Reps resolve to probe NNPC
By JAMES OJO, Abuja
Wednesday, April 23, 2008


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The House of Representatives in a unanimous decision on Tuesday adopted a motion to probe the activities and operations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its subsidiaries between 1999 till date.

By this decision, it has become apparent that Nigerians would know how former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo presided over the nation’s oil wealth, as he was de-facto Minister of Petroleum for eight years.

This is coming at a time speaker Dimeji Bankole cautioned not to use the investigation to witch-hunt any person, as he asked members if they understood what they were about to do.
He had asked before the motion was taken: “Do you really have an idea of what we are about to start? My advice before we start is that there will be no witch-hunting of any individual. Please, there must be no witch-hunting of any group or individual.

“The credibility of the House is on the line. We must not trivialize a serious issue. We must let our debate be in line with what will improve the conditions of the people that we are representing.”
Bankole’s comment momentarily brought some stillness into the chamber before he signaled to the mover of the motion to proceed on the details and prayers of the motion.

Moving the motion, on behalf of 95 others, Hon Halims Ochukwu Agoda from Delta State expressed worry that the oil sector has remained the bedrock of the country’s economy, yet problems of accountability, transparency and monopolistic tendencies were allowed to eat deep into the very fabric upon which the sector was built. The motion was seconded by former Chief Whip, Hon Bethel Amadi from Imo State
Agoda noted that although the major source of revenue for the nation came from oil, its exploration, exploitation and trading in petroleum products have been shrouded in secrecy.
He said that daily allocation of crude to the NNPC for refining for the domestic market has since risen to 450,000 barrels per day (bpd), while the price of oil at the international market has tripled.

It was also noted that the NNPC, at the return of democractic rule in 1999, was allocated 300,000 bpd for domestic consumption (9,000,000 per month), which the members viewed could have fetched the corporation $2.9billion per month in terms of revenue.

On the controversial Turn Around Maintenance (TAM) of the nation’s four refineries, the movers of the motion contended that it was sad that the nation had to resort to importation of refined products to meet shortfalls in domestic consumption.

It was concluded that there was apparent neglect of the refineries by past governments in order to allow for the unwholesome and illegal practices in the functioning of the refineries.
Expressing further concern why NNPC must be probed, Agoda said that the consequences of the unwholesome financial and operational tendencies still impact negatively on the handling of petroleum products importation and distribution.

Again, it was argued that with the level of waste in the management of the nation’s oil, it was like the operations of NNPC had been hijacked by a cartel and syndicate, whose stock-in-trade was to service selfish interest and for the enthronement of all kinds of corrupt practices.
With the motion, Agoda said that the people of Nigeria and the government of President Umaru Yar’Adua would be on the threshold of history by taking open stock of the oil industry.

“The burden will be made lighter when we take a holistic stock of the petroleum sector,” he noted, while asking fundamental questions on how much barrels of oil the nation produces on daily basis, how much money is remitted to the nation’s purse and who keeps a proper accounts of proceeds from oil.
Agoda, who insisted that there was a statistical mystery that was assailing Nigerians from the oil sector, said that time had come to let the public know what was happening with the nation’s oil wealth and the system failure that has been the lot of NNPC.

Speaking in the same vein, Chuma Nzeribe from Anambra State stated that in investigating NNPC, members will look in the face of past leaders, who squandered oil money to fly in helicopters purchased with illegal proceeds from oil business to marriage ceremonies.
Hon Shehu Garba Matazu from Katsina State cautioned that the chamber of the House would not be able to contain the stench from opening the can of worms in the oil sector, adding that for the benefit of the country, the House will go ahead to look at what happened in the NNPC from 1999 to date.

Other members who spoke in support of the motion were Hon Patrick Obahiagbon, Mercy Alumona-Isei, Farouk Lawan, opposition leader Ali Ndume, Habeeb Fashinro and Igo Aguma, among others.
Based on the fact that 1999 constitution had empowered it to carry out investigation in the interest of public probity, accountability and good governance, the House resolved to conduct a public hearing on the operation and activities of NNPC and its subsidiaries.

The House also resolved that in probing NNPC, the corporation must publish, in three national newspapers, details of amount of barrel of crude oil lifted in Nigeria on daily basis from 1999 till date and how much was accrued to the nation under the same period and where it was lodged.
The probe will also determine the actual allocation of domestic crude oil to the NNPC, as well as the quantity of refined petroleum products derived thereof for domestic consumption and revenue, if any from May 1999 till date.

The ad-hoc committee will ascertain the identities, particulars, status, and the basis of the engagement of companies, enterprises and individuals by the NNPC for the importation and exportation of petroleum products, as well as those that have benefited from oil blocs allocation during the period under review.
For the nation’s four refineries, the committee will examine the amount that has been expended on their rehabilitation, their storage facilities, pipelines and their current status.

All budgetary allocations extended to PPRA for the purposes of importation of refined petroleum products, its usage and all other financial transactions arising from 1999 till date will also be looked into.
Also, the committee will look into other matters and materials concerning the operations of NNPC and its subsidiaries.

Chairman of the adhoc committee is Hon Iga Aguma. Other co-chairmen are, the chairman of Petroleum (Upstream), Hon Clever Ikisikpo, Petroleum Downstream, Hon Tam Brisbe, chairman Intergovernmental, Hon Leo Ogor.

Addressing the press after the session, Hon Aguma restated that the committee would not witch hunt anybody and that any valuable information from any quarters would be welcomed.
He gave assurance that the ad-hoc committee would not shy away from inviting any- body to give information that will enhance the workings of the committee.



http://www.sunnewsonline.com/webpages/news/national/2008/apr/23/national-23-04-2008-001.htm


I am not agains this but

In the one year these fools have been in the office what have they done?

They have spent one year trying to decide if they will probe OBJ's administration how many will they spend probing and bringing him to justice?

What will be the gains of the Ordinary man after this probe?

Is this the best way to attend to the needs of surfering Nigerians?

Should we stop expecting anything good from this administration?

Is this the right step?

Considering that most of the revenue of the country comes from the sale of crude oil and there is not even a working refinery in the country and the monumental waste and inefficiency Nigerian institutions are known for, ofcourse a properly conducted and thorough, uncompromising and published probe is required. The question you should be asking isn't wether a probe should be conducted but wether the probe would be carried out properly given the track records of useless and unfruitful probes. What has come off the energy probe? They did not even invite Obasanjo who was responsible for signing all the cheques and awarding all the contracts, some ex governors who had their hands soiled were even being addresed as "your exellency" while serious questions were not even asked just continuous beating round the bush while feeding the masses the common rhetoric of fighting corruption. THEY COULD NOT EVEN INVITE OBASANJO. If the kind of probe being carried out on NNPC is going to be like the one being carried out on the Energy sector then people should not hold their breath. THAT IS WHY WE NEED THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BILL. So that we won't have to keep waiting on useless badly conducted Nigerian specially branded probes that go nowhere, so that the public can acess all this information we are waiting for these so called "probes" to bring to light.
If Yaradua is not serious about that bill, or addressing electoral reforms and making plans to make the EFCC actually active and effective he should not open his mouth and talk about fighting corruption because all that will come out from that mouth would be the stench of more talk less action

The NNPC is one of the most corrupt corporations in the world!

The FOI bill has still not been passed This is taking longer than I actually thought it would.

Still pending, how long now? The most infuriating thing is that this bill was actually inherited from the last administration so is not like it was a sudden surprise. Obasanjo cleverly refused to sign it because of the implications it has. In about a week the motion to increase salary was passed!! So you can see how painful it is when Yaradua now comes and talks about fighting corruption and this bill has not yet been signed. What are they still reading? If the government was actually genuine about fighting corruption we won't be here discussing the "pending" of this bill. If Yaradua came out and said he does not want to fight corruption then fine, it would be to Nigeria's detriment but at least we have honesty and he is then accepting he hasn't got the guts and is cowardly. But to go on about "fighting corruption" and doing nothing, with and AGF that seems to defend corrupt politicians is just simply a spit in the face and it hurts and simply shows an alarming side of Yaradua's character we might have to be worried about. All the things he said he would do during his swearing in, emergency in power sector, electoral reforms, FOI bill, etc, anyone please, has he done any of them or laid down any feasible or concrete plans towards achieving anything. Hate to sound like a broken recors but this is ludacris.

Sky Blue:

Still pending, how long now? The most infuriating thing is that this bill was actually inherited from the last administration so is not like it was a sudden surprise. Obasanjo cleverly refused to sign it because of the implications it has. In about a week the motion to increase salary was passed!! So you can see how painful it is when Yaradua now comes and talks about fighting corruption and this bill has not yet been signed. What are they still reading? If the government was actually genuine about fighting corruption we won't be here discussing the "pending" of this bill. If Yaradua came out and said he does not want to fight corruption then fine, it would be to Nigeria's detriment but at least we have honesty and he is then accepting he hasn't got the guts and is cowardly. But to go on about "fighting corruption" and doing nothing, with and AGF that seems to defend corrupt politicians is just simply a spit in the face and it hurts and simply shows an alarming side of Yaradua's character we might have to be worried about. All the things he said he would do during his swearing in, emergency in power sector, electoral reforms, FOI bill, etc, anyone please, has he done any of them or laid down any feasible or concrete plans towards achieving anything. Hate to sound like a broken recors but this is ludacris.

Are you sure he has not done all these things already I mean maybe it is just that he is taking his time to read every word of the bill to be sure that no comma is out of place. Are you sure you are not just another "pessimist" who is unable to see all the good that is happening right in front of you when it comes to what yaradua has done so far in Nigeria?? Honest question

LOOL. I get the humour but honestly though, imagine if people used that as an actual excuse. How many lines does that bill have, for a former chemistry teacher if he is still reading that bill that has been proposed for like 2 years now and inherited for close to a year now then he must be quite slow if you know what i mean. LOL. So the motion to increase perks and salary of the senate and executive arms had no coma? I don't blame them.

lmao!!!!

Sky Blue:

Still pending, how long now? The most infuriating thing is that this bill was actually inherited from the last administration so is not like it was a sudden surprise. Obasanjo cleverly refused to sign it because of the implications it has. In about a week the motion to increase salary was passed!! So you can see how painful it is when Yaradua now comes and talks about fighting corruption and this bill has not yet been signed. What are they still reading? If the government was actually genuine about fighting corruption we won't be here discussing the "pending" of this bill. If Yaradua came out and said he does not want to fight corruption then fine, it would be to Nigeria's detriment but at least we have honesty and he is then accepting he hasn't got the guts and is cowardly. But to go on about "fighting corruption" and doing nothing, with and AGF that seems to defend corrupt politicians is just simply a spit in the face and it hurts and simply shows an alarming side of Yaradua's character we might have to be worried about. All the things he said he would do during his swearing in, emergency in power sector, electoral reforms, FOI bill, etc, anyone please, has he done any of them or laid down any feasible or concrete plans towards achieving anything. Hate to sound like a broken recors but this is ludacris.

unfortunately you do sound like a broken record especially with the other LMAO dude that follows you around(how irritating is that?)

I don't know if you get your news from nairaland but if you've actually been following the news you would know that there are committees working on this already you don't exactly expect the committees to research and come to a conclusion to forward to the president within one week do you?

All the things he has promised to during his campaign? what are these things actually ?and what time frame did he give? did he promise to do all these thing within the first year in office?


there should be a sense of urgency but I think you lot are being overly unrealistic!!!

Yep,  I said it ,  even though this bill has been in the works for over 5 years now, we are pessimists to expect the  current administration to try to push it forward, even though it is greatly in the interest of every Nigerian. LMAO!! Oh ye pessimistic lot, the house has spent billions (in work time pay) dealing with this very bill but are yet to pass it. What we need is to spend more man hours which translate to millions or even billions more of the Nigerian people's money to continue going over this bill while billions continue to get sucked out of the system and we continue to get only change back when we go after the ones that we are able to.

For those who care to educate themselves on what this may actually be about ,

http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/988.html

National Summit on the Freedom of Information Bill
(Valencia Hotel, Abuja - August 2 & 3, 2005) --_{note the date}

Communiqué

Introduction

A two-day National Summit on the Freedom of Information Bill was held at the Valencia Hotel, Abuja on Tuesday, August 2 and Wednesday, August 3, 2005. It was organized by the Freedom of Information Coalition, in collaboration with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and was sponsored by ActionAid International Nigeria (AAIN) with funding from the European Commission.


After an Overview of the Freedom of Information Bill, the Summit examined in plenary sessions the following topics:

"The Facts and Fallacies - FOI Act as an Instrument of Anti-Corruption and Transparency";
· "FOI Regime, the People and the Anti-corruption Campaign", with specific focus on its impact on the work of the National Human Rights Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission
· "Between the Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal: Building Synergy for Effective Anti-Corruption"
· "Strategies for Building Partnership between Civil Society and Government Agencies in the Implementation of a Freedom of Information Regime in Nigeria."

Observations

[b]Participants at the Summit observed as follows:

· That the denial of access to the information and the attendant widespread ignorance in the society does more harm to the society than any harm that could possibly arise from granting access to members of the public.

· That access to information would enhance the development of any nation and stressed that there was therefore a pressing need for a Freedom of Information Act in Nigeria and that the law would be of great benefit to all sectors of the society.

· That a Freedom of Information law would place enormous responsibility on those who hold information and administer the freedom of information regime as well as those requesting information to manage information responsibly.

· That a Freedom of Information law will complement the President Obasanjo's avowed commitment to stamping out corruption in Nigeria, which he has described as the bane of the nation, and in particular, will assist various government agencies such as the National Human Rights Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Code of Conduct Bureau and Code of Conduct Tribunal, as well as security and other law enforcement agencies, in the performance of their functions.

· That a Freedom of Information law will enhance the speedy dispensation of justice, especially when complemented with a Whistleblowers Act. This is because the law will facilitate the investigation of cases by law enforcement agencies and make it possible to secure the cooperation of witnesses.

· That the law would strengthen the democratic process as it will make it possible for citizens to hold the government accountable and be involved in all facets of policy formulation and implementation.

· That the Bill will trigger a number of social changes which will be a catalyst for more rapid social and economic development.

That there was a growing lack of capacity for rigorous advocacy and playing of watchdog functions among civil society organizations, which are also important sectors in ensuring effective implementation of a freedom of information law.

Recommendations

The participants therefore endorsed the Freedom of Information Bill and resolved as follows:

· That the National Assembly should pass the Bill as quickly as possible, while the President should also assent to it, when it is passed by the National Assembly.

In anticipation of the passage of the Bill and the need to ensure its effective implementation, efforts should be made to engage the planning, research and statistics department of virtually all ministries, parastatals and commissions to make them aware of what is expected of them when the Bill becomes law and how to respond to request for public information that are in their custody. This is because by the nature of their functions, they are the repositories of information concerning the workings of their agencies.

That efforts should be made to address the capacity problems of both government agencies and civil society organizations, which could undermine the effective implementation of a Freedom of Information law in Nigeria, as there is a particularly level of capacity deficit among some government institutions in the area of generation and storage of basic information about their activities. The capacity issues in government also include infrastructural prerequisites in the area of Information and Communication Technologies, adequate training and manpower development, funding constraints, literacy level, commitment to change, etc.

· That the record-keeping practices of the public service at various levels of government should be reformed to make them more efficient and effective and thereby ensure that requests for access to information can be processed speedily.[/b]

In order to ensure effective implementation of a Freedom of Information law, there is a need for an administrative body to be charged with overseeing the implementation of the proposed law. It was agreed that the National Human Rights Commission is best placed to play this role, but needs to be capacitated for the effective discharge of this function.

That the body charged with overseeing the implementation of the proposed law should be continuously engaged by civil society to monitor its performance in the discharge of this function. To this end, civil society organizations should consider the possibility of transforming the platforms that were used in ensuring the passage of the bill to play this role.

That there should be continuous engagement of government institutions and agencies to address their concerns in order to reduce resistance to the Bill, wherever it might exist.

in case you don't know about how the government works, (I actually don't think you do, going by some of the things you say)

if the people sponsoring the bill/ or reps moving the bill leave office it is very likely the process will go back to square one!!

lmao dude, why did OBJ sign it ? > correction< @ lmao why didn't OBJ sign it?

You are joking right So you intend to have government continue to spend more billions on a bill that simply requires that information about government spending and more be made available to the Nigerian people who, by the way those in government, work for Yes,  you definitely know more about how government is supposed to work than I do. LMAO!!!

http://www.justiceinitiative.org/db/resource2?res_id=103474


JUSTICE INITIATIVE LAUDS ADOPTION OF FREEDOM OF INFORMATION BILL BY NIGERIAN SENATE

Urges Final Conference and Presidential Signature before Recess

Abuja, November 16, 2006--- The Open Society Justice Initiative today hailed the Nigerian Senate's approval of a freedom of information bill and urged President Olusegun Obasanjo to sign it into law quickly.

The bill, if it becomes law, will guarantee Nigerian citizens the right to access government-held information. Nigeria is set to become just the fourth African nation with a freedom of information law, following South Africa, Uganda and Angola.

"This is an important step for Nigeria," said Maxwell Kadiri, junior legal officer with the Justice Initiative's Abuja office. "If and when the bill becomes law, it will further government transparency and increase public participation in the democratic process."

The bill, adopted unanimously by the Senate earlier this week, has been pending in Parliament since 1999. It was approved by the Nigerian House of Representatives in 2004. The House and Senate versions of the bill are very similar but must still be reconciled and then either signed by President Obasanjo or approved by two-thirds of Parliament to become law. Advocates expressed hope that this could happen before the Parliament's recess in December.

The bill's passage is a significant victory for Nigeria's freedom of information advocates, who have championed its passage for over six years. It is also an impetus for other African nations to enact similar laws, and for those nations that already have FOI laws to enforce them more vigorously.

"The Nigerian people have waited a long time for this bill to be passed," said Kadiri. "Its unanimous approval shows that the Senate understands the bill's importance. We are gratified by President Obasanjo's remarks welcoming the bill's adoption, and look forward to his signing it into law at the earliest possible opportunity."

8 years already with this bill, No, we need to drag it on even longer and make it 16 years before we get to understand that it is in our utmost good that this bill become law IMMEDIATELY.

@Dis Guy, i really don't understand what line you are actually trying to argue, what about continuity in government, considering that it is thesame party that is ruling and that this bill is not a party but a Nigerian masses interest based bill why on earth should it start from square one? Do they need a new sheet of paper to write it or what? SO WHY THE DELAY? I genuinely don't understand your arguement so could you enlighten me? And also consider that Yaradua said he would pass the bill as quickly as possible (you can go and read 10month old news to confirm) so there is your time frame. So quickly as possible to pass an already established bill is 1 year? Really? Are we being serious here?

@lmao dude there's a big difference between how government is supposed to work and how it works especially the nigerian one!

Lmao dude, what about a petition like the one you're carrying around concerning NIPOST, surely the FOI bill is more important than the nipost, _{or you are looking at it from a biznes angle only?}

Sky Blue:

@Dis Guy, i really don't understand what line you are actually trying to argue, what about continuity in government, considering that it is thesame party that is ruling and that this bill is not a party but a Nigerian masses interest based bill why on earth should it start from square one? Do they need a new sheet of paper to write it or what? SO WHY THE DELAY? I genuinely don't understand your arguement so could you enlighten me? And also consider that Yaradua said he would pass the bill as quickly as possible (you can go and read 10month old news to confirm) so there is your time frame. So quickly as possible to pass an already established bill is 1 year? Really? Are we being serious here?

All the things he said he would do during his swearing in, emergency in power sector, electoral reforms, FOI bill, etc, anyone please, [i]has he done any of them or laid down any feasible or concrete plans towards achieving [/i]anything. Hate to sound like a broken recors but this is ludacris.

that is what I'm talking about

@lmao dude there's a big difference between how government is supposed to work and how it works especially the nigerian one!

Lmao dude, what about a petition like the one you're carrying around concerning NIPOST, surely the FOI bill is more important than the nipost, or you are looking at it from a biznes angle only?

hhhmmmm, so it is OK for government to continue functioning at slow speed. Why do we need the new guy when Obasanjo was doing a great job at that ?? Well, since you decided to bring my own biz into this, let me help you understand what the FOI bill can do for your life as Nigerian. That bill, not only works for you as a Nigeria but puts power into your hand, whether you are working as an individual Nigerian or a business entity. It gives people the power they deserve over government and people are able to demand change from government when they see money or materials being used the wrong way. My Petition has nothing to do with FOI, I don't understand why you even brought it up on this thread and please, you can not use my petition as excuse for your "kiss yaradua's shiny bum all the way" campaign in here, LMAO!!! _{( you forced my hands here)} LMAO!!

democracy is slow lmao dude and nigeria's democracy appears to be worse but the speed at which you want things done is totally unrealistic!!

we know what the FOI bill is capable of, whether they actually follow or implement it is another thing entirely, now if you are as passionate about it as you are passionate about your petition you will start a new petition to bring it back to the fore front- contact your friend Patrick Obahiagbon

lmao can fix nigeria in one year- ode

The participants therefore endorsed the Freedom of Information Bill and resolved as follows:

· That the National Assembly should pass the Bill as quickly as possible, while the President should also assent to it, when it is passed by the National Assembly.

In anticipation of the passage of the Bill and the need to ensure its effective implementation, efforts should be made to engage the planning, research and statistics department of virtually all ministries, parastatals and commissions to make them aware of what is expected of them when the Bill becomes law and how to respond to request for public information that are in their custody. This is because by the nature of their functions, they are the repositories of information concerning the workings of their agencies.

That efforts should be made to address the capacity problems of both government agencies and civil society organizations, which could undermine the effective implementation of a Freedom of Information law in Nigeria, as there is a particularly level of capacity deficit among some government institutions in the area of generation and storage of basic information about their activities. The capacity issues in government also include infrastructural prerequisites in the area of Information and Communication Technologies, adequate training and manpower development, funding constraints, literacy level, commitment to change, etc.

olodo put horse before the cart

Do you know what I noticed?? People in Countries that are successful are proactive and actually believe they deserve better and go out and act upon this. That is one of the reasons why the world is glued on America today cause for some reason they admire the fact that these people actually say things and do them. I am not even speaking of those in leadership roles but the actual people, many of whom are known the world over as active people who are active in many areas.

What you have just posted now reminds me of the reason why I cry for Nigeria. Democracy takes a long time? We have had it about 9 whole years now, how much longer do you need it to go?? I am guessing if we had gone for communism, you would said exactly the same even though what we have had in that country from the beginning seems closer to that than it does democracy, up to this day. We are speaking of a bill that has been in the pipeline for almost 8 years now and you think it is not enough time?? The people are not the one's saying No to the bill. The bill has been on the president's desk now for years. In Nigeria, the Freedom of Information Bill was approved by the Senate in November 2006. It must now be reconciled with the version approved by the House and signed by the President.

This is the major reason why I sometimes feel Nigeria deserves to be exactly where it is today cause it seems the people are themselves not majorly ready to see change and so continue to make excuses to remain where they are today by constinually creating feather beds to cushion these charlatans we have in office, year after year.

The bill has been on the president's desk now for years. This is the major reason why I sometimes feel Nigeria deserves to be exactly where it is today cause it seems the people are themselves not majorly ready to see change and so continue to make excuses to remain where they are today by constinually creating feather beds to cushion these charlatans we have in office, year after year.

the recommendation was that for the bill to be effective/relevant, the country needs to have specific departments like the national statistic bureau, departments in all govt agencies ready to comply with the law and workers/civil workers trained to comply with the law. I don't really think we have an office of national statistic as it is- the FOI is very important but as it is they should focus on strengthening institutions and implementing existing laws that also have direct effective on business and citizens

people in developed countries are proactive AND their representatives are also responsive, it's a two way thing after many years _{including 8 years with you hero obj} people will just have to do the basic to survive and maintain sanity, allow going to Abuja to protest to people in glass houses or people with police escorts ready to shoot

In essence, because Obj failed in this, Yaradua who promised to set this in place is yet to start working on the recommendations means yaradua is better than obJ?? Discussing this reminds me of the Isrealites having to roam the wilderness for 40 years until all those of the "wicked" generation died off and the new generation who were actually willing to see and embrace change were all that was left. The more I talk to some Nigerians, the more I feel it is best to leave things as they are and accept that maybe this is the right fate for many in that country.

I don't understand why some chaps suggest a moderate tone when the populace addresses its leaders/politicians.

The Politicians lay the groundwork for our irrational demands through their irrational promises.

When politicians promise heaven and earth e.g one of the twenty biggest economies by 2020 and all that malarkey, it is only fair
that we hold them to their word.

At this pace the only Top 20, Nigeria would be a member of, is the 'BIG MOUTH------NO ACTION' CLUB. Shoot, we lead that
already anyway.

But that is EXACTLY the issue, we are not asking for heaven and earth and this things are not difficult to do and that is what makes it even more infuriating. If the government was genuine then these things are not heaven and earth but their implications are HUGE. So has he suddenly got eye pains that he can't rewad or hand pains that he can't sign? What exactly? Even tinapa is in shambles because it was not declared a free trade zone for how long What did it need? A signature.