₦airaland Forum

cap28: Would you say Nigeria has benefited from the austerity measures that it has been implementing since the 1980s?

Would you say Nigeria's decision to cut spending on education and health care under the direction of babangida has benefitted nigeria and nigerians as a whole.

Have any of those measures stimulated economic growth in Nigeria and if yes have the nigerian masses derived any benefits from this economic growth?

Has the western investment in nigeria, the mass privatisation of govt owned assets in nigeria, have they stimulated nigeria's economy and have these benefits trickled down to ordinary nigerians?

Austerity is actually a new concept as far as european economies are concerned - in the past it was only third world govts that were ordered by the IMF and other western banks to tailor their domestic economies to suit the dictates of the IMF , now european economies are being expected to do the same and their people who are used to a much higher standard of living than an average african are highly intolerant of this plan to reduce them to slaves in their own country.

austerity measures have been the norm for africa since the 1980s - they have been used by europe and america to keep africa economically enslaved, on that basis i would say that austerity is race based and is used as a tool to consolidate the economic dominance of western nations over africa.

If a policy disproportionately affects one race over another then it IS race based albeit indirectly.

Mr man you have attempted to distort facts again. As a result of the debt crisis in the early 1980s Britain and most developed countries implemented austerities. It was the reason for Thatcher's privatization at the time which was intended to cut government spending. Developed countries further pushed for austerities in the developing countries because. The argument was, implementing austerities in their own countries without global austerities would lead to shocks on their economies from external sources as developing countries depend on loans and aids from the developed world. This was thus one of the reasons for the Washington consensus. They are not going to work in your own interest, the world is a competitive environment. It is left for Africa and Africans to devise policies to remain competitive. So stop whining and get your facts right before commenting on an issue.

cap28: Abbott represents a predominantly black constituency and therefore her job is look out for the interests of her constituents, britain is implementing austerity measures which were caused by the corrupt banking practices of the city of london not by public sector workers who are already on very low pay. why should black public sector workers who are probably the lowest paid workers in this country be forced to bear the brunt of the incompetence and greed caused by investment bankers on 6 figure salaries? why werent any of the banks which caused this financial meltdown which has now led to these austerity measures been penalised for the mayhem that they caused?

I couldnt care less if your friend who graduated from cambridge is unemployed or not the bottom line is she will ulitmately always be in a better position than any black person out there by virtue of the colour of her skin. besides many whites can fall back on their parents who have already paid off their mortgages, many others also inherit money from their grandparents so they have many alternative ways to ride this current economic storm, if everything else fails they can relocate to south africa, canada, australia or new zealand where they will get jobs very easily - can you boast of being able to do the same?

This attempt to pin down the global austerity measures to a racial thing is a total distortion of facts. The truth about austerities is that it is partly an ideological thing. Austerities have been there since the time of the classical economists such as David Ricardo and Adam Smith. This is even before blacks began living in Europe. Today, it is not only England that is implementing austerities, the US, Greece, Spain, Italy and including Nigeria. It is a measure being implemented by countries around the World as advised by the IMF. The argument is that as you cut government spending interest rates drop and thus the cost of capital necessary for investment. This stimulates output in the economy and thus raises income which is necessary for tackling the recession. These are valid points in the argument. Other economists like Keynes from the left would have a different perspective and argument on the issue. I belong to the left and I would tell you that Austerities are not the solution, it does not however mean it has to do with race. Labour would not have gone the way of the Coalition because of their ideological stand point. Labour started with regulation and nationalisation of the banks before they were voted out. For example, banks such as Northern Rock and RBS were nationalised while the government bought up 40% shares in Lloyds TSB which has its parent company in the US.

So my friend stop looking for enemies where there are none. Like I said it makes you a racist. The TUC is a trade union and a stakeholder, one would expect them to hold on to such in pushing their points. It is part of bargaining in trade relationship. I don't form my opinion based on such, I analyse the issue and tell you what I think.

cap28: So why did labour MP Dianne Abbott criticise the latest govt cuts in public sector jobs predicting (correctly) that they would disproportionately affect blacks who make up the bulk of public sector workers?

why is youth unemployment amongst young black people here in the UK currently running at 44%?

The BNP are not the people you need to be afraid of - they are useful id.iots used by the govt to stir up racial violence - the real racists are the well spoken, smiling oxbridge and eton educated millionaires who have the power to enact laws which can leave blacks jobless and homeless, these are the same people who are also in africa selling arms to your govts - remember David Cameron's trip to Nigeria recently - what do you think he wen tthere to do?

The real racists are the ones with the power and influence to actually destroy your life.

That is Abott's opinion. Was VAT also raised because it would affect the minorities? Was it also the reason for increasing fuel taxes. The truth Britain is implementing austerities and one would naturally expect such policies of government cuts. Is it the same reasion pensions are increasingly being cut? How many black people are part of the older population. I don't need Abott to form an opinion over an issue, I form my opinion from analysing issues. Like I said stop seeing enemies, it makes you more racist than those you accuse of racism.

My friend was a law graduate at Cambridge who could not get a job. She is white and not black. She ended up being a temp at a law firm in Southampton. Go to ASDA and TESCO, you would see loads of graduates working in stores as apprentices whilst also claiming employment support allowance.

shymmex: How practical are those laws?? I have people who have been frustrated out of the their jobs in the city. A friend told me about a month ago how they made his life hell whilst working in a place I won't like to disclose on here... He's a briton, yet they tell him he's not needed when they are having meetings which involves all the employees... He almost went nuts - and he had to resign to save his mental health...

Listen mate, I don't do "them say them say" gist. You must be able to provide concrete evidence to back your assertions. Which Organisation is that one? Like I said there are loads of black people in both public and private organisations in the UK doing pretty well. If he had a one off experience then what did he do about it? There are institutions out there to protect you from workplace discrimination. No organisation wants a complaint against it at the Diversity commission.

cap28: Is that right ? Perhaps you know something Lord McPherson (of the Stephen Laurence Inquiry who labelled British society as institutionally racist) doesnt ? Why did it take the british criminal "justice" system 20 years to convict only two of Stephen Laurence's four racist killers?

That is one persons opinion. The truth is minorities are increasingly being protected. I know black people in different sectors of the British Society doing pretty well. So quit the racist card. Some of the banter I exchange with my white friends today, years ago I would have seen it as racist. However, with more interaction and understanding you see that no malice was intended. In addition, understand that most racists are low lives. Those guys you see in the BNP have nothing up there. So why get bothered when someone you are bigger than makes a racial slur at you?

shymmex: ^^^Another junk... No one owes anybody nothing, but stop spreading falsehoods.

What is falsehood? About the UK corporate governance code or the equality and diversity laws? The truth is because you cannot get a job does not mean it is because you are black. I know a lot of white boys out there who have finished UNI for two years now without a proper job in the UK. There is a depression and there is a more intense competition for opportunities. Black people must go out there and compete and stop whining.

There is this erroneous impression that because you are black everybody is out there to discriminate against you in these societies. Of course there are people who discriminate, however they are in the minority. If you understand the British society, you would understand it is a society that continues to protect ethnic minorities. For example, there are equality and diversity laws that ensure ethnic minorities are also considered for employment in organisations. Corporate bodies are mandated to present annual reports to the Equality commission on how much they have complied with this law. There are stiff penalties for non-compliance. On my first job in the UK, I was the only black person in the team. It was thus not difficult to tell that I got the job because of my race. The lesson here is that while you can be discriminated against because of your colour, you can also gain advantage because of your colour. In addition, at the strategic level of organisations, the UK corporate governance code has board diversity as one of the principles which regulatory bodies advise as to what constitutes a sound governance system in an organisation. Companies are required to comply or explain the reason for non-compliance. There are however penalties for consistent noncompliance. One can thus see that Companies would be required to build people from the operational level to ultimately become Directors in these organisations. A lot of black people who have not made any attempt to improve themselves yell "racism". One thing is certain not everyone is racist and not everyone is out there to discriminate against you. I urge black people to leave those environments dominated by ethnic minorities. These environments make you see enemies both within and outside whilst closing your eye to opportunities around you.

Beaf: Do you do that in your water?

What a fool!

Tell me how much electricity is needed for this na! Unimaginative braindead punk.
http://www.labmanager.com/?articles.view/articleNo/7535/article/Michigan-Tech-Prof-Develops-New-Way-of-Purifying-Drinking-Water

www.nairaland.com/attachments/180447_ROTFLMAO_gif3d0c775232c7f27cf80592785b9635b6

Stop being an idi0t and get out of this place. Why derail what is meant to be an intellectual debate? This is a debate for higher minds and not scums like you. Seems you're high on some cheap ogogoro. Get a life you scum!

13volts: We had a very long discussion on this issue in office today. England as a country is not known to have any mineral resources, I hardy see any manufactured product MADE IN ENGLAND despite the fact that they are our colonial master. The only major investment in Nigeria that is traced to England is BP.
My questions are;
1. Why do we have less poor people in England compared to America.
2. Without a huge manufacturing base like in America, China, Germany or Japan. How do the British manage to sustain a vibrant economy and at the same time avoid the recession ravaging Europe and America?
3. We have many blacks in England, they hardy made their presence known globally except in the EPL. Most noticeable black personalities in the world are from America, in music, movies, sport and what have you. Are the blacks in England marginalized or what? why are they not making waves as their counterparts in America?

Firstly, the reason is that Britain like most Western European countries has a very generous benefit system. From Widow and Widower allowance, to state pension, incapacity benefit, child care benefit, job seekers allowance, employment Support allowance (for those with low wages) and even housing benefits from the council. Further benefits also come through free health care services through the NHS.

In addition, Britain has a tax free income allowance of 8105 pounds whilst also maintaining its highest rate of tax at 50% of income.

To say Britain does not suffer from the recession seems false. Britain like the rest of Europe suffers a teething economic crisis which has never been witnessed since the great depression of the 1930s. Most young people in Britain like the rest of Europe today can't find a job. In addition, with the internalisation of banking, Britain cannot be said to be immune from the problems facing the rest of Europe.

On Britain's manufacturing, Britain had a vibrant manufacturing sector in the 1970's however, with rising Labour costs, most manufacturers thus preferred to move their production lines to South East Asia and thus maximize returns on their investments. Britain thus seems to survive by trading Eurocurrency as it is a hub for such trades. Trading Eurocurrency -often confused with trading the Euro- is simply trading of currencies other than the currency of a domestic bank. For example, trading the yen in a Paris Bank or trading the Dollar in a British bank. Offshore dollar deposits outside the US is known as Eurodollar and Britain and its Banks are a hub for trading Eurodollar.

How did this develop? With the growth of multinational companies and international trade, British importers had the need to hold dollar deposits in order to speed up their transactions and it was thus natural for banks to hold such deposits to meet the needs of British traders.

A further reason for the growth of the Eurodollar was that with an increased deficit in balance of payments in the 1957, the British government prohibited British banks from lending the pounds to finance non-British trade. To avoid loosing the profits from trading the pounds, British banks thus shifted to trading Eurodollar and since then, the London market has been a hub for trading Eurodollar and Eurocurency (See International Economics: Theory and Policy by Paul Krugman and Maurice Obstfield, 2008 ). However, I doubt Britain is more developed than America.

On the race thing, my mouth is sealed. Not one I would want to comment on.

GEJ was not involved in oil theft at the local level? Yes he was not the President 6 years ago, however we know how much the Governors in these places supported criminality in the region. I know how Ateke was built into a lord in the Niger Delta. GEJ and CO cannot exonerate themselves from this mess and the facts are there to show it. Anyone who does not like it as they say can go "hug transformer".

A rogue government all round! Yet they want to force cassava bread down our throat while Abati eats 'Isiewu' with Gulder in Aso Rock. Useless people!

Na so now. Igbo girls with their big eyes.

Here they go again with this 'bolekaja' approach to solving development issues. The next move would be to make a law mandating Universities to appoint only PhD holders as academic staff while ignoring the fact that the system is fundamentally flawed. The basics of education have not been gotten right. In terms of the methodology, facility, curriculum and structure, Nigeria lags. There is the need to overhaul the system in its entirety. But would they? They only come on TV to tell us how they intend to make 20 by 2020 when the basics of development have not been achieved.

Beaf: Yeah, I am sure this thread will interest worthless diseases and bigots like you.
Mind your business, nobody is talking to morally leprosied arseholes like you and bittyend.

A yob and a scum like you would forever remain one. No amount of SA positions or prayer would change your rotten soul.

I have never seen a people like this Igbo people. They are inherently bigots, xenophobes, arrogant just to mention a few. Yet they wonder why the rest dislike them.

Beaf: I'm tired of hearing this foolish lie. My part of the country was invaded by Biafra, who carried out several executions, occupied the place and declared us an independent "Republic of Benin" without as much as asking us a single question.
Next, we were invaded by the federal troops who did pretty much what Biafra did.

Phuck anybody who tells me stup!d lies of how minorities betrayed Biafra. Did Biafra ever make us part of their plans? Did they not just invade us one bright morning without provocation? I wonder where people get these id!otic fairy tales of "betrayal" from?
I'm waiting for any senile fart to tell me that Biafra did not invade the Midwest. In fact, as I have said several times on NL, my own father along with other top Midwesterners was to have been shot by Biafra, but he was saved by his driver (maybe una for no know Beaf today ).

Phuck all of you who tell hateful lies. Bloody demons.

[size=14pt]For the first time in your life you seem to have made sense but it does not change the fact that you are a bigot, a thief and a fraud and you will one day pay for your sins.[/size]

Baawaa: You are a student of psychiatric high school,and you are wasting your talent here,you suppose to be on the street exhibiting your madness.If you dont know,Yoruba voted for GEJ en-mass

lol

HNosegbe: I'm surprised Abati is not in that list of yours.

Sorry, including Abati the Ugly Dog.

Na question be this? Why would Jonathan not also respect himself? Look at the disgraceful response to Muhammadu Buhari's statement. Filled with gutter language. The truth is Jona's media people do more harm than good to his office. Most of their statements are patronizing and condescending on Nigerians and it is thus natural that people would react to the President with so much animosity. Time to do away with hungry souls like Uranta, Oronto Douglas and Omokri!

These ones no settle well. Na today immigration know say dem dey? What of the ones in Ericsson and WAPCO? Yeye dey seriously smell.

eGuerrilla: I asked you a simple question and you go off on a tangent talking about AGOA and "a move to the left".
Are you being deliberately obtuse?
Let me rephrase; what is your main objection to the production of composite-flour in Nigeria (note the emphasis on composite)?.
The Indians use tapioca for pastry - a composite
The Japanese use composite wheat (buckwheat) for noodles - a composite
The thai have protectionist laws in place for various composites of cassava.

Like I said earlier, when you make protectionist laws without sufficient domestic capacity in your economy, you distort the market and thus create more problems in your economy. There is insufficient capacity to meet the demand for domestic production in Nigeria. There should be a holistic plan to develop agriculture in Nigeria beyond the subsistence level which we practice at the moment. It should be an agricultural revolution with the combination of domestic technology through education and research. It should not be limited to 'Cassava' and all the noise. It is noise making as far as I am concerned. I am a development economist who has studied East Asia. When I see a concrete plan and effort towards development, I would tell you. As at now what we see daily on TV is all noise.

Let it be known that some of these protectionist laws have been on from the days of IBB. Why has it not worked? Simple, there has not been any concrete plan to boost domestic technology. This 'trickle down' approach towards development is misleading. It is a lazy way to development. The government must be ready to work to solve the poverty of the nation.

eGuerrilla: Haba Comrade, you see no redeeming quality in this particular initiative?
You've made blanket generalisations laced with vitriol, with a complete lack of objectivity, when there is clear evidence of research in this area which predates the current administration? Why?

[url=http://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%20GAIN%20Publications/Cassava%20Inclusion%20in%20Wheat%20Flour_Lagos_Nigeria_2-24-2012.pdf/]United States Department of Agriculture
Foreign Agricultural Service[/url]

Who is patronizing these Africans. There is the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) intended to help boost export from African countries into the US. Now tell me how many African countries have indeed benefited from AGOA? Is it a solution to the underdevelopment and poverty of Africans? Most African countries have been unable to benefit from AGOA because of the limited domestic capacity in their economies. For some other countries, it has led to an influx of Chinese FDI who hope to produce in these countries and thus tap into the US markets through the AGOA initiative. Now where is Africa's domestic industries in all these?

No one is saying move towards the left like the Chinese and Soviets did. However, there are important lessons to be learnt by a country with a large population like Nigeria in the way these countries tackled and are still tackling their development challenges. There are also lessons to be learnt in the way Germany came out of the devastation of the Second World War through the Marshal plan.

Beaf: Sorry, but this is daft. Does the need for pipelines outweigh the cost of setting up a steel mill by govt? Do you know what it costs? Have you done the math fool or is it just about name dropping?

Again, I will ask you what capitalist country you know runs a state owned steel mill that isn't a white elephant? Don't dodge the question.

Fool, ANNAMCO, VOLKSWAGEN, MAN, Nigerian Machine tool company, Peugeot Automobile and the Truck manufacturing company in Northern Nigeria are all either private companies or should be. Why can they not build their own steel works if they have so much demand? Don't they like money?
Dude, you are daft.

Again, why do you think DSC Warri and Ajoukuta steel failed with all those companies you mentioned present? Sometimes it helps to engage your brain cells. Common sense, bro.

Now tell me if the money wasted on white elephants like Ajaokuta steel and DSC Warri had been ploughed into the citizen as cassava, millet, rice, cocao etc farming can be, if there wouldn't have been a grass roots empowerment instead of the fuckry of white elephants created by dunces like you?

Is this he-goat still ranting?

Firstly, the steel mills might not be financially viable, however countries invest in it because of the social and economic benefits to be derived. There is no developed country that has gone through the process of development without investing in one. Even with the state relinquishing such investments, most of these industries are still backed by the state because of the critical nature of such investment. The American government regularly bail out their steel industries. Like I said Nigeria's case was different because greedy people like you and your Oga never let it be. If your Oga had marshaled a plan and put the 2.7 trillion naira he stole through the oil subsidy scam in this venture, we know how much progress we would have made. So money is not necessarily the problem for such a project, it has to do with patriotism and national pride. That is what drives development and not the greed of a dog like you and his master.

Secondly, I repeat, it is a petty bill. There are public procurement laws in Nigeria. Why have those laws failed? Because capacity is insufficient to meet local demand. How do you raise capacity? It is not by noise making, it is not by forcing your V.P to eat 'Cassava Bread' and showing it to us on live TV. Countries invest in research, education and technical servicing to boost domestic industries. Making such public procurement laws without sufficient domestic capacity would ultimately distort the markets and thus place more burden on the welfare of the consumers. You don't wake up one morning and say you are sending a bill to the National Assembly without a proper plan. Local content laws continue to fail in the oil industry primarily because of the limited domestic capacity in the industry. Research and development is expensive and these multinationals would not invest in boosting your domestic industries for you. Tell your Oga to get that.

Thirdly, if the plan to bring millions of our people out of poverty is through primary products in the Agricultural sector, then I would say "dead on arrival". The thing about such primary products is that unlike products at the higher level of the competitive scale, as the output of primary products grow, supply exceeds demand and thus crashes prices which ultimately leads to the worsening of the terms of trade of the exporting country. This is in contrast with products at the higher level of competitiveness where higher outputs could potentially mean more improved technology and thus higher prices. This seems to be the problem faced by most developing countries with a heavy dependence on primary products. They are faced with a never ending 'vicious economic cycle' and thus increased poverty. It thus becomes imperative to add value to such primary products. How do you do such without a technological base? How do you do it without developing local technology? How do you develop local technology without your steel and chemical industries? Any agricultural technology that employs over 20 million people in a country most likely uses the most obsolete technology and is therefore bound to fail! Present day agriculture is technologically driven. There should be a holistic plan to boost science, technology and agriculture and not the petty Cassava bill you and your Oga want to force down our throats.


[size=16pt]BTW have you bought your ticket to space? Haha Reno Omokri in space. Yeye dey smell[/size]

Beaf: All you know how to do is say words like mugu, cos thats what you are; you have been exposed as just another empty name dropper who talks gibberish by the container load.
We do not have industries with a high demand for steel, yet a donkey says, "build steel mills!" I say, for what?
What is even worse is that the vast majority of people in your state are poor to abject wretchedness, yet you oppose policies that would rapidly add to their quality of life while chatting shiit about steel mills which would have no effect on the 70% who are subsistence farmers.

Dude, you are dense. You are only ashamed of cassava because to you it is local. As if wheat is not local to Europeans!
Its just your low self-esteem rearing its ugly head.

Mugu. Demand for steel? What happened to pipelines? Is clay used in making it? What of the oil rigs can't a certain percentage be made using locally sourced steel? Nigeria at a time Had ANNAMCO, VOLKSWAGEN, MAN, Nigerian Machine tool company, Peugeot Automobile and the Truck manufacturing company in Northern Nigeria. Do those industries use clay? What of railway construction? What of buildings? What of road construction? A steel industry boosts linkages within the economy. Have you seen any developed or rapidly developing country without a steel base? Steel is everything. It is a known fact that the US govt shortly after WW2 took over its steel industries. Like I said you are a mugu. You see Facebook because your Oga likes it but you have failed to question how those guys started. Finally, tell your Oga that Facebook is not built without a sound education system. It takes research, training and technical servicing to achieve these things. What has your Oga done except to make noise all over the place. How much can primary products contibute to an economy with a large population such as Nigeria's. Ajaokuta died because greedy souls like your Oga never let it live!

Beaf: Daft.

If you weren't engrossed in the crusts of your scary arse, you would have known that cassava is just one arm of a wider more comprensive plan involving millet, rice etc, cutting out the middle man and investments. But you are an id!ot anyway, so how would you know the obvious?



Are those steel mills state owned in capitalist economies? Your head is empty that is why you are comparing China which is communist and Nigeria which is capitalist; its like a clever d.i.c.k comparing oil and water. Both don't mix.
If you want a steel mill, go build one for yourself, that isn't govts business, because we are not a communist country.

There is no steel plant that is worth even half the valuations of companies like Microsoft, Google and Facebook. I will ask you again, what do you want steel mills built for? For fun? Weren't they built before for fun by donkeys without a clue like you?

All you've done in so many words is prove your crass ignorance of the World around you. Its sad.

Haha is it similar to the one Babangida and DFRRI had? We have seen this same story before.

What of India? What of Malaysia? What of Brazil? Stop eating cassava bread mugu!

Beaf: You call me a mum and in the very same breath ask "what the hell is cassava?" Dude, that just shows you up as a self hater or in the least a person with their head in the clouds who does not realise that 70% of our workforce is involved in subsistence farming. What would your steel plants give these people in the one short year that promoting cassava can impact their lives positively?

Tell me next, what are you going to use the steel for? Do you just foolishly produce steel for no reason? If there had been a demand for steel, do you think Delta Steel Warri and Ajaokuta Steel rolling mill would have packed up? Most of you are just pie in the sky types who have no clue that development begins from the grassroots.

You ask for heavy industries. I ask what for? We do not live in the pre WWII era when communist style giant steel works were the thing to have, these days the thing to have is a little money in your pocket and brains to match it. Facebook wasn't built with steel was it? Neither was Microsoft nor Google.

I say you're a mumu confirmed. There should be a plan which covers all aspects of the nations agricultural sector and not restricted to cassava and crop production. That is how you create linkages in the economy and not this noise making. You don't just pass vague laws forcing cassava down the throat of consumers and expect it to create linkages in the economy. Secondly, have you seen any developed economy or a rapidly developing economy without a steel mill or a chemical industry. These are industries critical to development. China and Malaysia as developing countries understand this and thus one sees their involvement in these industries. Even Brazil and Russia have theirs. You've not gotten the basics right yet you want microsoft and google. I see your Oga likes Facebook. These industries are geared towards boosting linkages in the economy. Look at China all over Africa looking for mines to meet their needs while your Oga is sleeping on cassava bread. Yeye dey smell.

Beaf: In the EU, fruits need to be a certain shape to be accepted for sale or export; in the US (as elsewhere), there are regulations on the amount of salt in fast foods. Most countries ban certain types of egg, beef, pork etc.
Some of these things are done for health reasons, others for strictly economic reasons.
Every country regulates what its citizens eat.

Mr man stop lying. Fair enough there are restrictions on food colouring in the EU. However, because of tradition and the British consumers preference for greener peas and well coloured sausages, Britain is exempted from certain aspects of the law. Traditionally we have always known wheat bread and not the cassava your oga wants to force down our throat. So to talk like the law is rigid is incorrect.

Beaf: I'm sure growth starts by investing in indeginious industry and agriculture. Your post is completely self contradictory and a touch ignorant.

If Mr Jonathan is serious about promoting Domestic Industries, we would see it. Only a mumu like you who worships Jona to earn a living would gloat over this rubbish. No one says public procurement laws are not good but there must be a clear plan for domestic production if not you create distortions in the market and thus impact negatively on the surplus of consumers. You don't just come out -like Babangida did in the late 1990s- and say you are putting controls on certain products when there is little capacity on ground. He does not need all these political jamboree. What the hell is Cassava? If indeed he is serious about boosting linkages in the Nigerian economy, we would see meaningful progress in industries such as the steel rolling mills. Those industries are critical to the nations development and not the rubbish they tell you about SMEs. SMEs survive because of the presence of those heavy industries as linkages are created. Tell your Oga he is not serious!

A very petty bill. Should lawmakers occupy themselves with such petty bills? Firstly, it is hypocritical to advocate for a deregulated markets while also placing controls on the content of a product or products. Secondly, one might be forced to ask, is the capacity for local production of cassava sufficient in the Nigerian economy? Such controls have little effect where capacity is limited because it leads to a distortion of markets thus further eroding the welfare of consumers. Thirdly, if indeed such controls are desirable, then it would have been more appropriate to pass a law promoting local content in various sectors of the economy and not limited to 'Cassava' and flour production. One is thus forced to ask, why is Mr. Jonathan obsessed with cassava flour. Is it most critical to reviving the nations economy? There are numerous sectors of the economy were linkages could be created and not limited to 'Cassava flour'. Like I said earlier such bills are better thrown out because it is not a serious bill. It is a petty bill and the Legislators would do well to occupy themselves with more serious legislative duties.