₦airaland Forum

In his recent op-ed piece, Senator Ben Murray Bruce addressed a number of issues, mostly centered on what Bruce sees as Nigerians’ insistence on criticizing former President Jonathan’s policies.

Unproductive criticism

The will to move forward and take control of what happens in Nigeria from now on, is the main point Senator Bruce tries to drive home. He iterates the time consuming and futile attempts at blaming the country’s woes on Jonathan. In Nigeria, more time is spent on analyzing administrations than actually creating something better out of what the past administration has built. The trend seems to be more prevalent among “statesmen” or past leaders. Take for instance, former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s criticism on former president Jonathan’s railway rehabilitation: “For what reason should anybody in his right senses in Nigeria of today believe that rehabilitating the railway system which was completed in 1903 to carry three million tonnes of goods is what we need today.”

Nigerian economy was progressive under Jonathan

In his opening statement, he debunks the idea that Jonathan set the country back with ill-advised policies, stating that the country’s economic growth increased significantly. During the Jonathan administration, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) ranked Nigeria as the number one country for foreign direct investment (FDI) in Africa. In its 2013 report titled Global Value Chains: Investment and Trade for Development,” it says that FDI inflows to Nigeria stood at $7.03billion. South Africa recorded $4.572 billion, Ghana ($3.295 billion), Egypt ($2.798 billion), and Angola (-6.898 billion). In a 2014 journal, the Office of the Chief Economic Adviser to the President, notes that the Jonathan administration implemented policies which boosted commerce through resumption of railway transportation. Food production companies like Flour Mills of Nigeria, petroleum product companies and haulage companies benefited from the revamped railway system.

Singleness of purpose must be reflected in policies

While maintaining that past leaders ought not to share the spotlight with the government of the day, saying that apportioning blame to a Jonathan only empowers him and makes him relevant. Senator Bruce recommends that governments build on existing policies, implying that policies implemented by past administrations should not be abandoned.

In April 2015, Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) suggested one of the challenges facing African governments was the perpetual desire to begin on a clean slate. “Some of these policies need to be continued; some fiscal consolidation needs to take place and we very much hope that the next budget would reflect the good policies that have been put in place in order to resist external shocks”, she said while commenting on Nigeria’s economic policies at a World Bank-IMF Spring Meeting in Washington DC.

Senator Bruce puts the current administration on blast for attempting to start from scratch in terms of governance, he implies that this track will not help Nigeria.

Emefiele may be the only one not given to blame-shifting

Finally, Senator Bruce commends the policies currently implemented by Governor Godwin Emefiele of Central Bank of Nigeria as one way out of the many challenges facing the country. He implies that while everyone else is performing their blame-shifting dance, Emefiele remains focused on the present and tries to steer Nigeria’s economy back to normal.

Emefiele’s recent financial policies became unpopular after JP Morgan revealed plans to remove Nigeria from its Government Bond Index (GBI) at the end of the year, but as of today, Nigerian equities markets have appreciated by N277 billion in the last two weeks as investors have swooped on highly discounted equities. The market rose to N10.425 trillion from N10.148 trillion in two weeks. Time will tell, perhaps this may turn out positive for the economy.

In closing, Bruce’s piece may not appeal to a lot of people but it is a sharp call for Nigerians to recognize what is important. The blame game, ethnic, and religious favoritism are major challenges to progress. For Nigeria to become great again, government of the day has to focus on what is right in front of them. Citizens also need to hold the current administration accountable for all its actions or lack thereof.


http://venturesafrica.com/ben-murray-bruces-op-ed-piece-on-nigeria-explained/

Bros were you truly showing solidarity with a Senator accused of corruption at the CCT?

I like this man

nice

This man because his Family owns STV he's always coming to talk every time and ends with "I JUST WANT TO MAKE COMMON SENSE""

BUT Watch him on NTA when they're showing house proceedings,, He says Nothing....that's not common sense Mr.Man

He should stop making noise and "make sense" on the floor of the senate.

All I want to say is that the Senator is one of the Saraki's 29 thieves !!!

www.nairaland.com/attachments/2739269_clvrh3ow8aawwho_jpegb9410a887cc29efdba8c24c0caffdad6

shizzy7:
This man because his Family owns STV hes always coming to talk every time and ends with "I JUST WANT TO MAKE COMMON SENSE""

BUT Watch him on NTA when they're showing house proceedings,, He says Nothing....that's not common sense Mr.Man

Pls your family should build theirs too.
For your info he built it himself... Google is there to help you

freshdude99:
Pls your family should build theirs too.
For your info he built it himself... Google is there to help you

Must you quote me.....Can't I say whatever I feel like saying which is the truth..He talks on TV like we the citizens he is addressing can do anything about it..... He was not appointed to represent in the Senate just to start repeating the same Problem we already know we have .....
BUT
talk to the Senate where you have the power to Change things and ACT,,(that's common sense)


If you don't have anything meaningful to say Don't Quote me Again......

He sure did make salient points in this write up.

shizzy7:
Must you quote me.....Can't I say whatever I feel like saying which is the truth..He talks on TV like we the citizens he is addressing can do anything about it..... He was not appointed to represent in the Senate just to start repeating the same Problem we already know we have .....
BUT
talk to the Senate where you have the power to Change things and ACT,,(that's common sense)


If you don't have anything meaningful to say Don't Quote me Again......

Long epistle, total garbage!
I'd've loved to educate your brain but the moment I saw the pic on your moniker I gave up

freshdude99:
Long epistle, total garbage!
I'd've loved to educate your brain but the moment I saw the pic on your moniker I gave up

I said don't quote me AGAIN if you have nothing SENSIBLE to say....
So you had to check my profile before you can decipher that simple message, I don't know how that picture is affecting you.....

EDUCATE Hiaan..