| Updated: 11/26/2005; 6:30:17 PM. |
 |
 |
 |
oguchi's Radio Weblog |
|
|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
9:23:25 PM  comment []
|
|
INDEPENDENT Sunday 9th October, 2005 | HOME | Previous Page |
|
Obasanjo is enemy of democracy Osita Okechukwu Lagos CNPP after a careful analysis of the Independence Day speech of President Olusegun Obasanjo decided to reply him to correct the misrepresentation and misleading contents of his address, that bothers on disservice to our dear country. CNPP laments and regrettably, that Mr. President is still hovering in the sky, totally alienated and disconnected from the people. We thought that the speech could have afforded a responsive President the golden opportunity for sober reflection, to painstakingly assess the situation, honestly admit pitfalls and undertake gap analysis on why Nigeria is not working and why his economic and political reforms are jaundiced. To our chagrin, rather than address the contradictions inherent in his anti-people macro-economic policy, he mounted a high horse, waving doubtful messianic garb, claiming that his government is a listening and caring government. To add insult to injury, he sent a note of warning that he cannot be intimidated, teleguided or pressurized to take immature or populist decisions with no lasting effects. CNPP is at a loss, what is immature in meaningful advice and constructive criticisms, Nigerians have lavishly given to the regime, all in an effort to strengthen and deepen the foundation of our economy and democracy, create jobs, wealth, productivity, efficiency and management of resources and social justice. CNPP opines that the road map is to first and foremost get Nigerians back to work. We disagree with those who claim that Nigerians are bad and hang on the loose term – Nigerian Factor. Nigerians are not bad specie and had shown that we are good followers provided the leadership is trust worthy; do not betray trust, dash hopes, compromise and mortgage opportunities. The regime instead of getting Nigerians back to work, what we have today is an army of unemployed and under-employed, mass poverty and import dependant economy, characterized by closure of industries, retrenchment of workers and stifle growth. CNPP had earlier alerted the nation that no nation had successfully transformed from an agrarian economy to a capitalist economy driven by market forces, without an industrial base and there is no industrial society without solid infrastructure base. To do otherwise is suicidal and the outcome is mass poverty, brain drain, import dependent economy and crass corruption. The past six years was spent in a forlorn hope of quantum Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). Mr. President himself had admitted that he toured all parts of the world and no Direct Foreign Investment. The huge cost of globetrotting by Mr. President went down the drain, for the world recognition we have today is because Nigeria transited to civil rule in 1999. CNPP had for the umpteenth time posited that given the bounty and unprecedented oil sales, the regime should repair the refineries; construct micro and medium ones, in order to halt the disequilibria in our transport sector. Rather the regime connived with the rogue contractors inherited from the military regime and squandered over $1 billion and abandoned the Turn Around Maintenance mid-stream. The outcome of failure to listen is incessant hike in petroleum product prices, distortion in the production process and negative multiplier effects. The beneficiaries of the impasse are the cronies of the regime, who jumped into the opportunistic tendencies created. Nigerians are worse off and the regime instead of admitting guilt is still pleading charity, of substantial level of subsidy in petroleum products, supplied to the domestic market. A caring government cannot deliberately in the name of privatisation and commercialisation institute criminal profiteering against the people. Today even the so-called captains of industry, who in actual fact have no industry, are complaining. They used to be friends of the regime and supported the entire anti-peoples programme. CNPP is of the view that a regime that sincerely desires more products for domestic and export market, diversification of the economy and intensive export drive, could have used opportunity provided by modern technology, to overhaul the energy sector, rather than encourage avenues of corruption and waste. The loud noise for subsidy of petroleum products and other vital economic indices has refused to die down, continued to date and cannot be swept under the carpet as immature or populist. CNPP is borrowing our agitation for subsidy, from those stable economies, that are driven by market forces, which refuse in the World Trade Organization meetings, to cancel subsidies to their citizens especially in the agriculture sector. If Europe and America subsidize the prosperous existence of their citizens why is the Obasanjo regime roasting Nigerians? It is truism that as far as electricity is concerned, that Nigerians are in darkness, all the promises made for reinvigorated energy sector failed. The jumbo mega watts production touted became a façade to cover the billions siphoned abroad. A patriotic regime could have embarked on construction of micro and medium generating plants instead of relying on foreign investors. In an age where with $100 million medium generating plant can be erected. The irony of the situation is that we continue posting mind-boggling foreign reserves, while the country is in flames. The consequence is that Nigeria is now a visa factory: where citizens are leaving in droves. The mass exodus to foreign lands, after the return of democracy is the metaphor and caricature of a failed regime. It is the greatest insult to find Nigerians engaged in all manner of odd jobs in North Africa, Europe and other parts of the world in what can be defined as new slavery. It is only a regime that is either on a genocide of hate mission against its countrymen that will leave over 3 billion tons deposit of coal to lie fallow for years. Coal is an alternative energy resource and forms the bedrock of South African energy sector, a country President Obasanjo, venerates, but could not learn from. This is not immature or populist loud noise it is granite fact. Nigerian Coal Corporation records show that with less than $80 million, the coal industry with micro power stations will be back on stream. CNPP reasons that Nigerians can create sustainable development for future generations only by diversifying our energy source and this is where coal comes in. By deliberately abandoning coal, bitumen and other treasurable resources that could have turned around our economy, the regime has demonstrated crass indolence and social rascality. President Obasanjo should as a matter of urgent national importance come to terms with the fact that money is difficult, to cross border, because of competing demands. Let us use our money to transform our economy instead of waiting for the Chinese or European. It is not a loud noise or immature agitation, it is a programme for new Nigeria, new focus and new determination. In tandem with the criminal neglect of the coal industry, is the criminal neglect of bitumen. A regime that does not want people to complain nor undermine its reform programme could have diversified our transport network by re-positioning the railways. Alternatively since we are confined to road transport, the bitumen deposit could have been fully exploited. Instead, the bitumen sector became propaganda instrument that left Nigeria on unwarranted dependence on importation of bitumen. The outcome is that the cost of constructing one-kilometer road in Nigeria is the costliest in the world. CNPP study shows that rail system is the cornerstone of transport sector of the developed world and none of their rail system was privatized when they were at kindergarten level of development. Our study shows also that with $3 billion a modern rail system covering about 2000 kilometres will be in place. CNPP prefers this kind of investment that will revolutionise our economy and catapult Nigeria into prosperity. Our aggregate loss per annum for inefficient and prohibitive transport and energy sectors is over $4 billion. Contrast it with the haste with which the regime wants to pay $6 billion to the Paris Club and another $6 billion through buy back instead of investing the $12 billion in our energy and transport sectors. CNPP does not canvas repudiation of our debt, but while we continue to pay our debt at current repayment rate of $1 billion per annum to our creditors, we continue to plead for debt cancellation. CNPP is not opposed totally to privatization, but we rely on hindsight to know that an item sold as a scrap attracts pittance, while a repaired and refurbished item attracts better price. This was the position of NAFCON. The fertilizer company had already procured spare parts for total overhaul before it was shut down. At any rate it was operating when it was closed. The outcome is that today, a plant that was producing 1000mt of urea, ammonia and NPK respectively, was auctioned for $152 million, while between the closure and when it will resume production Nigeria must have lost over $500 million in importation of fertilizer, the resultant outcome is food insecurity. The insensitive, insincere and intolerant attitude of Obasanjo’s regime cost the nation these gruesome losses. A listening and caring regime could have gotten Nigeria in six years back to work and the system could not have failed. CNNP cannot conclude the catalogue of scandals that bedeviled the privatization and commercialization programme ranging from Ajaokuta, NITEL, to the sale of Federal Government houses in this piece. Suffice it to say that the scam will be unraveled when we vote the regime out. The deceptive arsenal of the regime was exposed when Mr. President undertook self-glorification by beating his chest for consolidation of democracy. CNPP joins Mr. President in thanking God, while at the same time, we note that Chief Obasanjo has driven Nigerian democracy dangerously into fascist dictatorship. He has closed the Ballot Box Option, reduced the legislature to rubber stamp, shut out foundation members of his party, thus becoming the first leader of a political party in history we know, who instead of sustaining engagement, authors culture of exclusion and impunity, all in an effort to actualize his Life President project. CNPP concludes that Chief Obasanjo is an enemy of democracy and agent of instability, corruption, mass poverty and has contempt for the rule of law and constitutionalism. The loud noise of the minority is the voice of the voiceless majority of Nigerians who are frustrated from dashed expectations. |
|
Copyright© 2004. All Rights Reserved. Designed By INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS LIMITED Powered By DNet. |
comment []
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
    |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
