The danger in "I owe you nothing"

As Nigerians, we love the dramatic. That is why we are seeming so excited about Tinubu's reply of "I owe you nothing" on Wike's request for refund on Rivers State expenditure on federal roads.

We seem to be failing to take cognizance of Tinubu's succeeding sentence of "You have to lobby me to collect" and what that portends for the relationship between states and the FG on the issue of refunds on expenditure on federal roads.

I understand that to mean there would be no standard in the administration of such refunds, it would depend on the prerogative of the President to agree to or not agree to refund. This can be in consideration of personal friendship or political relationship.

I wish there can be a standard wherein the states and the FG can have an understanding on the needs, terms and conditions for such interventions, including the quantification of contract sums and scheduling of payment, instead of having the arrangement as fluid as Tinubu's reply suggests.

This is so that states which wish to intervene on federal roads can be confident that their entitlement for refund will be respected and not subject to political or personal relationships...

By the way, requesting such refund from a President-Elect when there is a sitting President under whose tenure the project was done suggests to me that something may be wrong in terms of understanding between the Rivers State Government and the FG with regards to Wike's intervention on the federal roads.

I would think that should long have been sorted out with the present administration such that the agreement would be in the handover report to the incoming administration and not subject to lobby.

Fred Edoreh.

GenWOJUOLA:


By the way, requesting such refund from a President-Elect when there is a sitting President under whose tenure the project was done suggests to me that something may be wrong in terms of understanding between the Rivers State Government and the FG with regards to Wike's intervention on the federal roads.

1. buhari's tenure is already done.

2. wike's alliance is with tinubu not apc.

Toh

That statement means, FG will likely not refund states and then states will no longer handle FG projects.

Then the people will suffer, the people will pour the anger on FG. At the end the FG will be another failed president like the rest.

misano:
That statement means, FG will likely not refund states and then states will no longer handle FG projects.

Then the people will suffer, the people will pour the anger on FG. At the end the FG will be another failed president like the rest.

Calm down. Is Peter Obi no longer Cumming

ronalmagic10:


Calm down. Is Peter Obi no longer Cumming

I don't have time 4 U.

misano:


I don't have time 4 U.

Oh really? You're busier than dangote but yet poorer than a church rat

Ewu

ronalmagic10:


Oh really? You're busier than dangote but yet poorer than a church rat

Ewu

I will still not have time for U.

GenWOJUOLA:
The danger in "I owe you nothing"

... ... ....
I wish there can be a standard wherein the states and the FG can have an understanding on the needs, terms and conditions for such interventions, including the quantification of contract sums and scheduling of payment, instead of having the arrangement as fluid as Tinubu's reply suggests.

Fred Edoreh.

Thanks for highlighting the obvious danger that Tinubu's remarks portends.
When Buhari declared with fiat that he "belonged to nobody" during an inaugural address in 2015, little did Nigerians realise just how indifferent, how insouciant, and how inert his personal handling of statecraft was going to be. Yet eight years later, here we have his replacement signalling a particular style of leadership which does not necessarily bode well for Nigerians as well.

To the unthinking and uncritical BATistas who are likely to get bent out of shape by my observations here, I say: no President or President-elect should arrogate the role of so many government functionaries to himself. This should happen neither in thought or deed because the separation of duties matter for a reason.

I have nothing against your principal, but I worry about the growing 'cult of personality' which stifles debate at each and every turn.

"Struggle is a never-ending process. Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation" -- Coretta Scott King

What if it's based on a plan to ensure states are fully responsible for all roads within their states and more money is to be allocated to the states.

Love the phrase. Chief election rigger of Rivers state to his benefactor.....l owe u nothing....