In the sub Saharan Africa lies a giant that could have emerged a dominating world power, a true inspiration to all minorities and a living testament that all men irrespective of the pigmentation of their skin are indeed equal. A country that could have been a true rallying point for all black struggles and battles for respect in diaspora.

But for years, this promising brain child of British imperialism has suffered a rather woeful affliction; corruption. This disease has so spread its tentacles that the country is now infested with an insufferable infection that is rather worse than the primary cause of its woes. The infection being mediocrity; content with unremarkable and dour success. 

Having a Harvard degree is the pinnacle of success in my country, even if you have not done anything  spectacular or worthy of note in your existence. A woman is declared the best person for a global position solely because of this achievement, a Harvard Degree. 

As a result of of years of inept rulership, gross mismanagement and an incredulous level of corruption and wasteful spending, Nigeria is broke. We begin to think of ways of solving our problem and we decide to bring in one of our own. A Harvard graduate with years of extensive experience as a world bank director. 

On arrival she takes her first step towards addressing the malaise, she initiates steps towards the removal of fuel subsidy which she says has become a devious machination used by a greedy few to usurp the resources that are meant for all. A most reasonable cause of action if all is considered properly. 

She then sets up a system whereby there is infrastructural development; let the people feel the money. This system however will employ middlemen who will coordinate resources handed from government down to the people, men who like the oil marketers are very susceptible to corruption, and might well see to the diversion of this infrastructural resources towards the aggrandisement of their of their own pecuniary comforts.  So, Rather than address the issue of corruption, let us kill the old system and create a new one that reaches  the people. 

Wouldnt that be cutting of the head because of an insufferable headache? It reminds me of a man who sold his old tyres because the bad road that led to his house kept deflating them, he then bought new tyres forgetting that they will age too and the road will soon resume its usual practice on them, wouldn't it have been  wise to fix the road and set it smooth? So any tyre old or new could thread there without assault? But I am not a Harvard graduate, so what do I know?

But we are willing to overlook this, even though we are still waiting to see the promised utopia of infrastructure springing up in every nook and cranny. Let us move on to other interesting things. 

Our dear finance minster, the most qualified person for the position of world bank president, then prepares a budget for her broke country that is trying to cut back on spending. A country she has warned that removing subsidy will help the economy and so the masses should learn to get out of their comfort zones and stiffen up to take one for the team. Note, the masses, not the government.

Her budget shows the president entitled to 1 billion Nara in feeding allowances amongst other allowances ranging from newspapers to cooking gas, the ministers still retaining their full allowance privileges, ranging from feeding to coughing and every other ludicrous allowance that can be conceived.  The budget allows for the presidency to run and maintain a fleet of 10 aeroplanes while the mighty prime minister of England, a world power, sometimes flies commercial. God forbid that our president be subjected to such lowly treatment.

This budget, so concerned with cutting back, still allows our legislators to make  a whooping average of 100 million annually and are supplied with cars for motorcades, when the British MPs are subjected to third class train tickets when on official trips. A budget that allows the president and first lady's motorcade to be so long and sophisticated that it is rivalled only by that of the president of America, the richest and most powerful nation in the world.

I have to applaud her her rather fine and very excellent managerial skills, indeed, countries in the euro zone should take a cue from this woman who is so artful in the skill of micro managing finances, I am sure they will do well if like her they choose to ignore their central bank governor who warns that government spending is too high especially in the legislature in a country where key sectors like health, education and security are failing and where power is virtually non existent.

A central bank governorwho forbes deemed to be part of the 100 most influential men in the world, i might add he didnt need a Harvard degree to do it. 

I am sure a woman who is so adept at managing the finances of her home country in such a dexterous manner will do well on the world stage as the world bank president. I wonder why Obama didn't nominate her. Maybe her cv wasn't  stoked with enough references, perhaps if she took more ministerial appointments, the letters of recommendation will come piling in and she can move on to her dreams and leave this stepping stone called Nigeria to find a solution to her financial challenges.

Your article on NOI is just the best. Exactly how it IS, and how i analyze it is what you have written. It just goes a long way to telling the competence of our ineffective leaders.

HOUSE OF REPS FUEL SUBSIDY PROBE: Farouk Lawan: what is Nigeria’s daily fuel consumption?

Diezieni: 52million Liters
NNPC: 35m liters
DPR: 43m liters
PPPRA: 24M liters
Okonjo: 40M liters

Farouk Lawan: What was the subsidy for 2011?
Diezieni: 1.4Trillion
Okonjo: 1.3Trillion
CBN: 1.7Trillion

Farouk Lawan: Can we have the KPMG REPORT?
Okonjo: I have to go through the report first ( at this time, this report has been in circulation for months)
Diezieni: I have not seen the report

Farouk Lawan: What is the production capacity of our local refineries?’
NNPC: 30%
PPPRA: 20%
DPR: 13%
Diezieni: 15%

Farouk Lawan: Does Nigeria pay subsidy on locally refined Products?
Diezaini: it depends
NNPC: The lay man cannot understand how it’s done
PPPRA: yes
DPR: No

Farouk Lawan: Why is Kerosene still scarce?
Diezieni: Because its use by the aviation industry as aviation fuel
NNPC: Because there is no subsidy so NNPC overstretched its resources
PPPRA: it’s not properly deregulated

Farouk Lawan: what is the balance in the subsidy accounts?
Diezieni: it’s a virtual account
NNPC: There is no account in existence as the lay man will look at it
PPPRA: The account is a technical one
CBN: There is no account with us for subsidy
Okonjo: The account exists but not with a bank. (THIEF )
Hmmm, abracadabra, the more you see the less u understand!

This same puff-puff cheek woman was on seat when the budgetary allocation of subsidy was exceeded by over 900%. The idiot didnt call for investigation instead preffering to inflict Nigerians with more pains threatening that the country will crash if the subsidy isnt removed. in addition to this, she is also overseering Nigeria return to debt.
Foolish woman.