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. A sector-wide waiver policy was introduced to provide specific incentives for some strategic, job-creating sectors. Under this regime, all businesses in a sector have access to the same incentives.

“These sectoral policies have included reduced import duty rates or waivers for equipment and materials for the hospitality, power and aviation sectors; for agricultural machinery; for solid mineral equipment; for gas-using equipment; for the steel sector; for specific manufacturing sub-sectors (e.g. for imports of completely-knocked down parts) and for automobiles and tires. There are additional programs such as the Export Expansion Grants (EEG) Scheme designed to promote Nigeria’s non-oil exports. These sectors are seen as strategic areas which can stimulate growth, support diversification of the Nigerian economy, and create jobs for Nigerians.

“This new approach to waivers is therefore an important tool for our national industrial policy, and is also used by other fast-growing economies, such as South Korea, Malaysia and China.”

The statement also lamented that “Had this recent article been the work of a sole reporter, we may have excused these errors as the mistake of an individual,” adding “However, when an entire editorial board of a national newspaper makes such elementary mistakes, it speaks to the abysmal quality of discourse which some of our media institutions are now undertaking.”

It nonetheless said ” We must remain thankful that there are other media houses that focus on reporting facts and issues in a spirit of true journalism and nation-building.

“Now, it is also not surprising that the Nigerian Customs Service (NCS) would complain about waivers. Naturally, NCS would not like any waivers because they directly lower the total revenues collected at our borders. The remuneration for NCS is calculated as a percentage of total revenues collected, and this is directly impacted when waivers are introduced.

” However, the NCS is fully on board that the new sectoral waiver policy is far superior to the previous ad hoc and often unfair approach to waivers.

“As any undergraduate economist learns, a trade-off has to be made between short-term revenue collection, and the country’s long-term industrial development. We have to weigh the balance between collecting customs revenues today, versus providing incentives to our private sector to stimulate growth and job creation. We reiterate that, to label the government’s entire sectoral industrial policy as corruption, trivialises the fight against corruption, and diverts attention from such an important issue. This is irresponsible.”

The statement warned that “The Punch newspaper should note that no amount of spurious editorials will deter government from doing what is right for our national development,” adding “The newspaper only damages its own credibility, and will continue to do so, unless its uninformed reporting and editorial practices are changed.”

According to the statement, ” It is clear that The Punch newspaper is deliberately hounding the Co-ordinating Minister for the Economy who is widely recognised for her strict professional standards at home, and abroad, during her 25-year career at the World Bank and her five years of dedicated service to her country as Finance Minister.

” As your article noted, in her book, Reforming the Unreformable, the Co-ordinating Minister strongly condemned the abuse of discretionary waivers and pushed for a level playing field for all Nigerian businesses.

“These attempts to attack her and the Government will fail, because they only confirm the questionable editorial and journalistic standards of The Punch.”


- See more at: http://thewillnigeria.com/news/okonjo-iweala-slams-punch-newspaper-over-malicious-defamatory-editorial/#sthash.DZVvFcNJ.dpuf

The Punch is trying to appear relevant and claim expertise thereby publishing junks and slandering an institution of the government it fails to understand its operational policies. This abysmal failure of Punch editorial board has reduced Nigeria Journalism to lowest of low in recent times.

The brandishing of the word 'corruption' is now a tool to deceiving gullible Nigerians to tagging every laudable programme of the government as cabal oriented.

Junk journalism and Corruption are congruent and equal in magnitude and direction.

Too bad a nice newspaper like Punch has chosen politics over journalism; from Oduah to Dieazeni, to Iweala, The punch really is hopelessly biased.

Like Sahara and Osundefenders, Punch is no different. Punch is known to publish lies, so I'm not surprised. Desperate times calls for malicious measures. Regardless of their PDS (Pull-Down Syndrome), these women will continue to defeat them.

I can't remember d last time i read Punch newspaper.
Okonjo is too much for them.
Her reputation and integrity speaks for her.

Punch has become a synonym for trashy and unbridled propaganda, a big low for the one time good paper. Very sad!

Hogwash! NOI is incapable of ever accepting her little failings and intolerant of receiving knocks from analysts or criticism from the media. Criticism is the grist of Democracy. Punch's editorial was premised on the submission of the Comptroller General of Customs. I am sure the posters above me did not read the editorial published by Punch before the ethnic solidarity.


"The Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Abdullahi Dikko, had stunned a Senate joint-committee that by September, the nation had lost N603 billion to import duty waivers, exemption of levies, concessions and import substitution schemes. Of this amount, N264 billion was lost to waivers on petroleum products import and N76 billion to manufacturers and assembly plants. Corruption and fiscal indiscipline have obviously sunk to an unacceptable level. Even more stunning was the feeble attempt by Okonjo-Iweala to defend the reckless abuse of waivers and other incentives as policies designed to help certain sectors and generate jobs."

http://www.punchng.com/editorial/jonathan-okonjo-iweala-and-waivers/


Its become a crime for challenge Okonjo and speak against the waste in the system , why? Because of her academic excellence, and academic excellence does not make one a good manager of the economy. Her hallmark is singing aloud tunes that are discordant with the reality on ground. I trust the 'Ethnic Gangs' to label Punch a Yoruba paper in a bid of defend NOI.

Excellent rebuttal to a tete a tete editorial by Punch. Why become a gossip news like premium times and shara... I will like to see a rejoinder from punch to NOI's rebuttal... Nonsense

punch is never speaking on d 2 side of d coin.... Dey are just one side newspaper.... They are no different from presstv (built for d purpose of tarnishing d image of israel internationally) believe you me it has been banned in europe and ignored by d american and australian continent, but aljazera is d best in journalism..... In nigeria we all know that channeltv is best in journalism....all 9ja newspapers are very tribalistic and are used by politicians to fight political wars

take dat: Hogwash! NOI is incapable of ever accepting her little failings and intolerant of receiving knocks from analysts or criticism from the media. Punch's editorial was premised on the submission of the Comptroller General of Customs.


"The Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Abdullahi Dikko, had stunned a Senate joint-committee that by September, the nation had lost N603 billion to import duty waivers, exemption of levies, concessions and import substitution schemes. Of this amount, N264 billion was lost to waivers on petroleum products import and N76 billion to manufacturers and assembly plants. Corruption and fiscal indiscipline have obviously sunk to an unacceptable level. Even more stunning was the feeble attempt by Okonjo-Iweala to defend the reckless abuse of waivers and other incentives as policies designed to help certain sectors and generate jobs."

http://www.punchng.com/editorial/jonathan-okonjo-iweala-and-waivers/


Its become a crime for challenge Okonjo and speak against the waste in the system , why? Because of her academic excellence, and academic excellence does not make one a good manager of the economy. I trust the 'Ethnic Gangs' to label Punch a Yoruba party in a bid of defend NOI.

@take dat, don't act DUMB cos you are trying hard to push a lame point across, abeg. You are usuali better than this... The quote you just gave only indicated that d Customs Boss was angry over the lost of revenue that it collects, just as NOI said in this rebuttal, not that d Scheme has made 'corruption and fiscal indiscipline to sink to abysmal levels'. That part was the lame addition of d now 'bought' Punch Editorial team, and not those of d Customs Boss. It is deceitful to pass both parts as ideas of d Customs Boss when a part of it came from Punch Board. Very deceitful. Moreova, NOI grust with d Editorial was not d criticism that some Collectible Revenues were been lost (infact, she clearly made d point about perpetual economic 'contest' between the choice of Short-term Revenue lost and Long-term Industrial development for a developing nation); her grust was with d Editorial team's blanket dismissal of d new Sector-specific Waiver approach as 'corrupt and fiscally indiscipline'... And one has got to wonder: which of d two approaches (Sector-specific Or Individual-specific) reduces or increases the chances of Corruption, Fiscal Indiscipline and Political patronage?? Its common sense; but then again, how common is sense in today's Politically-corrupt Nigeria??

take dat: Hogwash! NOI is incapable of ever accepting her little failings and intolerant of receiving knocks from analysts or criticism from the media. Criticism is the grist of Democracy. Punch's editorial was premised on the submission of the Comptroller General of Customs. I am sure the posters above me did not read the editorial published by Punch before the ethnic solidarity.


"The Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Abdullahi Dikko, had stunned a Senate joint-committee that by September, the nation had lost N603 billion to import duty waivers, exemption of levies, concessions and import substitution schemes. Of this amount, N264 billion was lost to waivers on petroleum products import and N76 billion to manufacturers and assembly plants. Corruption and fiscal indiscipline have obviously sunk to an unacceptable level. Even more stunning was the feeble attempt by Okonjo-Iweala to defend the reckless abuse of waivers and other incentives as policies designed to help certain sectors and generate jobs."

http://www.punchng.com/editorial/jonathan-okonjo-iweala-and-waivers/


Its become a crime for challenge Okonjo and speak against the waste in the system , why? Because of her academic excellence, and academic excellence does not make one a good manager of the economy. Her hallmark is singing aloud tunes that are discordant with the reality on ground. I trust the 'Ethnic Gangs' to label Punch a Yoruba party in a bid of defend NOI.

in 2013 ,punch is using 1999 reforms on export and import duties which has been changed in 2011 to access Noi .... How do.u.call dat.kind of journalism , a competent or incompetent

By d way, Punch has since been bought over by d Master Thief himself, Tinubu, and it is no surprise it must now bark to the call of its new masters. The Punch of yteryears, that Newspaper that was my personal NO 1 choice and those of so many persons, cos of its famed Sense of Balance, is long dead and buried. What is left is only a dim shadow of that wonderful past; and even that dims everyday.. Their former Editorial chair must be turning in his graves right now

taharqa: @take dat, don't act DUMB cos you are trying hard to push a lame point across, abeg. You are usuali better than this... The quote you just gave only indicated that d Customs Boss was agree over the lost of revenue that it collects, just as NOI said in this rebuttal, not that d Scheme has made 'corruption and fiscal indiscipline to sink to abysmal levels'. That part was the lame addition of d now 'bought' Punch Editorial team, and not those of d Customs Boss. It is deceitful to pass both parts as ideas of d Customs Boss when a part of it came from Punch Board. Very deceitful. Moreova, NOI grust with d Editorial was not d criticism that some Collectible Revenues were been lost (infact, she clearly made d point about perpetual economic 'contest' between choice of Short-term Revenue lost and Long-term Industrial development for a developing country); he grust was with d Editorial team's blanket dismissal of d new Sector-specific Waiver approach as 'corrupt and fiscally indiscipline'... And one has got to wonder: which of d two approaches (Sector-specific Or Individual-specific) reduces or increases the chances of Corruption, Fiscal Indiscipline and Political patronage?? Its common sense; but then again, how common is sense in today's Politically-corrupt Nigeria??

and you expect me to take you seriously above the editorial team of Punch when I know your duty is always to defend all that is good and bad in Government? Isn't this how you folks always try to demonize anyone who critic the Government of GEJ? I am sure you do not have basic comprehension problems, go back to re-read the said editorial. Punch editorial is about dubious waivers and the amount Nigeria is losing to that. Are you telling me that the scheme is 100% corruption-proof? The questions NOI should answer instead of this manufactured hogwash are;

Did Nigeria lose N264billion to waivers on petroleum product imports or not?

Did Nigeria lose N603billion to import duty waivers, concessions and import substitution schemes?

Are you telling us that most of the waivers granted were not patronage driven? Are these allegations not of fiscal profligacy? Nigeria is losing money to some economic terrorists in and outside of government, and she is here picking up a fight with Punch without tackling the main issue. Economic Terrorism!

I remember how a whole newspaper devoted all its editorial , middle and front page to scandalising Philip Emeagwali today that Next newspaper is now in the dust bin of history. Punch which has been in existence since 1973 has not been able to get its foothold on the national media preferring to peddling news and rumours that massages the poorly informed and myopic south west readers .quite unlike the superb national dailies like thisday and guardian which are the main dailies of nigerian news media.

I can bet it any where apart from the misinformed people of the south west who form 98% of the readership and 2% government officials who are compelled to buy it as a necessity and requirements of the public service routine punch doesn't have readership any other part of the country and does not have distribution offices and journalists in most parts of the country preferring to depend on rumour mills for news.

The government should not take the lowly rated , circulated and unread punch newspapers serious after all they have just 80000 copies in circulation even sun newspapers that is barely 10 years has 120000 copies in circulation daily

taharqa: By d way, Punch has since been bought over by d Master Thief himself, Tinubu, and it is no surprise it must now bark to the call of its new masters. The Punch of yteryears, that Newspaper that was my personal NO 1 choice and those of so many persons, cos of its famed Sense of Balance, is long dead and buried. What is left is only a dim shadow of its wonderful past; and even that dims everyday.. Their former Editorial chair must be turning in his graves right now

Keep deceiving yourself. When Punch, Premium Times or Sahara Reporters report news that are unfavorable to the opposition or enemies of GEJ, you folks are always quick to visit those sites and bring such news to Nairaland but you are quick to demonize them when they critic this administration. I am sure to of you, your day is never complete without visiting those sites to read their news. You folks accuse them as SW media when nobody is stoping you from establishing your own media houses. You folks are only interested in what NTA and FRCN reports.

Na wa ooo.........which newspaper make man read again now

Madam learn to address the issues rather than cry persecution!

I know that waivers and grants are all part of the governments industrialisation policy.


But on what grounds did the FG grant a blanket tax waiver to Coscharis (which is not an industry) to import 300 cars?!

How can other Nigerians access this waiver scheme?!

What does it take to qualify for a Waiver?!

Punch Editors are always publishing headlines that will favour only one side of the coin, they will always want to tarnish someones image, during Oduah's saga, they almost finished that woman with her name always making headline, although she has ongoing issues/charges against her, there wasn't a single day punch wouldn't publish anything bad about her, they will always want to put anybody in their shoes from frying pan to fire. Goto their facebook wall, tribalism has staged the order of peoples comment highly beacuse of their malicious headlines I repeat always favouring one side and image tarnishing, for me no difference between them and wahala reporters.

Okija_juju: I know that waivers and grants are all part of the governments industrialisation policy.


But on what grounds did the FG grant a blanket tax waiver to Coscharis (which is not an industry) to import 300 cars?!

How can other Nigerians access this waiver scheme?!

What does it take to qualify for a Waiver?!

I can bet my right eye they will never consider the common man when they finally get their wish to increase the import duty on automobiles.

@Topic. Did punch lie with the article??........ If "no" she should sit-up and shut up.........If "yes" she should sue them.

So they should not criticize the minister anymore ,the question raised was the misappropriation of funds through waiver ,something she was against during obansanjo era and now she is fully in support of this. i don't get it. and FYI mrs Okonjo that's what the press do ,they
look into this matters and report it,what you could have done was kindly explain to nigerians how punch was wrong rather than raise a feud with them. you are a minister not a market woman. If you can't take the criticism then resign. FINISE

Trying to be widely read and more publicity would make them write nonsence even if its tarnishing images! Its reall disheartening when trash is written about some innocent issues about our leaders!

It beats my imagination why some fools will claim that the North and South West are against mr. President and his ministers whenever they criticize the gov't. Well let them hear that the north and the southwest have over 75% voting strength. It will be the end of the igbo loving president in 2015. The South East will regret their stupidity for siding with jonathan for the next 200 years.

I decided to read the editorial in question for myself, and I came across an interesting part.

But in Nigeria, instead of promoting the greatest good for the greatest number, corruption reigns supreme. Policies such as the ECOWAS Trade Liberalisation Scheme, Comprehensive Import Scheme and the Export Expansion Grant, rather than boost production, job creation and exports, have been thoroughly abused. Dikko lamented how EEG beneficiaries imported cars instead of raw materials or machinery. Earlier reports detailed how one firm in Kano fraudulently received N35 billion in the three years to 2011 under EEG, while a Chinese steel firm is reportedly seeking to extend the waiver it obtained in 2007 despite accusations by the Association of Steel Importers that it had grossly abused it by bringing in paints, cables and electrical fittings that are readily available from local producers.

Local vegetable oil producers and farmers have also cried out against waivers granted to some companies to import refined vegetable oil, soya bean meal and related products, which they said led to the loss of over 20,000 jobs locally.

Paul Nwabuikwu did not address this part of the Punch editorial.

take dat: Hogwash! NOI is incapable of ever accepting her little failings and intolerant of receiving knocks from analysts or criticism from the media. Criticism is the grist of Democracy. Punch's editorial was premised on the submission of the Comptroller General of Customs. I am sure the posters above me did not read the editorial published by Punch before the ethnic solidarity.


"The Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Abdullahi Dikko, had stunned a Senate joint-committee that by September, the nation had lost N603 billion to import duty waivers, exemption of levies, concessions and import substitution schemes. Of this amount, N264 billion was lost to waivers on petroleum products import and N76 billion to manufacturers and assembly plants. Corruption and fiscal indiscipline have obviously sunk to an unacceptable level. Even more stunning was the feeble attempt by Okonjo-Iweala to defend the reckless abuse of waivers and other incentives as policies designed to help certain sectors and generate jobs."

http://www.punchng.com/editorial/jonathan-okonjo-iweala-and-waivers/


Its become a crime for challenge Okonjo and speak against the waste in the system , why? Because of her academic excellence, and academic excellence does not make one a good manager of the economy. Her hallmark is singing aloud tunes that are discordant with the reality on ground. I trust the 'Ethnic Gangs' to label Punch a Yoruba party in a bid of defend NOI.

You just only succeeded in attacking Okonjo Iweala's Personality rather than addressing the issues..you accuse others of not reading Punch Editorial and I ask,did you even read Okonjo's rebuttal?

Yes,revenue have been lost(Which Okonjo admitted) but what is the basis for punch to throw up words like corruption and Fiscal discpline have sunk to abysmal level..

Okonjo Iweala has clarified that these waivers are not granted to individuals but on sectoral basis and also presented a case of balancing short-term goals with long-term projections.Are these not valid points?

Yes it is,and it is not even sold in Owerri Imo State.We know the games,hahahahahahahaha

take dat: Hogwash! NOI is incapable of ever accepting her little failings and intolerant of receiving knocks from analysts or criticism from the media. Criticism is the grist of Democracy. Punch's editorial was premised on the submission of the Comptroller General of Customs. I am sure the posters above me did not read the editorial published by Punch before the ethnic solidarity.


"The Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Abdullahi Dikko, had stunned a Senate joint-committee that by September, the nation had lost N603 billion to import duty waivers, exemption of levies, concessions and import substitution schemes. Of this amount, N264 billion was lost to waivers on petroleum products import and N76 billion to manufacturers and assembly plants. Corruption and fiscal indiscipline have obviously sunk to an unacceptable level. Even more stunning was the feeble attempt by Okonjo-Iweala to defend the reckless abuse of waivers and other incentives as policies designed to help certain sectors and generate jobs."

http://www.punchng.com/editorial/jonathan-okonjo-iweala-and-waivers/


Its become a crime for challenge Okonjo and speak against the waste in the system , why? Because of her academic excellence, and academic excellence does not make one a good manager of the economy. Her hallmark is singing aloud tunes that are discordant with the reality on ground. I trust the 'Ethnic Gangs' to label Punch a Yoruba party in a bid of defend NOI.

HNosegbe:
I decided to read the editorial for myself, and I came across an interesting part.



Paul Nwabuikwu did not address this part of the Punch editorial.

Looking at the years involved...did the alleged infractions occur under Okonjo's watch?