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Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers - Politics - Nairaland

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Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by henryanna36: 10:52am On Sep 30, 2016
His Excellency Atiku Abubakar, GCON,former Vice President Federal Republic of Nigeria,Chieftain of APC, Bola Tinubu,Ex-governor of Anambra state Peter Obi and others attended the Investiture of Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers, in Lagos.

Below is a speech presented by Atiku Abubakar titled
'Growth: The Only Nigerian Imperative. My speech on restructuring, economy and governance'.

Protocol

Let me start by commending the Chartered Institute of Stockbrokers for its patriotism in using the opportunity of this investiture ceremony to plan a discussion on the Nigerian economy. I thank you for inviting me to be part of it.

And I congratulate Mr. Oluwaseyi Emmanuel Abe on his election as the President and Chairman of the Governing Council of this Institute and his investiture today. I wish him and the Institute enormous success during his tenure.

The theme of this gathering, “Growth: The Only Nigerian Imperative,” is a very important one. We can debate whether growth is the only imperative for us or how to achieve that growth. However, the message conveyed by that theme is clear at this moment in Nigeria’s evolution.  Of course, it will be up to the Guest Speaker to give the theme the treatment that he deems fit.

Let me, however, use my privilege as co-chair of this event to say a few words about our economy and some of what needs to be done to get it growing again and creating jobs and wealth for our people in a sustainable manner.

I will go straight to the point: our economy is broken, and if we wait for the oil price to rebound or for crude exports to bounce back or for oil receipts to recover, we may wait for very long and may not be able to fix it.

I say this because our constant complaints about the oil price, pipeline vandals and lack of funds tend to divert and distract us from the real challenges we are facing. To me, our economy is broken because our economic model doesn’t work, and to fix it we need the resolve to restructure our government finances so that we politicians have a real incentive to create a more conducive business environment.

Yes, the current market environment hurts us. Yes, the collapse of crude exports is causing immense hardship and we need new drivers of growth and additional sources of export earnings. Yes, the irresponsible raiding of the Excess Crude Account and the siphoning of money that should have gone to the Federation Account are awfully bad. And yes, the massive corruption at the highest levels that have recently been revealed are important blows to the economy and society.

However, our biggest problem is our addiction to oil revenues; the belief that we are doomed unless oil flows and oil money fills the Federation Account for our tiers of government to share.
Another related, and flawed, belief is that the federal government alone is the only force, the know-all, be all, and do all that would direct and bankroll the diversification of our economy. And we have convinced ourselves, again wrongly, that the only reason that the federal government

is unable to spend money to do all we expect it to do is that the money has been stolen. We must erase that mindset in order for us to begin to climb out of our current depths.

Of course government can use oil receipts to improve the lives and livelihoods of our people, to fix our horrible roads, crumbling schools, ramshackle hospitals and to pay its numerous, but hardly busy, workers. However, oil money is not a requirement for diversifying our economy.

Rather we need federal government officials who are willing to step back and carefully work out how they can empower the private sector to grow the economy and create jobs. And I don’t mean selecting a few companies deemed worthy of government support. No, we need radical reforms that streamline our bureaucracy and eliminate rules and regulations that stifle innovation. We also need robust management processes that ensure that public money buys us better infrastructure, education outcomes and healthcare.

And above all else, we need to understand that our most valuable resource is not our oil; it is our people. All of our people.

The good news is that most Nigerians have forgotten about the oil money and moved on with their lives. The bad news that our governments and political leaders don’t seem to have noticed that shift. A few numbers will illustrate this. When we were still under military rule, through the 1980s and 1990s, oil and gas accounted for roughly one third of our GDP. When I joined the government in 1999, oil and gas accounted for 29%, though at the time – remember that was before the rebasing – we thought oil and gas accounted for almost half of our economic output. But by 2007 the oil and gas share of GDP had already dropped below 20% and by 2015 it had fallen to less than 10%. So while petroleum production levels stayed flat, our people have made all the difference.

But don’t get me wrong: oil revenues have helped. In addition to infrastructure, oil revenues support professional service firms, real estate, the arts and so on. So the indirect effects of the petroleum sector are bigger that the headline figures suggest. But this doesn’t change the fact that due to the ingenuity and hard work of the men and women who looked beyond oil, our economy is much more diversified than we usually acknowledge. In 1980 agriculture contributed 15% of our GDP but by 2015 the figure rose to one quarter.  Services which were almost non-existent in the data now add more than one third to domestic output.  Even our manufacturing, despite all odds, increased its share from 6.5% of GDP in 1999 to almost 10%, quadrupling its value in real terms and moving on par with oil and gas production.

Unfortunately the move away from oil hasn’t reached all parts of our economy. As you know, our non-oil exports are nowhere near where they ought to be to balance our non-oil imports. But what worries me much more is that even though oil receipts have dropped from a long term average of about 70% of Federal Government revenue to about 50% in the first half of 2016, non-oil receipts are also falling – fast. Between  January and June, the federal government collected 1.2 trillion naira in VAT, corporate taxes, customs and excise duties, and various other levies – 13% (or N150 billion) less than it collected over the same period in 2015. Corporate income taxes dropped by 40% over the past two years.

In short, whereas our economy diversified because our non-oil activities took off, the oil share of revenue dropped because our oil revenues have nose-dived, not because the government found new revenue streams. This worries me because I think one of the main reasons why we are suffering, the reason why we are so vulnerable to swings in the oil price, and one of the reasons why we can be held hostage by those willing to blow up export pipelines is that unlike our private sector, our governments have not really embraced diversification. And this at a time when major oil consumers are making massive investments in alternative and renewable energy.

And it has huge implications. The fact that our government literally runs on oil means that we cannot rely on public spending to mitigate the impact of oil slumps in the commodities cycle. Unless we don’t mind going back into a debt trap.  According to the Central Bank of Nigeria, in the second quarter of 2016 the Federal Government collected less than half what it expected. It also spent 13% more than it had planned. Consequently in just three months 1.1 trillion naira shortfall was created as well as roughly 700 billion naira primary deficit, about the amount the federal government budgeted for the entire fiscal year.

In the same second quarter of 2016 the Federal Government’s interest payments already exceeded its Federation Account allocations, and debt servicing absorbed almost 60% of retained revenue. In fact, 57 out of every 100 naira the federal government received went straight to its creditors.

As you can see, that doesn’t give us a lot of room to maneuver. And it is the reason why government’s efforts to get us out of the current difficulties should proceed in a manner that targets infrastructure improvements, public education, public health and, above all, reforms that remove obstacles to our people unleashing their creative and productive energies to set up and run businesses and create jobs and wealth in the process.

Investors have noticed our predicament. Foreign investment has nearly dried up. In the first half of 2016 the total amount of capital brought into Nigeria was less than $1.4 billion compared to $5.3 billion in the first half of 2015. Direct investment has fallen by half, portfolio investment is down by 87% and our capital and financial accounts are deep in the red. A number of long established foreign businesses announced they were planning to leave and many of those that decided to stay are cutting costs and trimming their payrolls to balance their books. Some respected Nigerian companies are folding up as well.

It is, therefore, clear that rather than praying for higher oil revenues, we should seize the current opportunity to get over our addiction to oil revenues. Discovering new oil wells in the north or south is no substitute. Government should look to sustainable sources of revenue, mainly taxes, duties and other levies. And it can only enlarge the tax base by encouraging diverse economic activities right across the country and investing in human capital development to produce the entrepreneurs, inventors and workers of the future.

We can’t just borrow our way out of our oil addiction. Our governments must live on taxes, the way other democracies do. It will help us live within our means, as it means government can only spend what the people can bear. It will help ensure accountability as tax payers are more likely to ask for accountability when the money comes directly from their pockets.

My dear friends, a move away from oil rents will change our economy for the better. And it will also change our politics for the better.

Thank you for your attention.



Source: http://www.trezzyhelm.com/2016/09/tinubuatiku-abubakar-peter-obi-at.html

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Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by henryanna36: 10:52am On Sep 30, 2016

1 Like

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by henryanna36: 10:53am On Sep 30, 2016
henryanna36:
More
more

1 Like

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by Mimidiva(f): 10:57am On Sep 30, 2016
This Atiku sef, see him head, just like my grandmother's grinding stone

15 Likes 1 Share

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by Dejiih001(m): 10:57am On Sep 30, 2016
Restructuring indeed!

8 Likes 1 Share

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by MONITZ: 12:00pm On Sep 30, 2016
Realignment of interests ahead of 2019 elections is already loading.

38 Likes 4 Shares

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by koladebrainiac(m): 12:08pm On Sep 30, 2016
if Tinubu team with Atiku I think they can move things

5 Likes 1 Share

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by Nobody: 2:03pm On Sep 30, 2016
Ok, a new party is on the verge of being created.

Obi - APGA/PDP
Atiku - PDP/APC
Tinubu - ANC/APC

Unlike Buharis' CPC, these guys have been in one party before ....also, Obi has been looking for association and relevance since his exit from APGA. He has lost all relevance in contemporary politics of Nigeria.

- Has anyone inquired why Obi has advert on his personality on some radio stations in Lagos recently undecided

They have used the platform created by Scattered Institute of Stockbrokers to showcase themselves.

Nonsense politicians.

4 Likes 1 Share

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by Nobody: 2:04pm On Sep 30, 2016
If restructuring takes place alongside endemic corruption, would life not be worse off than the status quo. Even the monies our governors, particularly those of ND got in the past 16 years have not amounted to any meaningful development.

Can't yet understand why a state like Bayelsa is owing backlogs of salaries despite the huge revenues it earns.

Restructuring without a thorough fight against corruption isnt going to work.

6 Likes 1 Share

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by edudguy(m): 2:04pm On Sep 30, 2016
I want say something, I joined Nairaland early this year and I noticed that in Nigeria, hatred has filled our hearts....The East, the West and notably the North are at dagger drawn....One wants Biafra and would sieze any opportunity to insult Buhari, rain curses on Nigeria and wish everyone evil and blame our current predicament on him while the other two groups (Yoruba and Hausa) hate the Igbos with passion and blame them on our backwardness as a nation. This seed of hatred was planted in the 1960s before and after the civil war.....My major problem is if you want to say something don't insilt the person's tribe or religion some go as far as wishing each other death
Why are we in this predicament as a nation? Simple! we did not plan....I have read what the President and his Vice has said... The ND keep on bombing you can't say you wan't Nigeria to be bouyant again and when these guys bomb our pipelines you hail them and turn around to ask why aren'twe doing well. That pipeline is our source of livelihood (for now) We did not plan well. Coupled with the crash of oil prices, pipelines are bombed so the revenue will decrease. When you ask the reason we are not developing when they tell you....you turn around to say they should stop complaining. I agree! they shoul stop complaining fix it. The Nigeria story is one that if you don't have your facts right and you want to argue for or against secession, one might end up looking stupid....Why secession? People are angry because of the way government is handling matters. That I agree. People that don't know anything about Biafra will say we want Biafra or we don't Biafra but aske them about the history of Biafra they'll look dumbfounded
There are many things we need to iron out as a country but I believe one day we will become great


PLEASE THIS IS JUST MY OPINION, NO INSULT PLEASE

THANK YOU

23 Likes 4 Shares

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by Nobody: 2:07pm On Sep 30, 2016
Another new method of looting to begin soon . Restructuring indeed!
Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by eghexs76: 2:08pm On Sep 30, 2016
I can smell 2019 from here.....is gonna be like a drama in this country

6 Likes

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by darocha1: 2:08pm On Sep 30, 2016
Road to 2019.

4 Likes

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by bligs: 2:10pm On Sep 30, 2016
Tinubu asked Oyegun to resign & Atiku back him up, hope they aren't cooking up something?

14 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by geonath(m): 2:11pm On Sep 30, 2016
Kill infidels (unbelievers) and receive 70 virgins in hereafter

Put charms in your pocket for protection

3 Likes

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by DrinkWater10: 2:13pm On Sep 30, 2016
.
Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by DaPuncline: 2:15pm On Sep 30, 2016
Believe me Atiku is already campaigning for his 2019 presidency and he's stylishly wooing the igbos to his side. Of course we all know the key to an igbo man's heart; just be in support of any policy that the current government is against or start talking about biafra freedom or start spewing derogatory or hate statements towards any religion or tribe the igbos are against. Or are you not surprised why the igbos love FFK and fayose ? Igbos are just too gullible!

17 Likes 2 Shares

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by salabscholar01(m): 2:17pm On Sep 30, 2016
ok
Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by DrinkWater10: 2:18pm On Sep 30, 2016
He hasn't said anything new.
Nigerians now know better than to swallow politicians' lies hook line and sinker.
The current president MBuhari also promised to restructure the country;and hasn't even made any attempt at fulfilling that promise.

2 Likes

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by Viktor1983(m): 2:18pm On Sep 30, 2016
DaPuncline:
Believe me Atiku is already campaigning for his 2019 presidency and he's stylishly wooing the igbos to his side. Of course we all know the key to an igbo man's heart; just be in support of any policy that the current government is against or start talking about biafra freedom or start spewing derogatory or hate statements towards any religion or tribe the igbos are against. Or are you not surprised why the igbos love FFK and fayose ? Igbos are just too gullible!

I'll give you a discount on a hang rope, buy one get one free.

32 Likes 4 Shares

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by Nature129(m): 2:23pm On Sep 30, 2016
If I understand English clearly, that's a call for economy diversification not restructuring

2 Likes 1 Share

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by nnokwa042(m): 2:23pm On Sep 30, 2016
Keneking:
Ok, a new party is on the verge of being created.

Obi - APGA/PDP
Atiku - PDP/APC
Tinubu - ANC/APC

Unlike Buharis' CPC, these guys have been in one party before ....also, Obi has been looking for association and relevance since his exit from APGA. He has lost all relevance in contemporary politics of Nigeria.

- Has anyone inquired why Obi has advert on his personality on some radio stations in Lagos recently undecided

They have used the platform created by Scattered Institute of Stockbrokers to showcase themselves.

Nonsense politicians.

did peter stole your fathers money? ur too bitter tufia

7 Likes 1 Share

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by basilo101: 2:24pm On Sep 30, 2016
DaPuncline:
Believe me Atiku is already campaigning for his 2019 presidency and he's stylishly wooing the igbos to his side. Of course we all know the key to an igbo man's heart; just be in support of any policy that the current government is against or start talking about biafra freedom or start spewing derogatory or hate statements towards any religion or tribe the igbos are against. Or are you not surprised why the igbos love FFK and fayose ? Igbos are just too gullible!
afonjas sef, just because you saw peter obi you already jittery. afonjas only way of surviving in nigeria is for igbos to be completely excluded for them to have easy pass, that's the only reason they shout "sai baba" while hunger is killing them

24 Likes 7 Shares

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by izzou(m): 2:24pm On Sep 30, 2016
DaPuncline:
Believe me Atiku is already campaigning for his 2019 presidency and he's stylishly wooing the igbos to his side. Of course we all know the key to an igbo man's heart; just be in support of any policy that the current government is against or start talking about biafra freedom or start spewing derogatory or hate statements towards any religion or tribe the igbos are against. Or are you not surprised why the igbos love FFK and fayose ? Igbos are just too gullible!

7 Likes

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by Nature129(m): 2:26pm On Sep 30, 2016
DaPuncline:
Believe me Atiku is already campaigning for his 2019 presidency and he's stylishly wooing the igbos to his side. Of course we all know the key to an igbo man's heart; just be in support of any policy that the current government is against or start talking about biafra freedom or start spewing derogatory or hate statements towards any religion or tribe the igbos are against. Or are you not surprised why the igbos love FFK and fayose ? Igbos are just too gullible!

Come on! I don't want to insult you; just focus on the topic and leave the Igbos out of this, please

10 Likes 1 Share

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by Whynotthetruth(m): 2:27pm On Sep 30, 2016
And we have convinced ourselves,again wrongly, that the only reason that the federal government
is unable to spend money to do all we expect it to do is that the money has been stolen. We must erase that mindset in order for us to begin to climb out of our current depths
.

ATIKU 2016

1 Like

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by Fabulosdave01: 2:27pm On Sep 30, 2016
Restructure now. A word is enough for the wise. States like bayelsa would have lulled their governor is there was restructuring
Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by nNEOo(m): 2:28pm On Sep 30, 2016
Niggas would start placing their bets just would advice you to bet with bookies that offers higher odds, nigeria is a gambled state
Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by Nobody: 2:29pm On Sep 30, 2016
THIEVES!!! angry

2 Likes

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by Akpan107(m): 2:29pm On Sep 30, 2016
Bolustic:
If restructuring takes place alongside endemic corruption, would life not be worse off than the status quo. Even the monies our governors, particularly those of ND got in the past 16 years have not amounted to any meaningful development.

Can't yet understand why a state like Bayelsa is owing backlogs of salaries despite the huge revenues it earns.

Restructuring without a thorough fight against corruption isnt going to work.
Full resource control is what we need in Niger Delta, whatever way our region and leaders uses the resources should be left to we Niger Deltan and strangers and outsiders should not interfere in our case.

6 Likes 1 Share

Re: Tinubu, Atiku & Peter Obi At Investiture Of Chartered Institute Of Stockbrokers by Whynotthetruth(m): 2:32pm On Sep 30, 2016
Keneking:
Ok, a new party is on the verge of being created.

Obi - APGA/PDP
Atiku - PDP/APC
Tinubu - ANC/APC

Unlike Buharis' CPC, these guys have been in one party before ....also, Obi has been looking for association and relevance since his exit from APGA. He has lost all relevance in contemporary politics of Nigeria.

- Has anyone inquired why Obi has advert on his personality on some radio stations in Lagos recently undecided

They have used the platform created by Scattered Institute of Stockbrokers to showcase themselves.

Nonsense politicians.


Inasmuch as I get amused by your controversial but most times myopic online character...I can't fail to question your deep hatred for Peter Obi whose personality you malign here on every slightest opportunity...Why this? Your discussing some internal politics in Anambra makes me to see you as coming from there...so why the hatred? ....care to clear me on this plz?

3 Likes

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