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Sokoto, Bayelsa Lead In Poverty Ratings In Nigeria- Agba
…… Says Governors Prefer Building Flyovers, Airports To Combating Hunger
Minister of State for Finance, Budget and National Planning , Prince Clem Ikanade Agba, yesterday ,named Sokoto and Bayelsa states as leading other states in poverty ratings in the country.
Agba also accused state governors of misapplying resources at their disposals to projects that did not impact directly on the citizens.
He made the claims in Abuja during an interactive session he had with newsmen in the State House in Abuja.
Agba criticised the governors, whom he accused of building flyovers and airports to the neglect of their citizens’ welfare needs.
Briefing State House Correspondents on the outcome of the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, Agba stated that 72 percent of the poverty in Nigeria was found in the rural areas, which he said had been abandoned by governors.
Recall, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State, had penultimate week, disclosed that President Buhari had paid all the outstanding due to the oil-producing states as shortfall from the 13% derivation funds.
Wike had added that part of the money paid by the Buhari administration was what he had been using to execute the numerous projects his administration had executed in the state and which earned him the sobriquet of “Mr Projects”.
Delta State had in reaction claimed that it had only received the sum of N14.7 billion as refund from the 13 per cent oil derivation in three quarterly installments of N4.9 billion each.
It added that the actual shortfall due to the state was N250 billion, which the Federal Government agreed to pay in quarterly installments for a period of five years.
The Edo State government, while reacting to Wike’s claim, said that it only got a total of N2.1 billion paid in three installments of N700 million per quarter.
The state had also while responding to former Edo State Governor, Adams Oshiomhole raising questions on the issue of financial matters, accused him of meeting N14 billion debt, receiving over N1 trillion as allocations in eight years but left a debt of N160 billion when he completed his two terms.
According to Agba, the governors preferred to function in the state capitals building skyscrapers, flyovers and airports rather than build roads that would aid farmers in the rural areas to easily evacuate 90 percent of farm produce to the city, saying 60 percent of harvest was lost because it did not make it to the market.
Agba, while noting that the federal government on its part had done its best on poverty alleviation, regretted that there was no reflection of the amount of investment that had been done in the area.
He pointed out that while states were in charge of land for agriculture, they did not invest in them for the desired effect on their rural citizens.
He therefore advised the state chief executives that rather than concentrate attention on building infrastructure that were not necessary nor impacting the common man, they should focus on initiatives that could pull the majority of the people out of poverty.
The minister said: “Question was, what is the Minister of Finance and I doing with regards to hardship in Nigeria, right?
“So the suggestion is that both of us are the ones creating the hardship and it has to take two of us to resolve it.
“In the first place, I just returned this morning from Brussels where 106 countries, 27 countries from Europe and 79 countries from the Organization of African Caribbean and Pacific countries met and deluberated. What was the deliberation on? Basically on how should the world over tend to do around food and energy crisis.
“I think that it’s always good for us to put things in the right perspective. Like I say to people, when you say government, we should be able to specify which government we are talking about. Is it the federal government? Is it a state government or is it a local government? Because we all have different responsibilities. And it is for this reason that we last year started some work on the multi-dimensional poverty index, for which we recently released the report and it was launched by Mr President.
“To say in the past, we’ve always looked at monetary poverty. But poverty like we know has different indices, different intensity and different causes. And it is for this reason, we went around the 109 senatorial districts in Nigeria, to carry out those survey and to be able to say specifically, where this hardship is.
“The result clearly shows that 72% of poverty is in the rural areas. It also showed clearly, that Sokoto state is leading in poverty with 91%. But the surprising thing is Bayelsa being the second in terms of poverty rating in the country. So you see the issue is not about availability of money. But it has to do with the application of money.
“In the course of working on the national development plan, we looked at previous plans and say why they didn’t do as much as was expected. We also looked at the issues of the National Social Investment Programme of government.
“At the federal level, government is putting out so much money but not seeing so much reflection, in terms of money that is being put in alleviating poverty, which is one of the reasons the government also put in place the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy.
‘But if the federal government puts the entire income that it earns into all of this without some form of complementarity from the State governments in playing their part. It will seem as if we are throwing money in the pond because the governors basically are only functioning in their state capitals. And democracy that we preach about is delivering the greatest goods to the greatest number of people. And from our demographic, it shows that the greatest number of our people do live in rural areas, but the governors are not working in the rural areas.
“Right now, 70% of our people live in rural areas; they produce 90% of what we eat and unfortunately 60% of what they produce is lost due to post harvest losses and it does not get to the market.
“When we talk about food prices, like I mentioned right now as driving inflation, prices of food at the farm gates are low.
“But when you now take it to the urban areas, you find out that the prices are high due to supply chain disruptions, lack of infrastructure to take them there.
“I think from the federal government side we are doing our best. But we need to push that rather than governors continuing to compete to take loans to build airports that are not necessary where they have other airports so close to them. Our governors are now competing to build flyovers all over the place and we applaud them; they should concentrate on building rural roads so that the farmer can at least get their products to the market. And you find that if they do that and with the new policy in the national development plan that talks about taking power to the rural areas, especially off-grid power that can easily be put, you begin to attract industries to those areas for value addition.
“UNIDO report shows us in terms of employment, the MSMEs employs 70% of our people. So you can imagine how much progress we will make when you find that there are roads, there is power in these rural areas.
“In terms of agriculture, you find out that the federal government doesn’t have a land that they would plant; government has pushed for the Anchor Borrowers programme and that is going on very well but the state control lands. The states are the ones to provide land for agriculture. They are not investing in that. They would rather build skyscrapers in a city where people will see and clap but the skyscrapers does not put food on the table.
“Like I always say, if you look at the Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. He says you have to take care of the basic needs of individuals first before you begin to talk about self actualization.
“So we need to take care of the issues of food, nutrition, housing and clothing for our people. Before we begin to think of how to go to the moon and begin to build flyovers and airports in the state capital, that is the missing link which we need to push so that we’ll be able to catalyze growth.
“But continuing to say federal government or my sister, Zainab and I ,what are we doing? We are doing our parts. And I’m sure Wike told you guys about monies that have been released over N500 billion to the oil producing states and I’ve seen some disclaimers from the states saying, it is small small money they are getting on a monthly basis. And some are giving some half truths of what they have received. We need to hold them accountable. So that together we all can grow our economy.”
By Kassim Omomia
The House of Representatives Committee on Steel has assured that it will effectively oversight all subsidiaries, agencies, especially research and development centres conneted to Ajaoukuta steel company and Steel development in the country, in order fulfil the long dream of making Nigeria a global steel producer
Chairman of the House Steel Sub- Committee on National Metallurgical Development Centre, NMDC , Hon Abdulmaleek Danga, stated in Jos during an oversight and investigation of petitions of contracts allegedlly awarded, paid- for, but not completed
He stated that the current Committee on Steel in the National Assembly was committed to ensuring proper oversight of steel devevelopment related agencies and research institutions so as to make Ajaokuta work this time around
Hon Danga told staff and top management cadre led by the Director General of the National Metallurgiical Develoomemt Centre, Professor Linus Asuquo, that the Committee was at the Centre in Jos, to carry out a thorough oversight and investigation , following a petition
He reminded the management , staff and Unions of the NMCD of the importance of the establishment of the Centre as a critical support base to sustain Ajaokuta Steel company
“We are here. We will do a thorough job here to sustain Ajaojuta and make it work. This place, (NMDC) must work first before we go to Ajaokuta”
Adressing the petition, Hon Danga pointed that with the avalanche of petitions against the NMDC, the place cannot work
He noted that petitions without facts and figures are retrogresive and create backwardness and stunt growth of any organisation
He noted that even though petitions have become the order of the day in our public life, they are undesirable, create backwardness ,stunt growth and as well create impressions that government agencies are wasting resources, especially when the petitions are without facts and figures
He added that the House was set to ensure the sustenance of NMCD and other ancillary steel agencies. so that Ajaokuta which is so dear to the current government can come on full stream
The subcomittee oversighting NMCD,Jos, which also included Honourable Ayuba Danba, Hon Domimic Okafor,embarked on a facility tour of the massive centre after a thorough session with management, top Staff, contractors, visiting the various departments, laboratories and workshops and projects executed by contractors especially those disputed in the petitions currently investigated by the sub-committee.
The Committee also addressed some aggrieved union leaders, who laid siege on the committee members in one of the sections of the Centre to express their grievances and alleged mismanagement of the Institute by the Prof Asuquo management
Hon Danga, however, appealed to both sides to work harmoniuosly , so that the current efforts of reviving Ajaokuta are achieved by the House of Representatives Committee on Steel and the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
According to the lawmaker, there is a noticeable lack of communication between the management and some critical stakeholders in the institute, which can result to misunderstanding, misconception about the Centre ,and thus, the avalanche of petitions
“Please work together, so that the current administration can revive Ajaokuta and make Nigeria a steel producing country, which is a dream long sought” he, advised
About 1000 Civil Society Organizations, CSOs, under the auspices of Coalition Of Civil Society Organisations, CCSOs, on Saturday Faults President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Economic Team and called for immediate reconstitution.
Expressing deep concern and worry over the state of the economy and escalating fuel prices compounding the hardship of Nigerians despite the recent protest, the groups said Tinubu must act now to avert disintegration.
The groups said the current situation across the country has cast doubt on the competence of the Tinubu economic team and called for urgent review.
The CCSOs in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Mallam Ibrahim Mohammed, pointed out that the plight of Nigerians is sinking low and their patience is wearing off following the deteriorating economy.
The statement reads in part, “The Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) is deeply concerned about the deteriorating state of the Nigerian economy, which is becoming increasingly unbearable for millions of citizens.
“It is evident that the recent hike in fuel prices and the unstable exchange rate are the direct results of economic mismanagement by those responsible for overseeing our nation’s financial policies. The ripple effects of these failures are being felt in every household across the country, worsening poverty and crippling economic activity.
“The floating of the Naira, which was initially sold to Nigerians as a means of stabilizing our currency, has done little to prevent the continued devaluation of the Naira. In fact, the exchange rate disparity has widened significantly, with the Naira losing value daily, impacting the cost of living, basic commodities, and inflation.
“While this policy was expected to ease foreign exchange pressure, it has instead deepened economic challenges due to poor implementation and lack of strategic foresight.”
The coalition also expressed concern over what it described as death trap of indebtedness of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL, which also they claimed had slowed down importation of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, hence the current shortage of PMS across the country.
“Of equal concern is the precarious position of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which finds itself in a debt trap, with global suppliers of petroleum products losing confidence in Nigeria’s ability to honour its obligations.
“Reports have shown that NNPCL has accrued debts totalling over $6 billion, causing petrol supply shortages. International suppliers are now reluctant to continue providing fuel on credit, exacerbating supply chain issues and pushing up the price of petrol at the pump”, they claimed.
The CSOs also asserted that, “We hold the managers of the Nigerian economy responsible for these disturbing developments. Their inability to provide sound policies and long-term solutions has left the nation in this predicament.
“It is clear that there is no cohesive strategy to address the rising debt, the growing imbalance in the foreign exchange market, or the country’s heavy reliance on importation for petrol supply. The recent hike in fuel prices reflects the collapse of responsible economic management and accountability.
“Nigerians are left to bear the brunt of these failures. Businesses are shutting down, transportation costs have skyrocketed, and citizens are spending an increasingly larger percentage of their income on basic necessities. This state of affairs is unacceptable.”
The group therefore placed some demands; Immediate intervention from the government: There needs to be a comprehensive and transparent plan to stabilize the Naira, restore confidence in the petroleum supply chain, and negotiate a restructuring of NNPC’s debts to ensure continuous fuel supply.
“Accountability for economic mismanagement: Those responsible for the reckless management of our foreign exchange policies and NNPC’s debts must be held accountable. The government must also disclose its plan to mitigate the rising fuel costs and economic burden on Nigerians.
“A return to sound financial policy: The floating of the Naira has proven ineffective under current conditions. We call for a re-evaluation of monetary and fiscal policies to stabilize the economy, reduce inflation, and attract foreign investment.
“In conclusion, the Coalition of Civil Society Organisations reiterates that without immediate corrective measures, the economic situation will continue to deteriorate, leading to further hardship for the average Nigerian. The government must act decisively and responsibly to reverse this downward spiral”, they added.
…..Says They ‘re Bunch of Hypocrites,
By Sim Omo
A group known as Patriots of Nigerian Democracy has lambasted the 2023 Governorship Candidate of the Labour Party in Lagos State, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and other leaders of the party for saying they will take over Lagos State in 2027.
It will be recalled that Rhodes-Vivour while speaking to journalists in Umuahia, Abia State capital at the end of LP’s extended stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday said that they will take over Lagos.
“LP is now well structured, not just to win but to take power in 2027. What we have come to do here in Umuahia is to bring everybody on the same page. We are set for new victories in 2027.
“I believe Labour Party will win Lagos State more convincingly in 2027. Since after the 2023 elections, work has not stopped; we have not gone quiet. Every day, we are getting stronger and stronger.
“So, we are not just going to win but stand up and take power”, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour had said in Umuahia.
Reacting to the statement, the group said that LP leaders are a bunch of hypocrites who pretend to be on the side of the people but neck deep in their selfish interests.
The statement jointly signed by the President of the group, Comrade Olaolu Esan and the Secretary, Engr. Abdullahi Rabiu recalled that LP and its supporters recently attacked the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu for urging the Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti to rejoin the All Progressives Congress (APC), vowing that the ruling party will win the State in 2027 in a viral video.
“All hell was let loose recently when the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Okezie Kalu in a video that went viral called on the Governor of his own Abia State, Dr. Alex Otti to rejoin APC.
“Kalu came under heavy criticism and attacks by LP and its supporters. They criticized him for speaking his mind. They made Nigerians to see him in bad light as if what he said was a taboo.
“But here we are. Just about one or two weeks afterwards, the same LP leaders assembled in Umuahia, the Abia State capital to issue a quit notice to APC in Lagos.
“So, where is their nobility? Where is their shame? They abandoned governance for politics of 2027. How does that make them the “Saints” of the Nigerian politics? Are they for the people or against the people?
“We had thought that the LP leaders gathered in Umuahia to discuss the biting economy and the solution. We had thought they gathered to tell Nigerians how they will entrench good governance in Abia State but didn’t know their meeting was about strategies to take over Lagos, an APC controlled State. We have waited for Abia Governor, Dr. Alex Otti to call Rhodes-Vivour to order or to at least tell him, it is not yet time for politics but more than 24 hours, none of the LP’s leaders has done that.
“We want to say that this is very unfortunate. It simply means that politicians irrespective of their political parties and leanings are all one and same. They always think about the next election and not about good governance. They are always after their personal agenda and selfish interests.
“If this will be tolerated, it simply means that the Deputy Speaker, Rt. Hon. Kalu is vindicated. Labour Party supporters owe the Deputy Speaker a collective apology for attacking what he said and saying what they attacked. This is hypocrisy.
“Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour’s comment indicates and gives a feeling that the media attacks on Kalu were actually sponsored even though it was highly unnecessary. LP leaders can’t be a bunch of hypocrites.
“Our concerns are good governance and the welfare of the Nigerian people. While we are not saying that politicians should not “battle” themselves over 2027, they must ensure that Nigerians get the dividends of democracy. Good governance should not be sacrificed on the altar of politics. Nigerians should not be shortchanged in anyway rather their lives should be improved by every means possible. That is our position”, the statement stated.
