04 Mar 2009 |
|
You Know the Group I Sympathize with Most? Nigerians in Diaspora----Part 1 Sam Aweda Preamble: Reckless & Profligacy Governments ruin the Economy. Those who fled the ruined Economy Sustain it. For any Nigerian who had entered the Nigerian work force before the close of the 70s, he/she will testify that Nigeria has no alternative as where to live. It was the NPN government of Alhaji Sheu Shagari that laid the foundation of the ruin of the economy with their profligacy and recklessness with public fund. The repercussion was however latent. It did not manifest immediately. The era however laid the foundation for the untold hardship, which made Nigerian citizens to start to flee for alternatives of where to earn their living. Senate members of Shagari busied themselves purchasing personal aircrafts when the roads, which would convey them from the airport to their different homes and which were supposed to support the economy were left in dilapidation; when those who live in the riverine regions have no water ways to conduct their businesses; nor portable water to drink even. Papa Awolowo of blessed memory alerted them of the wastage and squandering of the public money with the attending ailing economy; they labeled him as ‘Prophet of doom”. They were importing personalized champagnes for birthday parties. They were ordering Bank Managers to open bank vaults on weekend nights to do their parties and to lavish on their ‘Oseres’ in papa Awo’s words at his most famous campaign, which gathered the largest crowd ever in the summer of 1983 at Mapo, Ibadan. Papa said it in his Yoruba Eko eyo (Yoruba Lagos accents) “Awon Osere po nibe” meaning “women of low virtues were at the party in surplus” Story had it that some of the NPN States recruited many women of low virtue in the State Houses with no visible portfolio. They put them on different Grade Level (GL) scales. Don’t ask me, I do not know the criteria, which the Governors cum Protocol officers used in deciding the GL of each of them. They also gave cars (at the expense of public treasury) to the girls for their personal use. The women were always ready as ‘escorts’ to the Governors, their guests and their Officials at any journey whether foreign or local. Buari/Idiagbon sacked Shagari’s prodigal government and started to do the repair of the economy. It is to be noted that though things were tough with their repair programmes, the tough time would have ended in smiles had the master of coup planners of all times, self-proclaimed ‘Evil Genius’ and his team not terminated Buhari/Idiagbon’s government prematurely. It should also be noted that Naira gained its highest value at this time with the Finance Ministry managed by the erudite economist, Onaolopo Soleye. Buhari/Idiagbon’s government of course had its short comings in what the Ewi exponent, Lanrewaju Adepoju tagged jagudapali soldier, meaning ‘thuggery behaviour, typical of Soldiers’ but the Ewi exponent testified ‘it knew where it was going as far as the repair of the economy was concerned’ The ‘Evil Genius’ though a soldier, christened himself ‘President’ and started to shut the mouths of the best, patriotic, well intentioned critics, Nigeria ever produced with all kinds of tricks. Somehow, he got the best of creditable people, best of credentials cum resume to work for him. Can you imagine him cornering the late Tai Solarin and literature legend Prof. Wole Soyinka to do one thing or the other during his time? He showered on Papa Awolowo the best of accolades the old man could receive. At a birthday time he greeted him “My father, the best President that Nigeria could ever have. You are the issue of Nigeria politics” It is opined in certain quarters that the “Evil Genius President” killed papa. The reason they gave was that papa was a man who could not but speak at evil but the old man, somehow for reasons unknown did not just criticize the government of the “Evil Genius’ as he would have normally done and the tension in him might have resulted in his early death, being a man who loved and had the interest of Nigeria next to nothing. The first civilian Governor of Ogun State, late Chief Bisi Onabanjo named him ‘Maradona’ after the soccer master dribbler of Argentina, Diego Maradona. Reports had it that this ‘Master of all tricks’ furnished the palaces of the Emirs, Obas, Obis (High traditional rulers) and awarded them, state of the arts vehicles. Actually those who know the ‘Evil Genius’ testified to his generosity that he just cannot see anyone in problem and close his eyes. With this weakness of his, people made frantic efforts to reach him. It was believed that the day you met him came the end to your nagging poverty. Unfortunately, it was not his personal money but the public’s and so the economy went further into the ruins. He created the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP), which a former Dictator himself, General Obasanjo criticized that “SAP should have a human face”. He borrowed from the killer International Monetary Fund (IMF), which worsened the situation. The ‘Evil Genius’ Government controlled media, The Nigerian Television (NTA) blackmailed those who were fleeing the country with the advert of a man named Andrew in an attempt to encourage people to continue the “suffer suffer” in the wordings of a music of the late music maestro, Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Of course, the fleeing from the country had occurred one time earlier during the unfortunate civil war of 1967-1970. The reason for fleeing however at every case vis-à-vis; war, ruin of the economy or whatever is circumstantial brought about by hardship and insecurity. As I stated earlier, most people who have entered the work force at home before the downfall of the economy, who have had a taste of how beautiful home could be would prefer to remain had the means-withal remained. What could be better than living among relations? They fled not of their wish but because the living condition became unbearable and so at their different places of economic asylum make concerted efforts to gather resources to help set up something at home, which can provide means of livelihood after which they can return home. And so a large percentage of their earnings are repatriated home from time to time. Besides and more important, most extended families rely on their support for sustenance. One will not imagine how significant the little here, the little there sent by individuals totaled to, until it is all summed up. In June of 2007, the International Association of Money Transfer Networks (IAMTN) reported that Nigerians abroad remit about $4 billion to the country yearly. IAMTN's Chief Executive Officer, Lady Olga Maitland, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja that “Nigeria was one of the biggest corridors of foreign remittances in the world''. Three months earlier in March 2007, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Chukwuma C. Soludo had projected an average of $20-billion Diaspora remittances in the five years between 2006 and 2010 as reported by Remi Emeka Njoku. The figure of $4 billion yearly remittance certainly is an under estimate. It is only what the IAMTN could track through money gram, western union etc. The largest remittance has always been by self-carriage when travelling home and through proxy i.e. carried by hands through friends travelling home. What looks like a fairly accurate figure came later in the year on Friday November 16 2007 from the Speaker of the House, Hon. Dimeji Bankole. Speaking to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, Bankole confirmed that “Nigerians living abroad will remit over $16 billion back home before the end of the year” This figure appears a little realistic of what could be the actual situation. Only a few days ago, The United States (U.S) Ambassador to Nigeria, Ms. Sanders on a visit with the Minister of Information, Prof. Dora Akunluyi said that 1 million Nigerians are estimated to be living legally in the U. S. We may never know the number of those who reside in the U.S without permit, yet they too do remit money home. Likewise, we may never know the total number of Nigerians living in other places throughout the world. It has been said long time ago that however remote a place may be on this globe, you will likely find a Nigerian community. With all these people remitting money home, it should not be difficult to admit a total yearly remittance of $16 billion. This amounts to N1.92 trillion at a conservative exchange rate of $1.00 toN120. This amount, which Nigerians abroad remit home is 77% of the Federal Government 2008 fiscal year budget of N2.5 trillion. And who grabs the largest share of the N2.5trillion Government budget? Aso Rock had N2.3 million a day for refreshment while the Legislative House had a sum of N114,054.95 earmarked for each of them per day for refreshment. These monies, respectively translate to $20,000+a day for the Aso Rock Villa & $1000.00/day per each legislator just for refreshment alone. In the same year, each House of Representatives member was alleged to have collected N3m as Eid-el-fitri bonus. For breaking their vacation to attend a day session, each Senator was rewarded with N2. 5million. Added to their monthly basic salary of N2.4 million, each senator made N4.9million in that particular month. The House members had an insatiable passion for luxurious cars. Officers of the House must have in their pool; Mercedes Benz 600, Range Rover jeep, Toyota Lexus GX jeep, all treated. I do not know what that means. And they all must be bullet proof. For the on going review of the constitution, the National Assembly Joint Committee (JCCR) is to spend N200 million to purchase 15 Toyota Prado jeeps for their operations. In spite of the 2008 hues and cries of citizens over the profligacy of the two tiers of Government vis-à-vis Executive and Legislative, just as it was in 2008, of the N3.78 trillion proposed budget for the 2009 financial year, the two legislative houses will spend N783 million on refreshments. The breakdown of the budget also revealed that both the Senate and the House of Representatives have N13 billion to spend for their officials trips, local and foreign as reported by Idowu Samuel of the Tribune of Dec 25 2008. All these confirm the pronouncement of the World Bank few years back that Nigerian Officials though constitute only 1% of the population, yet they consume 80% of the wealth of the nation. On the nights of February 12 and 13, African Independent Television (AIT) on its Headline News Hour reported that the total salary of the Public Office holders is N1.2trillion, amounting to 50% of the Federal Government budget of 2008. Mind you this just a sum of their basic salaries. By the time you add their Refreshment allowance, Trips allowance, Purchase and Maintenance of their “treated” luxurious automobiles etc, they would have chopped 80% of the budget, which is the estimate of the World Bank. This depicts how inconsiderate, greedy and immoral our Public Office holders are. It equally depicts how immoral the entire citizens are or how van we all keep quiet at such a rape if we too are not immoral? And how many are those Public Office holders? A President, a Vice, Cabinet members, 36 State Governors, 36 Deputies, about 120 Senators, about 450 House Members, Local Government (LG) Chairmen and LG Counsellors in all the States. So, we are talking of about a group less than 100000 of 140million population, sharing 80% of the wealth of the Nation and we all keep quiet! I was stunned by the pronouncement of Senator Smart Adeyemi, Kogi West. Featuring questions on Democracy Today on Thursday 27 February (2009), he expressed that the presently applied constitution was written by the Military with the intention to fail. He believes that the cost of maintaining the structured type of government they wrote is just too exorbitant. He said that there was no need for two chambers for a developing country like Nigeria due to its cost. I was stunned the more when he said he wouldn’t mind to give up his seat if it would improve the life of the common man of Nigeria. Smart Adeyemi in that programme revealed that State Governors receive in excess of N400million a month in security vote. Smart is a sitting Senator by the way, yet so truthful and bothered. Now one can see why the gubernatorial contest is a do or die affair, often resulting in assassination of rivals. No wonder the late strong man of Ibadan politics was always on the neck of whoever was the governor of Oyo State. I have written it times without count that for us to have a headway, politics must be made unattractive, at least for now. And where does the money, which the Public Officials shares go? Iyefu Adoba sometimes ago reported the Second Permanent Secretary of the United Kingdom Treasury, and personal representative of Prime Minister Tony Blair, Sir Nick Stern that $15 billion is being taken out of Africa annually. Now in 2009, they have made the theft more easier and comfortable and easier to be taken offshore; they have a whooping N13 billion to cover their expenses abroad, to go and stash it neatly; stay in the best of hotels, eat the most sumptuous meals and drink the best of wines. So in essence, except for the Nigerians in Diaspora, the economy of Nigeria could have totally collapsed based on all the above profligacy of the Public Officers while the hard earned money remitted home by Nigerians abroad from their sweat, made through all difficulties and insult, is what basically keep the economy alive a little. Because hardly is there anyone at home who does not depend on the largesse of friends and relations in Diaspora. (To be continued) Sam Aweda President & Snr. Pastor, Jesus for the World Revival Mission.
I got some rejoinders to my last week article: Hon. Speaker Bankole & the Head of Service Accusation of Theft of Government Fund and I produce just two of them below: |