By Ulf Laessing 17 hours ago
By Ulf Laessing

ABUJA (Reuters) - Seven months after Muhammadu Buhari was elected president on a promise to "fix" Nigeria, a policy vacuum has brought decision-making to a halt, hampering everything from national budget planning to new roads and art exhibitions.


Late on Thursday, the Senate ended yet another session screening Buhari's ministerial candidates without giving its approval, leaving Africa's biggest economy with no government since the former military ruler took office on May 29.

With political wrangling in full swing, lawmakers will need at least another week for more vetting. After three weeks, only half of Buhari's 36-strong lineup has got the green light.

Buhari has launched the first steps to reform the oil sector in Africa's biggest producer and fight graft, which is blamed for most of the nation of 170 million people living in poverty despite Nigeria's vast energy wealth.

But some of his high-flying plans are gathering dust in rudderless ministries while entrepreneurs and businessman look on in vain as Africa's biggest economy reels from the decline in crude prices.

"We support Buhari's change but ministers need to get appointed and start working," said Chidubem Nnajiofor, whose computer shop has been struggling to pay for imports because of central bank currency controls imposed to protect the naira.

"You cannot get dollars even if you have a letter of credit."

BUDGET DEFERRED

The 72-year-old president has won praise for a bailout of federal states and audits designed to root out graft but, with the economy flatlining, investors wonder why he took four months to name a cabinet of familiar political faces.

"For a while, one could say that transparency reforms introduced by the new government and the state government bailout possibly trumped the appointment of a cabinet," said Razia Khan, Chief Economist, Africa, at Standard Chartered Bank.

"As we get closer to the budget cycle deadline and important decisions on subsidies and taxation need to be taken, the absence of a cabinet will likely become more glaring."

Parliament typically tables the annual budget in November but there is no draft yet for a planned supplementary budget for this year, let alone a proposal for 2016. Discussions are likely to take longer than normal because of the need of spending cuts.

The lack of a government has hampered even basic ministry work such as aid projects or state-sponsored art exhibitions. Business people and diplomats have been dealing with undersecretaries who are afraid to sign off on anything.

"No political decisions are being taken at the moment at ministries," said a Western diplomat who asked not to be named.

Even when the Senate clears Buhari's nominees, ministers will have to wade through reams of documents that have piled up on their desks over the last half a year before getting down to work.

ONE-MAN SHOW?

Many Nigerians support Buhari's cause to fight graft. Most people in the country struggle to make ends meet while a globe-trotting elite has enjoyed an oil bonanza.

To the delight of many, foreign airlines are reporting a slump in first-class bookings as high-rollers take care over displays of wealth, and noticeably fewer private jets jostle for space at Abuja's airport.

But in the absence of ministers, reforms aired before the election - such as curbing food imports to boost domestic farming - are stuck on the drawing board, and without any consideration for their consequences.

For example, if steel imports are curbed, as has been mooted, Buhari may have to drop some infrastructure projects because local steel output is insufficient, executives say.

The cabinet delay is also sowing confusion and intrigue, according to political insiders, with some ministers on the cabinet list telling friends which portfolio they have landed, only to call back later to say they are not so sure.

Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, head of state oil firm NNPC, is expected to become junior oil minister with Buhari maintaining oversight of the sector.

Buhari - by his own admission not an economist - has tasked his deputy president, Yemi Osinbajo, a commercial lawyer, with overseeing economic policy. Osinbajo has said dollar curbs are only a short-term measure to preserve currency reserves.

But the wider paralysis is blocking nearly all government spending, putting a big brake on growth.

"It's only when government starts embarking on capital projects that there is money," said Joel Mtsor, who runs a printing firm in Abuja that relies on government work.

"Nothing is happening - no workshops, no seminars. As I speak there is no printing company today that is busy," he said.

(Editing by Ed Cropley and Timothy Heritage)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/without-cabinet-nigeria-stuck-hold-125825253--business.html

Lalasticlala,, Seun , ishilove.

.

Cc Patriotic Wailers:
Ishiamu gunuvi Truckpusher Rozayx5 bomsilaga exxel erunz dunsman Nigerianvenom Ishiamu Phockphockman, nwadiuko1, ibokUtoroh, Koded, Ecoterrors, iPrinz20 Aprokoman, OcheJoseph, Dearpreye, Firefire, Tomakint Francizy, Temitemi1, Hinwazaka Ecoterrors, Dumkem21 Biafranqueen, Mogidi, Mizmycoli, IsraeliAirforce, Candyrain, Ambivert, Rose2014, Provacateur, Opiaoku, NDPVF, Anonimi, Engineerboat, Talktimi, ahaika23, coolestrogue APCSucks Emperortj93 DebateNigeria and all patriots

The dullard sounded out by a foreign news agency!

Even they can see dullarpo's incompetence!

bad

Agunnewi:
Cc Patriotic Wailers:
Ishiamu gunuvi Truckpusher Rozayx5 bomsilaga exxel erunz dunsman Nigerianvenom Ishiamu Phockphockman, nwadiuko1, ibokUtoroh, Koded, Ecoterrors, iPrinz20 Aprokoman, OcheJoseph, Dearpreye, Firefire, Tomakint Francizy, Temitemi1, Hinwazaka Ecoterrors, Dumkem21 Biafranqueen, Mogidi, Mizmycoli, IsraeliAirforce, Candyrain, Ambivert, Rose2014, Provacateur, Opiaoku, NDPVF, Anonimi, Engineerboat, Talktimi, ahaika23, coolestrogue APCSucks Emperortj93 DebateNigeria and all patriots

Lol Bros so you get their comprehensive list

Some people will come here nd be claiming that buhari is building foundation.me. I prefer gej method of bluffing everybody while he achieves the needful

We are on long thing in dis country...

Slow nd steady wins d race

Late on Thursday, the Senate ended yet another session screening Buhari's ministerial candidates without giving its approval, leaving Africa's biggest economy with no government since the former military ruler took office on May 29 .

We have a govt in place and its called monocracy/northerncracy

They will soon call dem wailers..

To undo the damage of sixteen years is not and cannot be a day's job.

The end justifies the means.

It is the end result that matters and not the initial gra gra that we're used to. OBJ and GEJ rushed their businesses to the admiration of the international community and we all know how things ended for us.

If after a full year, we have not seen positive results from PMB and his cabinet, we will be right to draw out the dagger. Even at that, the wailers won't have any justification to criticize because they wanted us to continue with a completely failed presidency; a govt that had to borrow to pay her workers salaries in March and April of this year.

Had such govt continued till this moment, take a moment to ask yourself what would have happened to Nigeria by now.

See the calamity Nigerians that voted this dullard brought upon themselves.

PassingShot:
To undo the damage of sixteen years is not and cannot be a day's job.

The end justifies the means.

It is the end result that matters and not the initial gra gra that we're used to. OBJ and GEJ rushed their businesses to the admiration of the international community and we all know how things ended for us.

If after a full year, we have not seen positive results from PMB and his cabinet, we will be right to draw out the dagger. Even at that, the wailers won't have any justification to criticize because they wanted us to continue with a completely failed presidency; a govt that had to borrow to pay her workers salaries in March and April of this year.

Had such govt continued till this moment, take a moment to ask yourself what would have happened to Nigeria by now.

I trust that you saw nothing wrong in selection of ministers who weren't for fetched from the Nigerian Political scene after waiting for 5 months and told that the same ministers were just noise makers and not necessary.

We just wasted 5months of our Nation's existence and everyone sees, feels and knows it, except you and other APC sycophants. The real APC supporters are even criticising the directionlessness of this administration but alas a sycophant such as yourself won't see anything wrong.

PassingShot:
To undo the damage of sixteen years is not and cannot be a day's job.

The end justifies the means.

It is the end result that matters and not the initial gra gra that we're used to. OBJ and GEJ rushed their businesses to the admiration of the international community and we all know how things ended for us.

If after a full year, we have not seen positive results from PMB and his cabinet, we will be right to draw out the dagger. Even at that, the wailers won't have any justification to criticize because they wanted us to continue with a completely failed presidency; a govt that had to borrow to pay her workers salaries in March and April of this year.

Had such govt continued till this moment, take a moment to ask yourself what would have happened to Nigeria by now.

Repeating the same old lines to hide the ineptitude of this scam of APC government at the centre. The whole world is aware that Buhari and APC are not prepared for governance hence resort to blame games.
Try and separate facts from emotions cos such reasonings put question mark on your supposed intellectual capacity.

All and sundry knows that Buhari and APC are not ready for issues of governance and its saddled responsibilities.

Descartes:


Repeating the same old lines to his the ineptitude of this scam of APC government at the centre. The whole world is aware that Buhari and APC are not prepared for governance hence resort to blame games.
Try and separate facts from emotions cos such reasonings put question mark on your supposed intellectual capacity.

If you had any functioning brain, you'd realize that we're just at the very beginning of a new regime. I don't judge such govt on 10% of its life span.

Wail on!

PassingShot:

If you had any functioning brain, you'd realize that we're just at the very beginning of a new regime. I don't judge such govt on 10% of its life span.

Wail on!

"The sweetness of faeces is determined by the perceived fragrance of the fart"(Igbo adage)
So it's not too early to assert where his ship is heading to despite having Obasanjo as his navigator

Remember that the Zoogeria's economy is in shambles as we speak, insecurity at its peak, increasingly unemployment rate, lack of economic policies.
Abobaku, tell your paymaster to shelve arrogance in order to think straight on the pressing issues plaguing the nation instead of all these trial-and-error approaches so far in addition to his almajiris attitude of begging Obama to help him vanquish bokoharam which is the invention of the North.

Descartes:


"The sweetness of faeces is determined by the perceived fragrance of the fart"(Igbo adage)

Remember that the Zoogeria's economy is in shambles as we speak, insecurity at its peak, increasingly unemployment rate, lack of economic policies.
Abobaku, tell your paymaster to shelve arrogance in order to think straight on the pressing issues plaguing the nation instead of all these trial-and-error approaches so far in addition to his almajiris attitude of begging Obama to help him vanquish bokoharam which is the invention of the North.

Mumu, can you kindly tell us if the situation we are was brought about by the actions and inactions of 2010 to May 2015 OR by those of June 2015 to Oct 2015?

Wailers and common sense is like words and opposite indeed.

PassingShot:

Mumu, can you kindly tell us if the situation we are was brought about by the actions and inactions of 2010 to May 2015 OR by those of June 2015 to Oct 2015?

Wailers and common sense is like words and opposite indeed.

Insult-The trademark of an average Yoruba man no matter his educational and sophisticated background
We are not talking about the past, we talk about the present cos facts and figures are there for empirical evidence.

Descartes:

Insult-The trademark of an average Yoruba man no matter his educational and sophisticated background
We are not talking about the past, we talk about the present cos facts and figures are there for empirical evidence.

Dolt, so you hate abusive words directed at you but you revel in using them on others?

Answer my question if you've got any coherent one. Otherwise, keep quiet.

PassingShot:

Dolt, so you hate abusive words directed at you but you revel in using them on others?

Answer my question if you've got any coherent one. Otherwise, keep quiet.

Do you have empirical evidence? Thought I was having a discuss with a reasonable fellow not knowing that...

Descartes:


Do you have empirical evidence? Thought I was having a discuss with a reasonable fellow not knowing that...

Do I need to ask you to read your previous posts for you to know you crossed your boundary?