Two news items on Nigeria elicited random thoughts and questions on the character of the Nigerian state (or government) and its role and relevance in the (lack of) progress and development of over 140 million Nigerians. One was a bold headline by The Guardian titled “Government Raises Panel on Vision 2020”; the second was a news report by the The Nation titled “Funds Hamper Abuja Metro line”. The latter was a lament by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Aliyu Modibbo Umar, on where and how the ministry will find or raise funds to establish a metro line to meet the commuting needs of the fast expanding population of Abuja. Both news items were published Tuesday April 22, 2008.

Vision 20 - 2020

The government of President Umaru Yar’adua inaugurated a “National steering committee” to oversee Nigeria’s march towards becoming one of the top 20 economies of the world in the year 2020. A select group of 70 Nigerians will constitute the “steering committee”.  That is not all. The President stated that Vision 2020 would be executed by the “National Steering Committee” under the direction of the “National Visioning Council”. That is not all. According to him, these bodies shall be serviced by the “National Technical Committee” and the “stakeholders' visioning groups”, which would be constituted in due course.

These new bodies and committees and councils and groups are new-fangled “red tapes” to be added to 36 state governments and hundreds of government ministries, agencies and departments towards the realization of a vision that was first muted by Goldman Sachs. It is reported that Goldman Sachs looked at the position and happenings in Nigeria shortly after Obasanjo paid off US$18 billion to Nigeria’s creditors, and wrote a report that Nigeria had the potential to become one of the world’s top 20 economies in 2020. Surrounded by shylock Brettonwoods whiz kids and ideologues like Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Obi Ezekwesili (they’ve since gone back where they belong, to continue to ensure Africa’s stable economic (under)development even as World Bank and IMF declare profits every year) and Charles Soludo among others, our former petty dictator and charlatan extra-ordinary, Olusegun Obasanjo was deceived into visioning and pursuing a vain project called 20-2020.

Now let’s take a look at some of the key people that are going to steer all this multiplicity of committees and councils and groups: President Yar'Adua is the chairman of the “national visioning council” while Vice President Goodluck Jonathan is the deputy chairman of the “national visioning council”; who are the members? Senate President David Mark, House Speaker ‘Dimeji Bankole, governors of Bauchi, Delta, Imo, Kaduna, Kwara and Lagos. Each of the governors represents one of the 6 geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Others are ministers of finance, labor, youth development, Justice and that of commerce and industries. Secretary to the Federal Government and national security adviser are also members.

I guess the other 70 members of the “steering committee” will be drawn to ensure equal representation of the 6 geopolitical zones. I believe slots for these 70 members would be allocated to various pdp god fathers spread across Nigeria. Looking at this picture, I feel sorry for the future of my country. I feel pained that resources will be expended on another misadventure called vision 20-2020, another futile flight of fancy by our irresponsible ruling elite that have congregated in the predatory political structure called pdp.

This is a ploy by the peoples democratic party (pdp) ruling cartel to ridicule the governors of Lagos, Bauchi and Imo states. I advise especially Babatunde Fashola of Lagos not partake in this futile exercise. How is it possible for people with stolen mandates to “vision” for over 140 millions Nigerians? How is it possible for a visionless political structure like the pdp to “vision” the future of 140 million Nigerians? Is it possible for people who head non-performing states, ministries and bureaucratic institutions to perform well in a visioning process?

Abuja Metro and PPP Mantra

Elsewhere, the FCT minister declares, or laments that paucity of funds is delaying the commencement of the 110 billion naira Abuja metro line.  The Minister said the project can only be embarked upon if it can be funded by the “private sector”. Insisting on handing the metro-line rail system to private sector, he said: "If the private sector should embark on the project, it has so much potentials (sic) and not only that, we want to even “concession” all the lands by the rail line to whosoever is going to pick that." This according to the minister would enable private investors to “recoup their investments in a short time.”

Minister Aliyu Modibbo also spoke about other issues of transportation in Abuja city. After launching 1000 taxi cabs for the city of Abuja last week, he lamented that private investors were reluctant to pick up the cars due to the required down payment of 800,000 naira and monthly payments of 80,000 naira for four years. Mr. minister also pleaded with operators of the taxis to reduce the fare to around 50 naira so that Abuja dwellers could afford. What a misapplication of energy, time and resources by a minister!

The Abuja government goes into public private partnership (ppp) to run tax charlatan is? This is the only country in the world where this happens!  But what matters to me is this whole PPP mantra that’s being blindly promoted by our governments at all levels. They get cheap dollars from crude, steal the money and then seek private sector participation everything. No private sector would accept a concession to build a rail line in Abuja. If anything, private sector operators will love it for “all the lands around and by the rail line”, but will never construct any rail line!

In the twilight of OBJ’s government, Oby Ezekwesili sold off public secondary schools in the name of PPP. Our governments are seeking PPP to fund the police. I bet someone would soon seek for PPP to fund our military. We should also “concession” Aso Rock and the ministries to Private sector. It is unfortunate Nigeria embarked on selling off secondary schools to private interests, when Britain is pumping more money to public schools! Nigeria is increasingly pushing the funding of universities and other tertiary institutions to parents at a time EU countries are eliminating tuition for its citizens. In Nigeria, banks and rich estate developers are building private residences, gardens and condominiums in Abuja and Lagos, houses that average Nigerians cannot afford, while Britain plans to build hundreds of thousands of houses over the next decade! What then would government be doing, if they push start going cap in hand, begging private sector to fund everything?

No. The government must get its acts together. Private sector can only do so much...Will private sector provide schools, electricity, telephone and roads to villages that constitute over 60% of the population? How can the private sector be made to fund security? If a bank chief donates 20 vehicles to the police, how would the police investigate a fraud involving that bank chief without a conflict of interest? Where in the world is this done? It is like the US government begging banks to fund the FBI, or the London Mayor begging Barclays bank to buy cars for the London Met police!

Finally, the failure of government in Nigeria is hampering even private sector growth. Private sector therefore, can never rise above government and get things working; the picture and progress of private sector, and the support it can provide to a few sectors, could only depend on how good the government performs. Private sectors seek profits. In history, no private sector has been credited with the development of any country, rather, governments are given the credit for facilitating the flourishing of private sector. Let government sit up, stop this ppp song and provide infrastructure and services to the people.

Robot  Villager

# 1 Two news items on Nigeria elicited random thoughts and questions on the character of the Nigeria...Read the full article. Posted by Robot| 22.04.2008 20:12