₦airaland Forum

ITbomb:
BUHARI: BLAST FROM THE PAST
NIGERIAN MILITARY IS SEEN AS LOSING SUPPORT
By CLIFFORD D. MAY

Published: May 1, 1984

LAGOS, Nigeria, december 24— seven months after seizing power, Nigeria's president appear to be suffering an erosion of popular support.
Last March 28, President. Mohammed Buhari led a group o old politicians in a coup against the present Government of President Goodluck Ebele Jonathab, saying the change was necessary to save Nigeria, Africa's richest and most populous nation, from economic collapse.

The ąpc intervention appeared at the time to enjoy enthusiastic support from a broad range of Nigeria's population.
Many intellectuals argued that the corruption and incompetence of the Jonathan administration had made drastic action both necessary and inevitable. Traders, merchants and people in the streets welcomed the new party (apc) and looked forward to a quick improvement in their standard of living.

Growing Disappointment
Recently, however, there seems to be growing disappointment with both the apc Government's approach and pace.
1.
''Since coming to power, this Government has not found a single problem ,'' Mr. Femi Falana SAN , a prominent lawyer and a longtime opponent of the Jonathan administration. ''But it has managed to alienate the judiciary, the press, labor and students - all the groups that supported it just a few months ago.''
2.
Critics of the present Government point out that it has yet to present its budget. Loan negotiations with the International Monetary Fund continue but Western economists say that Nigeria and the I.M.F. appear to be further apart now than during the final days of the Jonathan administration.
Early indications that President Buhari would agree to devalue Nigeria's currency, liberalize trade and reduce domestic petroleum subsidies have so far not materialized. Prices Have Climbed
In addition, prices for food and other essential commodities, which fell in the first weeks after the coup largely because of the presence of Department of Security Service (DSS) in the marketplaces, have now returned to or exceeded their levels before the election. Unemployment has been rising, and many of the imported raw materials and spare parts needed to keep factories running have been lacking.

Critics note further that political activity and even debate on social media may been banned and some students organizations have been outlawed. There has been a clampdown on Nigeria's press, and the country's traditionally independent judiciary has also seen its role sharply diminished.
''At the moment we're looking at a clear movement toward authoritarian dictatorship,'' said Gov. Ayodele Fayose executive governor of ekiti state that had often taken the Jonathan administration to task. ''It's a trend that disturbs a lot of people, not least those who welcomed the change of government.''
3.
Spokesmen to the president Mr. Femi Adeshina maintain that they know what they are doing and refuse to be rushed. They deny the charges of inaction, saying that steps have been taken. Trials Being Prepared
The Government, they say, has put much energy into investigating the corruption of the Jonathan administration and in preparing tribunals to try the accused, close to 500 of whom are now under detention like Dasuki and Dokpesi.
Officials say about 2000 university workers have been sacked from the work and several thousand people have been detained in a crackdown on suspected Biafra protesters and Shittes followers.
They say Nigeria's bloated bureaucracy has been streamlined through the dismissal of thousands of officials and civil servants.

Three weeks ago an agreement was reached in Washington DC on converting a part of Nigeria's uninsured trade debts into loans.
The Government's critics respond that the economic initiatives treat symptoms rather than causes and aid the larger issue of how to restructure Nigeria's economy.

A Bbc political analyst said president Buhari ''could have accomplished so much if he had moved quickly and boldly in the early days when his popularity was still so high and when he could have credibly blamed everything on Jonathan.''
Sounds familiar?

Nigeria may be in for harder times than previously envisaged as the International Monetary Fund has predicted that crude oil prices may slump to as low as $20 per barrel in 2016.

In the ‘IMF Executive Board Concludes 2015 Article IV Consultation with Iran’ report, the body highlighted that the price of crude oil could drop by between $5 and $15 in 2016, cableng.com reports.

As of Thursday, the price of crude oil in the international market averaged $37. On December 17, the price fell to $36 per barrel.

The Federal Government 2016 budget had based the 2016 budget on a benchmark oil price of $38 per barrel. If the IMF prediction comes true, the country will be in serious trouble as there won’t be any buffer for the budget.

Crude oil revenue accounts for about 90 per cent of Nigeria’s foreign exchange earnings. Nigeria is projected to produce 2.2 million barrels of crude oil per day in 2016. If it sells at $38 per barrel, it will generate around $83.6m daily or $30.51bn in the entire year. At $20 as predicted by the IMF, Nigeria will generate $44m daily or $16.06bn next year. This will mean that the country will get at least 47.4 per cent less revenue from oil than what is projected, adding more pressure to the nation’s need to go borrowing in 2016.

According to President Muhammadu Buhari, oil related revenues are expected to contribute N820bn to the economy, while the budget deficit, which is projected at N2.22tn, will be funded by foreign and domestic loans.

If the N820bn expected from oil revenues is cut by 47.4 per cent as a result of the IMF projected decline in oil prices, the nation’s budget deficit will climb by N388.68bn to N2.59tn.

The National Association of Government General Medical
and Dental Practitioners has asked Osun State Governor,
Mr. Rauf Aregbesola, to withdraw the threat to sack
doctors who are currently on strike.
The President, NAGG.MDP, Dr. Nurud-din Akindele, said
this in Osogbo on Thursday at a press conference to
address the association over the seven-day ultimatum
given the doctors on December 18.
Members of Association of Resident Doctors and doctors
in the state government-owned hospitals have been on
strike since September 28 over unpaid salary issues.
The state government has been paying all workers 50
per cent of their salaries since June but the doctors said
they wanted the state government to reach an
agreement on when to pay the balance.
Akindele said, “The government of Osun State should, as
a matter of urgency and in the interest of the public,
invest in equipping the hospitals with up-to-date
equipment, provide adequate manpower and make the
work environment more conducive.
“Government should withdraw their threat of sacking the
doctors who are only demanding that which is their
legitimate rights under labour laws.
“Government should put in place appropriate
machineries to address the issues listed as a matter of
urgency and in public interest.
“Failure of government to do the listed may result in us
having no choice but to mobilise all doctors in all health
institutions, such as teaching hospitals, private
hospitals and local government hospitals in Osun State
to embark on a total and indefinite withdrawal of
service. “
The NAGG called on citizens of the state to prevail on
Aregbesola to drop the threat or be ready for a total and
indefinite strike of all doctors throughout the state.

Gas proceeds from the Nigeria Liquefied Natural Gas and others have dropped by 50.2 per cent from $169.728m in January, the latest data from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation have showed. The NNPC put gas proceeds from the NLNG, Escravos Gas to Liquid, Natural Gas Liquids and NGAS in October at $84.575m. “Export gas sales and NLNG feedstock accounted for $84.57m i.e. 18.97 per cent contribution to the Federation Account compared with 31.21 per cent contribution in September,” the corporation said in its latest monthly report. The dip in gas revenue was partly as a result of the sustained fall in global natural gas prices since last year and increased supply in the market. From a peak of $6 per million British thermal unit last year, the natural gas price has fallen below $2 per mmBtu this year. It was trading around $1.98 per mmBtu. The NLNG Limited had recently warned that its revenue was being threatened at the international market amid the fall in global oil prices. Many of the global natural gas markets are linked to oil prices, which have fallen by more than 65 per cent since June last year. The firm expressed worry over the impact that the fall in crude prices was having on its revenue, stressing that the entry of the United States and Australia into the LNG market was “a real cause for concern.” The NLNG stated, “The recent fall in crude oil prices from above $100 per barrel in early 2014 to below $60 per barrel in early 2015 and its impact on global LNG/ gas prices as well as the demand/supply positions in both our primary and secondary markets in the Atlantic and Pacific Basins have had a significant impact on our revenues and profitability. “The trend, which will persist till the end of 2015, and which may even worsen going into 2016 with the entry of US and Australian LNG volumes into the market, is a real cause for worry.” The NLNG, in addition to its traditional deliveries to Europe and the United States, supplies LNG to South America, with deliveries to Mexico and Brazil; and to Asia and the Middle East, with deliveries to Japan, South Korea, India, China, Taiwan, Thailand and Kuwait. The company, which currently has LNG production capacity of 22 million metric tonnes per annum, is owned by the Federal Government, represented by the NNPC (49 per cent), Shell Gas BV (25.6 per cent), Total LNG Nigeria Limited (15 per cent), and Eni International (10.4 per cent).

The rate of deaths in Imo State rises daily as
private hospitals in the state are now being
overstretched with patients seeking medical
attention. This sad development is a result of the
closure of state hospitals and the Federal Medical
Centre, FMC, Owerri which was shut down by the
Federal Government over protracted labour crisis
in the centre.
The Imo state government had closed down
State hospitals to carry out renovations ahead of a
proposed takeover by concessionaires. The
Federal Government in its part shut down
the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri over
a protracted industrial dispute between workers
and the Medical Director, Dr. (Mrs.) Angela
Uwakwem.
As a result of the twin action, the capacity of
some of most private hospitals are being
overstretched as medical staff find it more tasking
to attend to patients who were evacuated from the
shut down hospitals.
It was discovered that at least four patients die on
daily basis, hundreds of patients were seen
besieging the hospitals. Some said that they have
been waiting for several hours to see doctors.
“It has not been easy for us, we stay in waiting rooms
for so long before we get attention, we are
patronizing the private hospitals to seek cure for our
sicknesses as the only alternative because government
hospitals have not been working.”
“Many of the patients brought to these private
hospitals are those abandoned in the government
hospitals that could not be attended to because the
hospitals are not functional” said a doctor that was
interviewed on the situation of things. He
stated that most the patients were already dead
before they were brought to the hospitals. “Since
we are here to save lives, we will not discharge them
from the gate; we hear pleadings of their people”.

Jokay07:
no, nobody will be sacked!! You only need to read meanings into that statement as regards to employing 500,000 teachers in 2016.
500,000 applicants can't submit apllications once, even if they do, 500,000 people can't get the teaching job at a time. But what the statement is saying is that, the employment of 500,000 teachers will start in the year 2016.

Fuadx1:
Hope you know what you are commenting? Your calculation of 300 millions as 50k salary for each of the 500,000 teachers is not even up to 1bn out of 369.6 bn budgeted for education.. How unrealistic is this? Even if it is 100k per teacher the total salary for the year will be 600,000 000 base on your calculation (which is still not upto 1bn)

ayindejimmy:
Tell me, what's wrong in accusing a thief?
Or nobody stole in the last administration

agurza:
You mean the clown that oversees the massive looting of all time in man history

Nnemuka:
LOL..... No kee yaself oo
Even Oyibo people are happy to have him lecture them. The other dullard is someone in Daura abi abuja still accusing him of fuel scarcity

WaffenSS:
Don't you understand how a budget works?

We're selling oil daily, collecting taxes, fees, fines and levies daily. Come on, it's in the presentation where all the funds are coming from. Oil is less than 15% of the income, which is a good sign the non oil revenue streams are picking up.

Were you under Obiora's skirts during Econs 101?

oduastates:
Get yourself a chill pill, get some glasses,sit and watch in 3D . her name is already on the guest list of her majesty prison service.
Buhari need not waste precious resources on her.

WaffenSS:
Yes you are.

If Dasuki can share out 500,000,000,000 in dollars to PDP and Diezani stole 2,000,000,000,000 without the country grinding to a halt, of course the money can be paid. Heck, Ibori alone stole more than that amount.

oduastates:
Until you realise that it is less than 1/10 of the money stolen by madueke.

Jokay07:
teachers' salaries are variable according to grades, more so, Employing 500,000 teachers doesn't mean that 500,000 teachers will be employed once

wachakuta:
I just too love Mr President

Northern States Governors at the weekend in K
expressed fears that the recent bloody clash b
the Army and members of the Shiite sect in Zaria
become another mistake for the Boko Haram cr
repeat itself.
At the meeting of the governors held at the
Hassan Usman Katsina House Kaduna, Chairman
Northern State Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and Gove
Borno State, Kashim Shettima said although they
comparing the violent Boko Haram insurgents a
Islamic Movement, “but we are here to analy
ensure that we take measures that will close any
which some people may want to seize to create v
in the immediate or long run”.
His words: “let me start by making one thing ver
the Northern Governors ’ Forum is not here to do
of the Kaduna State Government or because t
anything missing in the measures taken by the
State Government.
“We are very confident in the Governor of Kaduna
Malam Nasiru El-Rufai, his competence and ch
have never come under any doubt. Soon after th
crisis, the Governor was at the scene and he spo
leader of the Islamic Movement and met the C
Army Staff. He addressed the people of Kaduna S
Thursday, December 17, 2015 and the Governme
some firm far reaching measures it considers nece
“Malam El-Rufai is the man on ground, he kno
subject matter more than us and he knows the st
deems most suitable after his extensive consult
So, we are not here to do his job. However, we a
in connection with what happened in Zaria, first b
the issue has to do with an Islamic group th
membership across the 19 states in the nort
beyond.
“We want to look how to ensure that the inciden
not provide room for anyone or group to per
violence in any of the 19 northern states. We
have the serious problems of Boko Haram to c
with. We are not in any way comparing the
Movement with Boko Haram, no. But we don’t w
same mistake that happened over the Boko Hara
to repeat itself. When Boko Haram went wild i
2009 with clashes between them and the po
Bauchi on 25th and 26th in Maiduguri, most Ni
saw the issues as the problems of Bauchi and Bor
“When they continued to attack Borno and Y
became the affairs of Borno and Yobe States. A
sudden, there was suicide attack in Abuja in 20
then everything went out of control and we are
are today. So, like I said, we do not mak
comparison between the murderously violent
Haram insurgents and the Islamic Movement but
here to analyze and ensure that we take measur
will close any avenue which some people may
seize to create violence in the immediate or long r
“Moreover, Kaduna is the socio-political heart
northern Nigeria. Kaduna is to us, what Lagos is
South West. What affects Kaduna State invariably
the whole north. If you notice, we make it a
travel to Kaduna to hold our meeting instead of
it in Abuja. Kaduna is the headquarters of the n
Nigeria but it will have that significance if we ac
the relevance it deserves. We have a duty to p
history and our values by coming here.
“We will compare thoughts analytically and exte
We will also be looking at any other matter that
the well being of the north and we shall brief the
on issues that we don’t consider too security se
to make public. We thank you in the media very
for being our partners in progress and we look f
to meeting you again when there is need to do
said.

Cameroonian troops have killed at least 70 Nigerian villagers while chasing Islamic insurgents in the Gwoza area of Borno state in northeastern Nigeria, fleeing villagers said. It was the second time innocent Nigerian villagers would die for Boko Haram sins.

Troops entered Kirawa-Jimni village on Sunday, asked where Boko Haram insurgents were and started shooting, residents said.

“We didn’t know what was going on but the Cameroonian troops suddenly appeared and began to ask us for Boko Haram terrorists,” said Muhammed Abba, a resident of the village and deputy commander of a local group of civilians set up to fight the extremists in Gwoza. “Before we could saya word, they started firing. That scared most of us and we began to run.”

Abba said that when people returned Monday, they found 70 corpses littering the ground.

The Borno state spokesman for a civilian self-defense group, Abbas Gava, confirmed the reports, saying he received calls from residents of Ashigashiya village near the border with Cameroon.

“They said the soldiers were in hot pursuit of the Boko Haram terrorists who ran into Kirawa-Jimni. The soldiers did not waste time upon arrival as they immediately opened fire on the villagers,” he said.

Kirawa-Jimni is a border community near Cameroon, located around the area where Boko Haram insurgents once held sway. Many Gwoza residents who had fled to Maiduguri and Yola say the insurgents are still very present in the area.

Cameroonian troops also chased Boko Haram fighters into Nigerian territory on Nov. 30, killing at least 150 people, burning huts and forcing people out of their communities, Nigerians said.

In the last 48 hours, Cameroonian troops have arrested two Boko Haram suspects in a refugee camp in Minawaou, arrested a Boko Haram kingpin, identified as Alhaji Oumar.

The troops today also routed a Boko Haram group trying to hijack trucks loaded with food between Dabanga and Ylang Ylang, north of the country.