TonyeBarcanista:
[s]Nigeria is facing her greatest challenge since her 55th history as an independent State. In fact, it has come to a point where corruption is being elevated to the zenith while anti-corruption crusaders are victimised. We are at a point where the alleged crime of once-upon-a-time powerful big man is immaterial but what is material is whether or not the "oga" is put on cuffs. It no longer matters who perpetuate fraud, neither does it matter the level of fraud perpetuated by people in positions of trust, what now matters is that those within our political comradeship are not "touched" ie leave our man for us. It no longer matters whether or not the government in power performs, what now matters for some people is to see the government to fail simply because it wasn't their choice at the poll. This period is the lowest of low for Nigeria.
The Wickedness of Political Leaders Since 1999
Are Nigerians aware that the level of mismanagement and corruption in our democratic era since 1999 eclipse the combined military and civilian administrations since 1960? Are Nigerians aware that Nigeria has made NO significant gain since 1999 when compared to what we had before 1999? Are Nigerians aware that the late dictator Sani Abacha that we love use as point of reference when talking about corruption is a fine gentleman when compared to Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan's administration? Are Nigerians concerned that while Generals Sani Abacha and Ibrahim Babangida were accused of looting $5billion and $12billion respectively, Obasanjo administration couldn't account for $16billion spent on power, while Jonathan's administration spent a whopping $6billion(N2trn) for fuel subsidy in 2011 alone with nothing to show for it(but blaming some fictitious cabal)? In fact, the over $2billion Abacha loot that has been repatriated so far cannot be accounted for by Obasanjo and Jonathan's administrations. In fact, we are told that part of Abacha loot was relooted in the $2.2billion arms fraud.
Are Nigerians not concerned that during Abacha's era with fuel price averaged at $15 per barrel, Abacha reduced Nigeria's debt from $36billon(1993) to $27billion(30% reduction), $494million to $9.6billion(1800%), reduced inflation from 54% to 8.5% and implemented projects through PTF. However, during Jonathan's era, oil price was average $100 per barrel but our external debt still rose from $3.94 billion to $9.4 billion as at Dec 2014($6.1 b is FG external debt), Foreign reserve went from $47.7billion to $32billion, and Excess crude account went from $6.5billion to $460million in 2010(GEJ got $3.36 billion/56%), it rose to $9billion in 2012 and was again depleted to $2.2billion when he left office(GEJ got $6billion) with nothing on ground to show for it?.
Are we not concerned that when the at $30per barrel oil price, Nigeria is crying for money whereas President Olusegun Obasanjo on assumption of office ensured that he saved for the future by created an Excess crude Account from zero kobo in 1999 to $20billion in 2007 to take care of moment like this which was depleted to meagre $2.2billion even when oil price was averaged $100 per barrel between 2007 and 2015?
Nigeria is Behind Her Peers
Are we not concerned that while war-torn country like Libya still manage to maintain $66billion in their Sovereign Wealth Fund(SWF), Iran $62billion, and Algeria $50billion, Nigeria could only manage to save $3billion(ie $1billion SWF + $2billion ECA)? Are we not concerned that even Angola with lesser oil income has over $5billion in their SWF? Are we not concerned that Angola that fought civil war 28years ago, whose poverty rate as at 2010 was 68% now has about 40% poverty rate(CIA Fact book) with massive infrastructures in the country, while Nigeria that fought civil war about 50years ago and with access to more funds still has poverty rate of 70%(official figure) with no single infrastructure to boast of.
Our Attitude As Responsible Citizens
If we are responsible citizens of this country, we'll be very much concerned about state of affairs rather than imprison ourselves in irresponsible and unpatriotic positions by telling authorities to let go of corruption suspects when he/she/they has/have the privilege of legal process. It is irresponsible and unpatriotic for any person/party or group to be more concerned about someone in handcuff rather than the alleged crime the person is facing in court. In case people don't know, Illinois Gov Rod Blagojevich was arrested and put on handcuff in December 2008 as an incumbent governor even before his impeachment/conviction. It is a fact that the convicted soldiers were tried on handcuff, late Audu Abubakar was also brought to court on handcuff during Yar'adua era. When did handcuffing a suspect become an issue in Nigeria? While it is our civic responsibility and right to vote for candidate/party of choice at the poll, it is irresponsible to elevate the interest of any single person or party above national interest.
It is a truism that Nigeria is in her trying state. We have been ripped and raped by insatiable gluttons that are privileged to be on fat salaries and allowances, and life pensions, yet very irresponsible to corner the little left for the masses. Bringing these people to justice irrespective of how highly placed they are or their political/tribal affiliation will not only serve justice but will also send message to those in positions of authority and those prospecting to hold positions of trust in the future. If we don't fight corruption we may wake up one day to hear that one President has changed the title of the Federation Account to his own name.
May God Bless Us All and Bless Nigeria[/s] Say your truth shame devil, you chop Aisha rice or you no chop am? |
Image123:
[s] Earlier in the day, this thread was on the frontpage, The Deceptions In 2016 Budget By Remi Oyeyemi . In that thread, many false claims were made which could have been easily verified. Unfortunately for reasons best known and maybe because it has "Source", it was posted on the frontpage. Here is proof that the article was a lot of lies, misinformation and ignorance.
So many lies in one page,why? Opposition should be truthful and credible please. Blatant lies are not sustainable.
The appropriation bill is something that is easily accessible on the [url=http://www.budgetoffice.gov.ng/pdfs/2016pro/Consolidated%20Appropriation_Bill__Details_2016.pdf]Ministry of Budget and planning's website[/url]. Anybody can download it and look through, it is a 1810 page document with less than 5mb size. The budget is not gold or Bible, neither is it an unchangeable or unchallengeable document or law. In fact, it is being debated at the National Assembly presently. i have also previously expressed some of my reservations, observations and questions about it on this thread. The President in the last media chat has urged our journalists to engage more in INVESTIGATIVE journalism. It is therefore unfortunate that a national daily(NGR Guardian) will publish such baseless strings of lies for whatever purpose.
Again to be clear, i have my reservations for some of these figures, so i am not defending them per say, i am simply presenting them.
Federal Ministry of Agriculture's total allocation is 76,753,672,273(76.7billion not 29.7/29.1 choose anyone billion as ngrguardian reports). In the BREAKDOWN, it is shown that the Ministry of Agriculture has a recurrent(non-debt) expenditure of 29.7billion and a capital expenditure of 47billion, totalling 76.7billion.
The Federal Ministry of Defence has a total allocation of 429,098,182,742. These information is right on page 1, missing it is mischievous. Ministry of Interior has a larger 498,453,097,241. The figures are so mixed up already i don't know where to start with you. Now, these are two different Ministries and it would be good to know the differences by finding out. If someone needs to be told that there is difference between Navy, Airforce, Army, Defence Academy, Police, Immigration, Custom, Prison, fire, NSCDC and your gateman, there is more problem than i can currently handle for you. Lafiya Dole is a special funds for combating Boko Haram insurgency in the North East region.
The Office of the NSA is not one man BTW. It has some MDAs under it like the DSS and National intelligence Agency. We cannot be blaming the 2016 budget for the multiplicity and duplicity of our Ministries and MDAs of course. The allocation for Ministries of Transportation is 215,797,393,980. This is more than NSA already so why the lie? Ministry of Water Resources is 44,206,418,733. Ministry of Works, Power and Housing is 467,645,043,369. All these information is right on page 1, why the lies? is that opposition?
Total allocation for Ministry of Labour and Employment is 13,397,589,915 not 7.8billion. Ministry of Solid Minerals Development is 18,625,703,622, Science and Technology Ministry is 53,743,337,717 not 25.8billion. Transportation again is 215.7billion and Water Resources is 44.2billion. All these are different from 300billion budgeted specially as Special Intervention fund to help tackle issues like employing 500,000 teachers and other plans. Please fear God if you do not fear man or yourself.
The Ministry(not minister) of special duties SGF was allocated 72,894,125. 72million is not 72billion, being sensational doesn't equal truth, integrity and veracity.
Federal Character Commission was allocated 3,371,278,210, their recurrent is the 2.09billion. i do not know what they do as well, maybe others can enlighten us. Recurrent expenditure however needs to be compared with previous ones for proper perspective. We all know that the government met an overbloated workforce in the FG and Civil Service. They shouldn't just sack everybody either IMHO. However, they do need to keep paying salaries and be discouraged from reducing salaries. It is a huge dilemma.
INEC is an Independent body and will be in the best position to answer this. Same thing the NASS. It is very likely that is what INEC requested. They do not need to wait till election year before the start rushing.
This has already been debunked. Ministry of Information and Culture is getting 45.1billion not 39.1billion BTW. Remember that two ministries have been merged. NTA is getting 6.9billion of the money,oops. i hope they look like CNN or at least Channestv by the end of the year oh.lol. FRCN is getting another 7billion of the allocation, National Orientation Agency to get 5.8billion while the Ministry headqtrs gets 5.2billion. I believe zero budgeting blah blah would also come in to curb/justify some of these allocations. More details on page 315 of the Consolidated Appropriation bill details.
Ministry of Transportation is 215.7billion not N13.7 billion, Ministry of Water Resources is 44.2billion not N7.2 billion and the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment is 16billion not N10.5 billion. The figures you have stated are mostly recurrent expenditure which are mainly salaries. We all know of people sitting in government offices doing next to nothing productively, yet being paid. That is why the average Nigerian dreams of federal government work, not patriotism but these kind of bloated workforce. You are well aware most of these workers have been there for long, not this administration's fault. Years of nepotism, political reward and showmanship, bribery and man know man recruitments are the main cause of these large recurrent expenditure.It is not a issue of ghost workers or deception from Buhari government.
Shelter Afrique AGM and Symposium is usually like a week programme. Nigeria is hosting about the whole of Africa this year. These are some of the unavoidable costs of hosting such international events. i don't know how the hosting rights are drawn maybe we could avoid or whatever, but we need to host them properly. The amount is not ludicrous compared to usual amounts for such programmes. The world will not end because of that, it is not corruption. Money spent on former leaders is CONSTITUTIONAL. This is not mismanagement but law. We remember when some of our governors were trying to constitutional get themselves huge sums of money as pension when they leave. If their HoReps abi na Assembly signed it, that will be the law/burden of coming governments. It is not something Buhari can just decide in his bedroom.
There is absolutely nowhere in the budget that says 1.75 billion for President Muhammadu Buhari’s feeding in 2016. The Presidency also denied that earlier. Foodstuff/Catering material supplies for the President is 114,967,140. This is on page 7. The Vice President's is 16,683,193 on page 8. My worries are that opposition is standing on cheap lies that cannot stand and this is dangerous for our democracy because there might be nowhere else or alternative to turn to after these lies and half-truths fail.
cc: Mynd44, Lalasticlala, Emmafrancis, Vig86, Palantir, justurch, omolami, resty4, TonyeBacarnista, Flets, Zenzu01, frankyychiji, thompsblog, MrPresident1, onatisi, DropShot, PassingShot etc.[/s] Na dis people chop Aisha rice finish com dey talk rubbish. |
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