Though they had their manifesto with which they
campaigned, they still needed to get the input
of most Nigerians on the core social, economic and
political issues bedeviling the country. And to get
more insights on how to solve them, they gathered
many talents and brainstormed for two days. Below
is the fallout of the event organised by the Policy,
Research and Strategy Directorate of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Campaign
Council in Abuja.
The human assemblage was rich. The topics were
many and the discussions were robust. That was
the atmosphere that defined the two-day policy
dialogue on the implementation of the “Agenda for
Change” held between Wednesday and Thursday in
the passing week.
Venue was the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, and the
organizer was the Policy, Research and Strategy
Directorate of the All Progressives Congress, APC,
Presidential Campaign Council under the
directorship of the former Governor of Ekiti State,
Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
Themed “Implementing Change: From Vision to
Reality”, the dialogue x-rayed various grounds for
rapid economic, social and political development
and growth of Nigeria in the incoming administration
of General Muhammadu Buhari.
A barrage of topical issues
Topics after topics featured. They were: “Improving
the National Economy for Shared Prosperity;
“Repositioning Agriculture for Job Creation and
Economic Prosperity”; “Developing Infrastructure
for National Development”; “Achieving Sustainable
Reforms on Oil/Gas Sector”; “Reducing Inequality
and Achieving Sustainable Human Development”;
“Achieving Holistic and Sustainable Reforms in the
Education Sector”; “Developing an Education
System Relevant to Nigeria’s Developmental
Aspiration”; “Achieving Qualitative and Affordable
Healthcare”.
Others included: “Achieving Diversity and Inclusion
in Public Life”; “Exploring Sports, Tourism and
Creative Industry for Job Creation”; “Governance
and Improved Efficiency in Public Service”;
“Tackling Corruption in Public Sector” and “Foreign
Policy and Agenda for Change”.
The resource persons
Similarly, there were rich, handy human resources
that prosecuted the projects. This was divided into
three: Moderators, Lead Presenters and
Discussants.
Some of the people included Ms. Ifueko Omogui-
Okauru, former Chairperson of the FIRS; Dr Rilwan
Babalola, former Minister of Power;
Dr Tajudeen
Umar, former Country Chair, Nigeria –Sao Tome
and Principe Joint Development Authority; Prof Niyi
Ayoola Daniels, President International Institute for
Petroleum Energy Law and Policy; Mr Tunde Ahonsi,
Resident Representative UNFPA, Ghana; Major-
General Ishola Williams (rtd), former Minister of
Federal Capital Territory, FCT and Kaduna State
governor-elect, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.
FILE PHOTO: retreat: From left: Speaker, House of
Representatives and Sokoto State Governor-elect,
Aminu Tambuwal; Oyo State Governor-elect,
Senator Abiola Ajimobi; Ogun State Governor-elect,
Ibikunle Amosun and Borno State Governor-elect,
Alhaji Ibrahim Kashim Shettima, during the retreat of
the All Progressives Congress, APC, Governors
Forum for the Governors-elect, in Abuja.
Gbemiga Olamikan.
To grapple with $60billion debt
By Levinus Nwabughiogu
Though they had their manifesto with which they
campaigned, they still needed to get the input
of most Nigerians on the core social, economic and
political issues bedeviling the country
And to get
more insights on how to solve them, they gathered
many talents and brainstormed for two days. Below
is the fallout of the event organised by the Policy,
Research and Strategy Directorate of the All
Progressives Congress, APC, Presidential Campaign
Council in Abuja.
The human assemblage was rich. The topics were
many and the discussions were robust. That was
the atmosphere that defined the two-day policy
dialogue on the implementation of the “Agenda for
Change” held between Wednesday and Thursday in
the passing week.
Venue was the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja, and the
organizer was the Policy, Research and Strategy
Directorate of the All Progressives Congress, APC,
Presidential Campaign Council under the
directorship of the former Governor of Ekiti State,
Dr. Kayode Fayemi.
Themed “Implementing Change: From Vision to
Reality”, the dialogue x-rayed various grounds for
rapid economic, social and political development
and growth of Nigeria in the incoming administration
of General Muhammadu Buhari.
A barrage of topical issues
Topics after topics featured. They were: “Improving
the National Economy for Shared Prosperity;
“Repositioning Agriculture for Job Creation and
Economic Prosperity”; “Developing Infrastructure
for National Development”; “Achieving Sustainable
Reforms on Oil/Gas Sector”; “Reducing Inequality
and Achieving Sustainable Human Development”;
“Achieving Holistic and Sustainable Reforms in the
Education Sector”; “Developing an Education
System Relevant to Nigeria’s Developmental
Aspiration”; “Achieving Qualitative and Affordable
Healthcare”.
Others included: “Achieving Diversity and Inclusion
in Public Life”; “Exploring Sports, Tourism and
Creative Industry for Job Creation”; “Governance
and Improved Efficiency in Public Service”;
“Tackling Corruption in Public Sector” and “Foreign
Policy and Agenda for Change”.
The resource persons
Similarly, there were rich, handy human resources
that prosecuted the projects. This was divided into
three: Moderators, Lead Presenters and
Discussants.
Some of the people included Ms. Ifueko Omogui-
Okauru, former Chairperson of the FIRS; Dr Rilwan
Babalola, former Minister of Power; Dr Tajudeen
Umar, former Country Chair, Nigeria –Sao Tome
and Principe Joint Development Authority; Prof Niyi
Ayoola Daniels, President International Institute for
Petroleum Energy Law and Policy; Mr Tunde Ahonsi,
Resident Representative UNFPA, Ghana; Major-
General Ishola Williams (rtd), former Minister of
Federal Capital Territory, FCT and Kaduna State
governor-elect, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai.
Others were Prof Pai Obanya, Chairman WAEC; Dr
Ayo Teriba, CEO Economic Associates; Prof. Bolaji
Aluko, Vice Chancellor Federal University, Otuoke;
Prof Mohammed Tabia of the Department of Islamic
Law, Bayero University, Kano; General Abdulrahman
Dambazzau, former Chief of Army Staff; Prof
Ibrahim Gambari, former Nigerian Permanent
Representative, United Nations; Mr Fola Arthur-
Worrey, former Solicitor-General, Lagos State; Ms
Bolanle Onagoruwa, former Director-general BPE;
Mr Wale Fapounda, of Legal Resources Consortium;
and Prof Etannibi Alemika, Chairman CLEEN
Foundation.
Moderators were Professor Pat Utomi, Fellow
Nigerian Institute of Management Consultants, Chief
Audu Ogbe, Chairman, Efugo Farms, Makurdi, Benue
State and former Minister of Communications;
Professor Friday Okonofua, Provost College of
Medical Science, University of Benin; Mr. Chibuike
Amaechi, Governor of Rivers State and Director-
General, DG, APC Presidential Campaign; Dr. Jubril
Ibrahim, Visiting Lecturer, Babcock University
among others.
The assemblage of the people were to first identify
the persistent social issues, harness the potentials
necessary for a holistic approach and package it
for the Buhari government. And they did.
Opening ceremony
At the opening ceremony were former British Prime
Minister, Mr. Tony Blair, who was represented by
his former Secretary of State for Trade and
Industry, Mr. Peter Benjamin Mandelson, the Vice
President-elect, Professor Yemi Osibanjo who
doubled as the chairman of the occasion and of
course, the Directorate’s boss, Dr. Fayemi.
Mandelson and Osibanjo in their speeches made
bold statements. While the visiting Briton asked
Buhari to mostly crack the nut of the Nigerian
national cash cow, the Nigerian National Petroleum
Corporation, NNPC, and in the build-up take drastic,
bold decisions within his first 100 days in office if he
must succeed. The advice was indeed a sermon.
Hear him: “What you do in the first 100 days is
important and symbolic and can also have
tremendously positive repercussion for the
government and throughout the country. You have a
limited window of opportunity to make an impact as
a government. Looking at Nigeria, I would say your
vulnerability is corruption and that is not new to
you, particularly around the oil sector.
“People in this country seem to be able to do things
with impunity and beyond the reach of the rule of
law or proper accountability and the judicial system.
You can crack the NNPC nut or you can make a
start on it in the first 100 days and if you do so, you
would have built a very strong foundation for what
you have to do in the next four years and beyond”.
“It is quite courageous for a government to give
power away to another entity. There were people
who voted for the others, mostly in the south and
the east of the country. You need to show the
people who didn’t vote for you that you represent
their interest as much as the people who voted for
you.
“This was what we called big tent politics during
Tony Blair era. If Nigeria is to transform and evolve
towards a politics of performance, it is very
important to get away from the politics of ethnicity,
religion, politics of patronage and cronyism.”
The visiting British leader also hailed Nigeria for the
peaceful elections, saying that it had proved
doomsayers wrong that the country would have
disintegrated, charging the incoming government to
stay true to its mandate.
“I am glad to be here at this time for this reason.
There were many in the international community
who doubted you who said that Nigeria would never
see truly free and fair elections or a peaceful
transition of power from opposition to government.
There were others who said because of the
profound differences divisions in your country
between Christain and Muslims, North and south,
haves and have not, these were too great to be
overcome, that the election would only divide
Nigeria and make her weaker. Well, you have
proved all those people wrong and I congratulate
you.”
He also asked Buhari not to derail from their
mandate
“I remember when we, Tony and I and the rest of
office in Britain in 1997, the first time in time in 18
long years in opposition and many of us Ministers,
including the Prime minister himself, had never
been in government before, not even a junior
parliamentary or Secretary of State, the lowest for
ministerial life. We were all new. I was the third
man. I want to share with you the first rule of
government because it is irrelevant to you. Be true
to your word. Be true to your mandate.”
110m Nigerians live below poverty line – Osinbajo
While declaring the event open, the Vice President-
elect and chairman of the occasion said that the
priorities of the incoming government were to tackle
poverty and stamp out corruption from the system.
He said: “In the course of the election campaign, we
ran an issues-based campaign that identified
certain areas of public policy as high priorities for
propelling Nigeria forward. We addressed the
challenges of the Economy, Insecurity, Corruption
and Jobs Creation. We spoke to the challenge of
providing opportunities for self-actualization to
millions of our young people who face an uncertain
future with understandable anxiety.
“The figures of extreme poverty in our society –
110 million by current estimates – make it clear
that our biggest national problem is the extreme
poverty of the majority. Thus, no analysis is
required to conclude that dealing with poverty and
its implications is a priority.
“We are concerned that our economy is currently in
perhaps its worst moment in history. Local and
international debt stands at US$60 billion. Our Debt
servicing bill for 2015 is N953.6 billion, 21% of our
Budget. On account of severely dwindled resources,
over two-thirds of the States in Nigeria owe
salaries. Federal institutions are not in much better
shape. Today, the nation borrows to fund recurrent
expenditure. This is also against the backdrop of a
highly unequal society in which, by some reckoning,
the largest chunk of the benefits of our national
wealth accrues to a small percentage of our
population.”
According to him, the event must not be another
talk-shop but one that will produce workable
templates on country’s development drive for the
incoming administration.
Why we organized the event – Fayemi
The Director of the Policy, Research and Strategy of
the APC campaign, gave insights on what motivated
the Directorate to embark on the dialogue.
“Our task, as we saw it, was to undergird our
campaign with an intellectual and strategic rigour
that positioned our party as the pre-eminent
movement of ideas in the recently concluded
electoral cycle. Our desire, right from the onset,
was to open a new chapter in the annals of partisan
politics in Nigeria – one that departed from the
personality-centered incivilities of the most banal
kind that characterized the electioneering season.
“I can disclose with some pride that a majority of
the lead presenters in this dialogue are members of
the Directorate of Policy, Research and Strategy
and have all been instrumental in crafting the policy
priorities and propositions that helped decisively
swing the fate of Africa’s largest democracy in
favour of progressive forces. Our group has been
one big family that has thought deeply and broadly
about Nigeria. We conducted our work not in a spirit
of competition but in one of collaborative problem-
solving dedicated to a higher goal of giving our
nation an unprecedented opportunity for progress.
One of the discussants, Mrs. Ifueko Okauru, who
also delivered a paper on “Improving the National
Economy for Shared Prosperity”, told Sunday
Vanguard that for the incoming regime to deliver on
its campaign promises amid a bleeding economy, it
must pursue “Revenue generation and expenditure
reduction.”
She also called for all hands to be on deck to enable
the government succeed.
“I think we need to go beyond this “since it is
Buhari or APC that won, let’s see what they can do”,
attitude. It is not what they can do but what we can
do. I think we need to realize that and focus on what
we can we can get involved in the discussion, hold
your public officers accountable because we need
to get out of where we are today. We have been
told that the incoming government may not have the
money to run government the way it should be if
they don’t get a loan.
Governor-Elect, Mallam Nasir El-rufai
From the NNPC to civil service down to core issue
of governance, El-Rufai who spoke on the topic
“Governance and Improving Efficiency in Public
Service”, blew hot, canvassing for zero budgeting
system.
Hear the former Minister of the Federal Capital
Territory, FCT:
“We must operate a zero based budgeting system.
We must draw a line and say no more let every
agency justify every penny from personal cost how
many people do you have? What are their salaries?
Why are you paying them this salary? If it is
recorded why are you taking more teas than any
other in the world?
“Why do your vehicles consume more petrol than all
the vehicles in Kaduna state? We must ask this
question and start the budgeting circle now; it has
to be zero based. In Kaduna that is what we are
doing, I am not going to even look at budget that is
there we are going to do a budget from 30 May.
Giving details of the public expenditure by
government institutions, the governor-elect said
that unless the incoming administration takes some
drastic decisions, the road to success would still be
far.
“Now this is a graphic picture of how things have
deteriorated in the last 5-8 years and I think it is
important to put this in perspective because when
things go wrong, it is easy to blame those that are
there without looking at what legacy they are
inheriting.
“What I am trying to say here is APC is inheriting
perhaps the worst ever set of human development
indices in Nigeria’s history than any government
has ever had to face and this change of 2015 arose
because of this deterioration actually. People just
got tired of this lack of progress and tendency to go
into denials that there were no problems. And we
have promised that we will focus on anti-
corruption, security, economy and employment.
“I am putting this in perspective because if we are
going to have to achieve anything we have to go in
with a knife and take drastic actions in the shortest
possible time to put things in perspective”, he said.
He put the blame of the bleeding economy squarely
on the door post of the outgoing administration even
as he stated that challenges facing the APC
administration were enormous.
The challenges before APC government
“So what are the challenges ahead for us? The
challenges for us are only five but they are big
issues; first is rising governance cost. Jonathan
legacy of waste, debt, corruption and institutional
destruction. One of the things I think Jonathan
deserves a noble prize for is the capacity to take
functional institutions and destroy them within the
shortest period of time.
“Functioning institutions that we left have been
destroyed and I don’t know how; it is magic,
Jonathanian magic. The second is manifest
injustice. We live in a country where 3-4 million
people that work for the public service consume
about 90 percent of the revenues of the
government.
“That is injustice and we must ask ourselves
whether that makes sense. We must ask ourselves
whether we should live in a country with this kind of
perverse prioritization. How can spending only 10
percent in this budget on capital expenditure and
the entire 10 percent will be borrowed?
“So the entire revenues of the federal government
are going to be spent on running the federal
government so that one million people that work for
the federal government wear nice suits meanwhile
we don’t have roads, electricity is not working, no
rail system. What kind of people are we?
“We have to ask ourselves this question and all of
us here that are elites need to ask if that is
sustainable and this is why I ended by saying the
selfish attitude of the elites needs reconsideration
and there are also significant issues around
quantity, quality and administrative capacity of the
public service. So what do we need to do?”
He answered the question himself.
“I have 10 points. I am sure they are not exhaustive
but 10 is enough. First we need to accelerated
implementation of the national ID scheme. Now I am
sure you are surprised why I put that as number 1
but one of the biggest problems we have in this
country is tracing wrong doings and criminals.
“People do things and just disappear. People from
neighbouring countries come into Nigeria and just
take our passports and do things in our name. The
national ID card scheme is the most important
infrastructure we need not only to identify who is a
Nigerian but to count ourselves and eliminate many
areas of wrong doings.
“Secondly we need to review inland status on
falsification of records and perjury to its conviction.
Nigeria is the only country where people lie on
forms, change their age, do any kind of stuff without
any consequence.
“I don’t think we will make progress because it
starts from there. The moment a person feels
comfortable about altering records it is even easier
to steal and disappear since there is no
identification.
Away from the issue of governance and civil
service, infrastructure and electricity generation
also featured at the conference.
Ms. Onagoruwa, the Acting Managing Director,
Ibadan Electricity Distribution Company, who
delivered a paper on Developing Infrastructure for
National Development, told Sunday Vanguard the
thrust of her delivery.
“It is about infrastructure development in Nigeria
and basically what government can do to accelerate
it given the quantity of resources available to it
because you have to now start thinking out of the
box, to look at ways you can raise finance. The
problems are well known because we looked at
power. We looked at rail. We looked at roads, ports
and one thing cuts across; finance”, she said.
Last line
From the deluge of papers and ideas espoused at
the conference, there is no doubt that the APC has
pinpointed where it pinches Nigerians most. But it is
one thing to think out an idea and brainstorm over it,
yet another thing to implement it. APC has thought
out this blueprint adding it to its manifesto. It is now
left for the president-elect to walk the talk
immediately after he is sworn-in in five days’ time.
Like the Vice President-elect remarked, “this forum
cannot and will not be another talk shop.”
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