₦airaland Forum

Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, has replied critics of the Nigerian economy, saying the economy is buoyant and strong.

Okonjo-Iweala, in a message put on social media, yesterday, dismissed reports of the poor performance of the economy and the management of the excess crude revenue.

Her statement came few days after former American President, Bill Clinton, indicted the Federal Government for not using the huge revenue realised from crude oil exports to positively impact on the lives of Nigerians.

Mr. Clinton had, weekend, expressed disappointment that his inclusion of Nigeria a few years ago among 10 countries that were well positioned to emerge as the world’s greatest economies has been proved wrong with the visible lack of progress in recent times, despite the huge resources at its disposal.

Okonjo-Iweala, however, argued that such views were misleading as the economy was healthy, with other indices, including inflation and foreign reserves, showing positive levels of performances.

In the statement entitled Federal Ministry of Finance Clarifications on the State of the Economy, the Excess Crude Account and Related Issues, signed by Okonjo-Iweala and pasted on Facebook and Twitter, the Finance Minister said: “It is essential that Nigerians understand the exact position of the economy and the integrity of these important government accounts.

“This note aims to provide some facts for Nigerians on these issues, to clarify the exact position, and finally to put these concerns to rest.”

Apart from Mr. Clinton, some former public officials, including a Minister of Education under former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Oby Ezekwesili, have criticised Nigeria’s management of the Excess Crude Account.

Ezekwesili alleging that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan and that of his late predecessor, Umaru Yar’Adua, mismanaged the funds left in the account by the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.

While not mentioning Mr. Clinton or Ezekwesili’s names, Okonjo-Iweala said her statement was borne out of “a number of comment” that had appeared in the Nigerian media.

She wrote: “In recent times, a number of comments and articles have appeared in the media, which have tended to talk down the performance of the Nigerian economy and question the accuracy and transparency of the Excess Crude Account and the External Reserves of the country.”

According to her, the specific issues that have been raised in recent times include the health and prospects of the Nigerian economy, the composition of the external reserves, and purported discrepancies in account balances reported by the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

“Facts, figures”

To back up the claims, the minister highlighted improvements on the nation’s economic indices, saying “Inflation is now down to single-digit at 9.0 percent in January 2013, compared with 12.6 percent in January 2012.

“The exchange rate has been relatively stable, and the fiscal deficit at just less than 2 percent of GDP is on a downward trajectory, and below our threshold of 3 percent of GDP.”

According to her, national debt is at a sustainable level at about 19.4 percent of GDP. Overall, GDP growth2012 was 6.5 percent, and projected at 6.75 percent for 2013, compared with the projected global growth of 3.5 percent.

She said: “The above facts have been independently noted and validated by international ratings agencies such as Fitch, Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s, who have upgraded the country’s economic outlook, even as other countries are being downgraded.”

But…

Dr. Okonjo-Iweala said the Ministry admits the socio-economic challenges the nation faces despite these seemingly impressive indices.

She said: “We know we still have a long way to go but let us keep working to correct what is wrong and stop focusing on the denigration of what is being done right.”

She highlighted the need to create more jobs to curb unemployment and that poverty needs to decrease at a faster pace as “we do not want excessive inequality to be a feature of our economic growth.”

According to her, the recent poverty statistics released by National Bureau of Statistics show a slight decline in poverty levels of about 2 percent between 2003 and 2010.

Okonjo-Iweala said: “This needs to be further accelerated. The cost of governance also needs to be reduced, and the government is taking steps in this direction.

“In conclusion, the Federal Ministry of Finance wishes to stress that the outlook for the Nigerian economy remains good, despite the current global economic uncertainty.” -

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/02/nigerias-economy-is-strong-fg-replies-clinton/

You can do both. Multiple streams of income

LoL, loln't it?

Teacher: Today, we are talking about "Question Tags".

Examples are;

She is coming, isn't she?.

They have eaten, haven't they?.

Teacher: Who can give me another example?.

nkechi: Na yam we go chop today, chopn't we?.

Teacher: What kind of sentence is that, please who can correct him?.

Akpors: Teacher, don't mind him, the correct one is, Na yam we go chop today, yamn't we?.

Oya guyz, una go add una own, addn't u?

A mom visits her son who lives with a girl as a roommate for dinner. During his meal, his mother couldn't help but notice how pretty his roommate was. She had long been suspicious of a relationship between the two and this had only made her more curious. Over the course of the evening while watching the two interact, she started to wonder if there's more between him and his roommate. Reading his mom's thought, her son volunteered, "I know what you must be thinking, but I assure you, we are just roommates."

About a week later, his roommate came to him saying,"Ever since your mother came to dinner, I've been unable to find the silver plate. You don't suppose your mother took it, do you? He said, "well I doubt it, but I'll email her just to be sure! He sat down and wrote,
Dear mom,
After your visit me, the silver plate has been missing. "I'm not saying that you did take the silver plate from my house, and I'm not saying that you didn't take it, but the fact remains that it has
been missing ever since you were here for dinner.
Love,
Your son.

Several days later, he received an email from his mother which read:
Dear Son,
"I'm not saying that you do sleep with your roommate, and I'm not saying that you don't sleep with her: but the fact remains that if she was sleeping in her OWN bed, she would have found the silver plate by now, under her pillow.
Love,
Mom

BUSTED !

She looks Chinese. See her eyes

At last, well done Sir. This has saved the country an embarrassment from the National Assembly

Hits Frontpage without any comment. Na wa o for trendystuff

Quick recovery Ma

Delafruita: why then hasnt jesus healed her?why does he need her to go through the process of fundraising and travelling abroad for an operation.why couldnt he just do his job?wasnt it the same jesus that turned water to wine without the aid of a bartender?the same jesus made a fig tree become dry.he didnt need any help for that neither did he need help to convert some loaves and fishes to thousands.why then doesnt he just heal her?

Who are you to question God? Be careful.

And yet people would be gossiping that Omotola and Genevieve are not in talking terms. The more u look, the less you see.
And I'm disappointed in that Omotola's boobs-exposing dress.

RIP
The family really needs to insist on an investigation of his disappearance and his death. Everybody has to be questioned- his office colleagues, friends, associates, etc. The family really needs to seek the services of security agencies in this matter.
This is really unfortunate.

steffans: Do u leave in dis country
Have u served
If u havnt....den u wunt undastand d frustration dat comes with NYSC and private skols.....

Some of dem want cheap labour...dats why he has 6 corpers... And amongst d 6 staff....Principal and admin officers go dey inside ooo...

Tink b4 u comment!

You see what I mean?

Youths of nowadays are just too lazy for my liking. After, they will say they don't have jobs, when they can't handle simple responsibilities given to them. If you can't teach two subjects in a school, then tell me how you will manage a multi-million Naira company if you land such a job.
Even the guy's command of English and his punctuations are nothing to write home about. I wonder what he's teaching the students.

RIP Goldie Harvey

Violence is not the way out!

In a rather welcome development, a former vice-president in the country, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has donated the sum of N75 million to the Rotary International, District 9110, Lagos, to help it fight polio in the country.
Atiku, who was the guest speaker at the dinner and dance ball organised by the Rotary International at Muson Centre, Lagos, linked the increase in polio cases in Nigeria to illiteracy and unwholesome religious beliefs which, according to him, had made it difficult for the disease to be eradicated.
The former vice president however urged the Federal Ministry of Health to do more in the area of information dissemination, as lives of many future leaders in the country were being destroyed by the disease, especially in the northern part of the country.

He also commended the activities of the Rotary International in waging war against polio, just as he advised the Federal Government to fire from all cylinders by providing social amenities, such as adequately furnished health centres in all rural areas in the country, saying this would help in checkmating the disease.

http://www.informationng.com/2013/02/atiku-abubakar-donates-n75-million-towards-eradication-of-polio.html

It Is The Job Of The ACN To Run Down The Government And They Will Not Succeed Insha Allah – Gulak

In a swift reaction to allegations by the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) that the country’s economy is in shambles, the Presidency has assured Nigerians that the economy is in safe hands.

According to the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Dr. Ahmed Gulak, the ACN should not be expected to have any positive thing to say about the present administration. His words: “What do you expect of an opposition party like the ACN? They can always say that, but they are wrong. The economy is in safe hands and anything they say should not be taken seriously. It is their job to run down the government and they will not succeed inshallah (God willing).


“They will not succeed. They have some states in the country, let them face the states and do what they want to do… I am telling you without any iota of doubt that the economy is in safe hands and Mr. President is as prudent as ever and the issue of bloated workforce, we can’t be sacking people like that. It is the work of government to create jobs. The success of government is measured by the number of jobs they create, not by sacking people. The ACN leaders have their states let them sack people and let us see. The government of President Jonathan is to create jobs for people and not to sack people,” Gulak said.

http://www.informationng.com/2013/02/it-is-the-job-of-the-acn-to-run-down-the-government-and-they-will-not-succeed-insha-allah-gulak.html

[b] I thank God for our dear Kanu Nwankwo. He is taking the Kanu Heart Foundation to the next level, and to the betterment of his country-people. This is the kind of things we Nigetians should be thinking of. How to make life better for both ourselves and those around us. By so doing, we are making our country a better place to live in. [/b]h

ayodot: 1st to comment

Your mates are out there making money at a very young age, and you are here "commenting" absolute trash.


@Topic, what a handsome guy. Some people make use of their brains at a very young age.
I have a little cousin like that. She's so business-oriented and I believe she'll go places.

Dr. SID and family release official statement on Justus Esiri’s Death

We are heart broken as we announce the passing of Chief Justus Esiri OON popularly known as the “Village Headmaster”, following a complication from Diabetes.

Chief Justus Esiri OON, was a loving husband, father, grand father, brother, uncle and friend. An Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON), The OtunAmuludun of the Source in Ile-IfeOsun State,and Veteran Nollywood Actor.

He died in the late hours of the 19th of February 2013. Chief Esiri, born on the 6th November 1942 hailed from OriaAbraka, Delta State. He was a strong believer in family values, and a great supporter of Nollywood.

While we mourn the loss of a great man we also celebrate his remarkable life and hope that it serves as an example to the youth to work hard to achieve their dreams, and play their own part in building a greater nation.

For those who may ask what they can do to honour Chief Justus Esiri, we simply request that you honour his example of service, accomplishment and modesty and the next time you turn on your Television and see his face we ask that you keep his memory alive.

He survived by wife, MrsOmiete Esiri, Children, MrsOphliaEdewor, MrsEjiroEfijemueh, Mr Justus Esiri Jnr, Dr Sidney Esiri (Dr Sid), Mr Andrew Esiri, Miss Tobor Esiri and Grand Children.
Dr. Sidney Esiri and George Esiri
For the Esiri Family.
To Contact the Family:
TheEsiriFamily@gmail.com
08164418841
08033238490

http://dailypost.com.ng/2013/02/25/dr-sid-and-family-release-official-statement-on-justus-esiris-death/