It does not require any special wizardry to know that Nigeria’s economy is tottering on the edge, no matter what our neo-liberal economic experts tell us. Resources from oil, the mainstay of the nation’s economy, are dwindling, no thanks to mismanagement, pervasive insecurity, lack of proper monitoring of the activities of oil majors and bunkering or theft of crude oil, which is put at 150,000 barrels a day. (The minister of Finance, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, at a World Bank/International Monetary Fund (IMF) Spring meeting in Washinton DC, last Wednesday put the figure at 300,000 barrels per day). Out of the projected 2.48 million barrel per day crude oil
production, output has since dropped to 2.1 million barrel per day.
Only last week, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), in a statement, said Nigeria lost N191 billion to oil theft and vandalism in the first quarter of this year. The second quarter is already looking bleak. Now, for an economy premised on N11.34 trillion revenue target in 2013 to lose this much in one quarter, means that the budgetary provisions for agencies and parastatals are already threatened. Besides production and forecast variables threatening the nation’s survival, the NNPC acting Group General Manager, Ms Tumini Green, in the same statement said that due to these negative trends, the NNPC/Shell Petroleum Development Company Joint Venture declared a force majeure (shut-in declaration) on Bonny Crude over 53 break points along the 97kilometre Nembe Creek Trunkline. Nigeria loses $7 billion annually to oil theft according to International Energy Agency.
With these alarming rates from dismal statistics, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala has her job already cut out for her. Apparently this is not grave enough to worry her. Instead of preoccupying herself with the shortfall in revenue, non remittance to the federation account by revenue generating agencies, and inefficient tax collection that should make up for the loss, and how to fix all the loose ends in the economy, the minister is engaged in petty squabbles with an innocent citizen of Nigeria who
happens to be a civil servant.
The latest in the minister’s petty bickering is the newsbreak in both online and local media last week that she masterminded and recommended the redeployment and subsequent sacking of NEMA spokesperson, Yushau Shuaib over a so-called anti-government article he published in his blog and newspapers sometime back. Since then, Okonjo-Iweala had been breathing down, on her co-minister, Labaran Maku, which culminated in the redeployment of Shuaib from NEMA. Presently, Shuaib’s job is on the line. More sanctions in the form of query or sack are likely. Part of the article that drew the minister’s ire reads: “For those of us who still respect the Hon Minister of Finance, we strongly advise she should dissociate herself from current allegations of ‘biafranization’ of top public offices in Nigeria. We are in a democratic government where policy issues should not be done in a dictatorial manner of ‘we-are-now-in-power’.
“I, therefore, urge her to ensure that appointments into important positions should be done in credible and transparent manners that can withstand public scrutiny. I believe strongly that only those that mean well will dare to tell her the truth on the general feelings in the country”. However, instead of listening to the voice of reason and or ‘dissociate herself’ from this perception (wrong or right), the minister’s reaction of instigating Shuaib’s redeployment exposed her aversion to opinions other than hers? It also says a lot about her tolerance threshold and somewhat a confirmation of the veracity of the matter.
Under the pretext that civil servants are not expected to write negative stories about government, Okonjo-Iweala is acting like an imperial minister in a democratic setting. Her lame defence as stated by her spokesperson, Paul Nwabuikwu, that the minister is “a victim of serial campaign based on lies sponsored by people, who are angry, that due process rather than politics is upheld in recruitment” has no force of conviction. We have it on good authority that the minister called the poor chap several times to heap invectives on him and to even threaten fire and brimstone,
just because he is a civil servant who is not expected to have an opinion of his own. This is worrisome. Yet, she failed to address the main issue of bias and favouritism based on ethnic consideration.
The point of Shuaib’s status as a civil servant is of uppermost interest. A middle level civil servant is the one giving the all powerful Okonjo-Iweala sleepless nights. Surely, there is more fire to the smoke. Perhaps that is the reason why she now wants to descend on this ‘small fry’ with a sledge hammer, forgetting that there is Freedom of Information Act in place, and freedom of expression as guaranteed by the constitution. For someone who prides herself as a scholar of international repute and who the country is proud of because of her global financial laurels;
never mind that her prowess serves the West better than her motherland, (remember her N18 billion payment to Bretton Wood institutions to exit Nigeria from debt trap only for our woes to return), the minister’s attitude is out of sync with such persons of distinction. She comes from arguably an open society, where the rights of individuals to freely express themselves are not
infringed upon by any (so called) minister of government.
Out there the Okonjo-Iwealas praise the West and their system that puts leaders in constant check to be able to serve the people well. But back home, they play God and loathe fair comments and criticisms. The kind of challenge Shuaib threw at Okonjo-Iweala is what Obama and Cameron are faced with daily. But they do not harass their citizens for it. Instead, they try to offer explanation to convince the skeptic; they do not gag them or oppress them with their positions.
This is nothing but double standard. She should rather confront Shuaib’s challenge with proof or evidence of her fair-mindedness and not try to gag or deprive the poor chap of his means of livelihood. People like Okonjo Iweala who try to project a positive image always, should just do what is right; to earn her legitimate praise or reward, and not sponsor promotional stories about her famed efficiency, transparency and honesty. Surely, Shuaib’s comment pales into insignificance when compared to the economic mess confronting the nation, which is what should reoccupy Okonjo-Iweala.
