- Ask Nigerians to hold state governors accountable, stop blaming only FG
BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
Some renowned economic experts have argued that it would take Nigeria nothing less than 10 years to overcome its present economic challenges.
Among the numerous economic challenges facing Nigerians, which pundits have identified, are unstable policies and initiative, lack of cooperation between government and private sector, corruption, poor human development, over-dependence on crude oil and crude oil theft, crime and terrorism, low export earnings, high rate of unemployment, lack of infrastructure and nature of market.
Most Nigerians have been wallowing in abject poverty, owing to the nation’s economic downturn. Their living conditions have since worsened after the Federal Government removed fuel subsidy.
However, an economist, Dr. Tunji Ogunyemi, has described the Nigerian financial system as complex, saying the fundamental problem would take at least 10 years to be solved.
The expert admonished Nigerians not to raise their hopes on efforts of governments at transforming the economy so soon.
“It will even take nothing less than one year to even plan removing the clogs in the wheel of our progress in this country, with respect to our economy, before you will even begin to start the big implementation that will take nothing less than 10 years,” he said.
Ogunyemi, an Associate Professor of Economic History at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, stated, “The truth of the matter is that the Nigerian financial system is a complex system, so complex a system that no human being can ever solve the fundamental problem of this economy in anything less than 10 years. That’s the truth, let people just know this and have their peace.
“For example, how do you handle the idea of stopping oil theft in the Niger Delta, which has been taking between 30 and 40 per cent of Nigeria’s petroleum export capacity.
You take it away and put it in the hands of thieves. I don’t call them bunkers, they are oil thieves. How would the President be able to do that without affecting his friendship with the people of that area? Can you imagine that the Federal Government of Nigeria passed a vote of no confidence in its Navy? The Navy failed to protect the pipeline and the same Federal Government of Nigeria had to go to sign a contract with a private person who has received not a single military training, Government Ekpemupolo, to protect the Nigerian coastal waters and to reduce the incidents of oil thefts.
“Imagine the Navy of the Nigerian nation failing 100 per cent and the government of the Nigerian state signing a contract with a private Nigerian citizen and then you now see results. It means that most of the Nigerian institutions have failed. Whether in the media, military, police system, security and others. Check out the leakages that go on in the Nigerian Port Authority; the leakages at Apapa Ports and others.”
“To plan to reform this country, the truth is that you cannot do it in anything less than one year. That is for planning, to do the implementation is another 10 years, that is more than two administrations,” he stressed.
Ogunyemi called on Nigerians to desist from relying totally on the Federal Government for the growth of the economy, adding that they should hold their state governors to account because they (governors) have more opportunities to turn their living conditions around.
He said, “The Federal Government of Nigeria is not governing all parts of Nigeria. There are states in Nigeria that have authority over land, over inland waterways, over issues that have to do with employment, over national planning, over the economy, over revenue, over tax, the Federal Government cannot do all.
“The Federal Government can only do its part. Do you know that the Federal Government does not take more than 52 per cent of the total income accruable to the federation’s account? So, why should some people be thinking that the Federal Government will provide all the solutions in states of the federation?”
“The time has come for us to stop piling all the problems of this country on the Federal Government. The key to Nigeria’s development is true Federalism, without true Federalism, disaggregating Nigeria’s economic authority and production, including things that have to do with employment to the states and local governments, is the best option,” the expert noted.
Another expert, Paul Alaje, highlighted some short-term solutions to the hardship confronting Nigerians.
He urged the Federal Government to ensure that “anybody earning between N30,000 and N70,000 should not be made to pay tax until workers’ salaries are upgraded.”
“Government must quickly, as a solution, start farm plantation from Osun to Oyo to Ogun, to Ekiti to Lagos, to Kwara to Edo, to Sokoto, to Zamfara, to Benue, to Katsina; everywhere in Nigeria, we must farm plantation to fight food inflation. Government’s job is to provide security, job, and also guarantee sales,” Alaje stated.
“Through local government activation, we can reduce the pressure of unemployment, we can reduce poverty, we can reduce idleness and so many other benefits. More importantly, government needs to put the four refineries to work. Government must come up with mass transit system,” he added.
