| Temple Chima Ubochi |
 | ubochit@hotmail.de Bonn, Germany  |
Continued from Part 20People see themselves as the center of the universe and judge everything as it relates to them (Peace Pilgrim)Everyone is a prisoner of his own experiences. No one can eliminate prejudices - just recognize them (Edward R. Murrow)  uhari, on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2015, assured Nigerians of succor from the effects of the ill-management of the nation's economy by the President Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government. Buhari said he still has the 1983 magic to transform the nation's economy. In a statement signed by the Director of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organization, Mallam Garba Shehu, the APC observed "the panicky and uncoordinated management of the national economy by President Jonathan and his economic team". According to the statement; "For our presidential candidate, General Buhari, it is a walk back through history. Recall that the Nigerian economy at this time shares characteristics with the Nigerian economy of 1983 when he took charge of the reign of government on a rescue mission. The Naira was weak, crude oil prices were plummeting - coupled with a heavy debt profile. Hopefully, APC will turn the nation's economy around. Our party's economic policies are consciously conceived to be people-centred. For the first time in over three decades, Nigeria will experience a truly pro-people Federal Government. This is our commitment to the mass of our people, help is on the way, they should not despair".Exactly; Lyndon Johnson (1908-1973) was right when he said that "Making a speech on economics is a bit like pissing down your leg. It seems hot to you but never to anyone else". Buhari is not getting it; he thinks that his previous economic policies, as a head of state, were benchmarks. He forgot that he nearly took Nigeria back to the Stone Age due to the economic policies he pursued then. Nigerians started scavenging during Buhari's era. When Buhari took over, he wanted to be frugal and to save the foreign reserves; so, he imposed a near-total ban on importation of goods. Buhari's intention here was good, but, he should have imposed the ban on importation of goods gradually, because, hitherto, Nigeria imported almost everything, so, Nigerians were used to a life of foreign products. When the blanket ban on imported goods was imposed, Nigerians found it hard to adjust to such a sudden change at once. The change should have been gradual, so that Nigerians would imbibe it without much collateral damages or shocks, which most Nigerians experienced then. Life then became really hard for majority of Nigerians. To make matter worse, the currency, Naira, was changed, and banks were unable to release, to their customers, the requested amounts, leading to lull in business activities and hardship for millions of Nigerians. Almost everybody was lamenting! Hyper-inflation set in! People had to scrape through then. Unfortunately, most of those shouting "Sai Buhari" today were not born when Buhari ruled as the head of state, and didn't experience the hardship he subjected Nigerians to, otherwise, they would have avoided Buhari like a plague, before he plunges Nigeria into another economic mess and hardship. For those who experienced Buhari's economic hardship first hand, when he was the head of state, and still pretend that he's the "messiah" now, I have no words for them, I don't know what to tell them, although they are entitled to their opinion or decision, but, we should have pity on them, because, they are so myopic to have forgotten everything that happened then; and for thinking that a better Buhari is on the horizon, they will be disappointed at last. Now, Buhari is telling us that he still have the 1983 magic. Buhari thinks that Nigerians are ready to experience the hardship he subjected them to, that first time; Nigerians are not ready to face the hoarding and rationing of essential commodities (essenco, as it was called then) which were prevalent during Buhari's first era; Nigerians are not ready to experience the sending of military men into the markets to beat the traders into submission by forcing them to sell their goods at stipulated prices, even if it means selling those goods below their cost prices. The only thing Buhari knows about is bullying, and Nigerians are not ready for that this time around. If Buhari wants to win, he must jettison that bullying mentality of his, and nobody wants to suffer while he, Buhari, his family and friends are enjoying. Buhari stopped overseas' medical treatments, but, sent his wife and children to the then Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, in Washington, for medical treatment. His family stayed with the ambassador for months over there. Just like now, Buhari claimed that he is a poor man, but has a house in London, and his children are in expensive universities abroad. Who's fooling who? Ambassador Ignatius C. Olisemeka, the then Nigerian Ambassador to The United States, and a former Minister of Foreign Affairs, wrote this in Daily Trust of Thursday, 05 February 2015: "He sent his wife and two children to me in Washington D.C. for medical treatment. His family were with me in Washington D.C. when the General was overthrown in a coup d'état. We did the best we could and sent them back home safely under the trying and traumatic circumstances they found themselves". If Nigerians elect Buhari, then, just as Denis Healey (1917) wrote, paradoxically, "By the end of next year, we really shall be on our way to that so-called "economic miracle" we need"! We can wait long for that. Buhari and his Party, the APC, are only deceiving gullible Nigerians, as they have nothing good to offer. Someone wrote that "It is only in Nigeria that the man who, as PTF Chairman, embezzled billions of Naira through over-invoicing of supplies and the supply of fake and expired drugs to hospitals is now a disciplined man. Why did Ahmed Salihijo, whose consortium was in charge of all the PTF contracts under Buhari, commit suicide when former President Obasanjo commenced the probe of PTF in 1999?" In his acceptance speech after the APC convention, Buhari magniloquently said "My common cause is the love I have for our nation. I want Christians, Muslims, the old and the young, the rich and the poor to come together and let us advance together the cause of this country. Preserving the nation's future is a great obligation to all of us. This is what the government in power should saddle itself with; otherwise, they have no reason being in government. The PDP government is leading us to destruction. Nigeria should be the leader of Africa. Our people sleep in and pay for darkness. Over 200 of our girls were abducted and government has been unable to do anything about it. Several of our youths were trampled to death because they went in search of employment. Are we happy to continue to live like this? My answer is "No! No! No!" Buhari added that "if elected in 2015, he would evolve a five-point agenda that would engender constitutional governance, improved security, poverty eradication through job creation and end ethnic, tribal and religious bigotry". A politician like Buhari, fighting the biggest and last political battle of his life, can promise the "heaven" he can't bring down to earth, if he wins, just as Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013) said that "Everything a politician promises at election time has to be paid for either by higher taxation or by borrowing". Dr Kunle Onabanjo, an economist and lecturer at the Cape Town University, South Africa, when he was hosted by a non-governmental organization, Good Governance Initiative, in Lagos on Feb. 26, 2015, described Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming polls, as lacking the competence to manage Nigeria's economy. According to The Tribune, Onabanjo also carpeted Buhari over his 1983 economic blueprint comment, calling it "outdated". In his words: "If Buhari thinks his harsh and unfavorable economic policy, in which he sent troops to the market to beat up traders and force them to sell their goods lower than the cost rate, will be acceptable this time, he better have a rethink because those things will not be applicable in modern day situation in Nigeria. Therefore, I would like to sound it loud and clear that he cannot come and apply those archaic, primitive and harsh economic policies, propounded during the military era." The economist also frowned at the refusal of Buhari to attend the presidential debate organised by the Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON), which according to him, would afford him the opportunity of displaying his deep understanding of the Nigerian economy. In Onabanjo's words, "the Presidential debate is a norm in any country where Presidential election is to take place. This, we believe, will help the electorate assess the level of understanding of the economy, temperament and composure of the contestants. But, here is a situation in which one of the major contestants has turned down that opportunity. So how do you want Nigerians to assess him first hand and decide whether he meets the required standard or not." On the other hand, Dr Kunle Onabanjo, the economist and lecturer at the Cape Town University, South Africa, lauded the transformation agenda of President Goodluck Jonathan-led administration, adding that he believes the transformation witnessed in the energy sector, railway sector, and agricultural sector will impact positively on the economy in years to come. On job creation, he believes the present administration can still do more as the economy continues to grow steadily, regardless of the dwindling oil revenue, because, Nigeria is blessed with massive mineral resources, which, if properly utilized can make Nigeria one of the biggest economies in the world in years to come. He, however, enjoined the Federal Government to fully diversify the economy, so that the dwindling oil revenue, occasioned by the fall in global oil price could be mitigated. To be continued! Read this through please (A must read): The ALL PROGRESSIVES GRAND ALLIANCE (APGA) tasked Buhari on the limits of frugalism as was the case during his era as a military head of state. APGA condemned the Buhari leadership and economics then aimed to wean the country off consumerism/profligacy, while supposedly channeling Nigeria towards frugality and productivity. This Frugalist approach forced Nigerians into a brutal survival and mental poverty unseen since forever. Even the Nigerian Civil war had a horizon outlook that this will end. But, Buhari made sure all understood that a new regime had settled in. We were not assured of an end to his application of severe and self-limiting policies - physical, mental and material, aimed to tame the Nigerian populace from its waywardness. The disciplinarian was here. Or, was it the continued attempt to firmly say and establish that a Northern Oligarchy always had the reins of power in Nigeria. You choose. Nigerians saw nothing but a very bleak future. The government demonstrated anti-globalism and a falling back on a very parochial regionalist approach to Governing Nigeria. Spartan and frugal! It had worked for some sections of Nigeria. What was wrong in it working for the rest of Nigeria? Buhari's exposure may have fostered this approach, it was however limited in its ability to solve Nigeria's problems. Maybe Buhari was asleep while Nigeria sojourned. But contemporary Nigeria was awake to the revival in international developments in education, economics and ensuing entertainment across Nation States. Aba. Lagos. Port-Harcourt. Kano. Ibadan. Agbara Estate. Trans-Amadi. Trans -Ekulu. Ojuelegba. Plastics. Electronics. Grundig. Weltron. Passat. 504. 604. L. SL. GL. Igala. Thermocool. Hajj. Standard Bank. First Bank. You Choose. SGS. Union. UBA. CD 175. 185. 195. Chopper. EMI. Fela. 200. 280SEL. 500SL. Chellarams. UAC. Beetle. Adamu Ciroma. Sola Saraki. Mai Deribe. Dantata. Bongos Ikwue. Ekene Dili Chukwu. Bob Marley. Peter Tosh. Upper Iweka. Sunny Okosun. Soul Train. Satin Sheen. Afro Sheen. Joy. Lux. Even Premier. Maybe Artemis. Patti Boulaye. Duplex. Maggi Cube. Tony Grey. Sweet Breeze. Abiola. Concord. Dele Udo. Mansions. Flat roof. Wall to Wall Carpet. Interior decoration. Talmacon-Brady. Mission Impossible. 7up. Coke. Pepsi. RC. C-Roy. I-Roy. U-Roy. Rice and Beans Orchestra. ABBA. Harrods. Macy's. Betamax. VHS. 007. The Whispers. Shalamar. Jody Watley. The Gap band. The Commodores. And Lionel Richie. Broad Street. Victoria Island. Adeola Odeku. Adeniran Ogunsanya. Bristol Hotel. And Baby Benz. Individually funded factories. First Merchant Bank. Employment. Demand. Supply. Consumer. Of all goods and services around the world. Please, add to the list. Nigerians were in, and were not going to give it up. This was too much. But frugal fanny was here. The Jet set was happening. Pan Am, KLM, British Airways, Air France, Swissair, Alitalia were making daily trips to Nigeria. Lagos to New York, London, and the European Cities were becoming the staple. The cuisine at the Airports was a la carte. Such rich salivating odour wafting across the airport lounge. Hmmmm! And the calm, sweet sonorous voice announcing the arrival or departure of your flights over the airport din. The airport announcing system. Such a beautiful experience. They caressed your senses. Such tingling in your sight, hearing, smell and taste buds. The seats were sumptuous and relaxing to the body touch. We almost had it all. Airports were such exotic experience. But you were still in Nigeria. Buhari missed that. Investors were coming in daily from London, New York, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Taiwan? Who forgot Taiwan? Buhari and his fellas thought this was all too much. It must be the invasion from Mars. No! Some people overslept, missed the party and had a grudge. Yes. You could not have partied without us. Time to pay. Buhari then sought not only to cut down on Federal expenditure, but also state, private firms, and families' expenditure. Buhari's Government further sought a more efficient restricting and controlling of foreign currency outflow, they then tried to revive the country's Agricultural productive capacity, and possibly broaden the government's revenue base. Economic risk-taking in any other sector was out. Nigeria and Nigerians settled in for a long harsh Harmattan. No cushioning blankets. The land really dried up. Everything shriveled. Desolation was here. Buhari went on to institute policies which retrieved money from individuals to the banks by changing the color of the Naira. There was an institutional take-over of the economy. Buhari tried very hard to eliminate middle-men from the economic system, and in same vein eliminate sections of Nigeria from effectively participating in its economy. Traders and individuals were forced to deposit their currencies with the banks, while retrieving a set minimum in exchange. Though this gave the banks added fluidity, it however increased uncertainty in the private business class regarding the undue monitoring of their business activities within the economy. This affected whatever bulk being bought and sold. Artificial currency scarcity created hyper-inflation as prices of local goods soared. Lever Brothers probably made their best profit then. Omo became the detergent of choice. Officially retailed at 30kobo, Omo sold for N3naira a pack. Hoarding became a prime commercial move. Omo mansions and high-rises sprung up. That profit was easy. A price-monitoring team incessantly arrested retailers who would not sell at government prices. Retribution was in the air as retailers were indiscriminately arrested and thrown in jail. Consumer spending went down irredeemably, and there was a conscious reduction in consumption by all income groups in the Nigerian economy. Though the Buhari attempt made Nigerians begin to look inwards to compensate for a general decline in Nigerians earning capacity, (that's really what the whole economic brouhaha was about), his inability to place a limit on the suffering of Nigerians, led Nigerians to begin to look elsewhere for their well-being and the quality of life they used to know. The Emigration began. Andrew checked out. He had known the forbidden fruit. For those left behind, Buhari got Nigerians to begin to reflect on how to cut back on expenditure and living according to a budget. Nigerians now gathered at set community centers to buy rationed essential commodities including rice, sugar, milk etc. Nigerians were encouraged to depend on local than foreign made goods. The prices of foreign rice were over the roof. Local rice became staple. 'Garri's price rose and was really unaffordable. Alternative foods including Semovita, was encouraged. 'Santana' found its way back to the dinner tables of all - rich and poor. You could not mistake the stomach-upsetting smell. Ostentation was decreased, as Nigerians began to limit their patronization of restaurants and cooked. Eating at home was in. The domestication of men was here. People resorted to primitive use of firewood. This was across the board from tenants to mansions to high-rise. There was no money to buy Kerosene. Public transportation was the choice commute, as there was no money to fuel personal cars. The ban on textiles importation encouraged a move towards used clothing, and re-used clothing. 'Okrika' looked good on all. No name prices. Awolowo frowned. Buhari went on to cut down the federal workforce by 30%. State governments followed the move. Laid-off Federal and state civil servants, who had known no other security, were forced back to the village as Farmers. Most left in the city used their cars as Taxis and became Taxi drivers. It was really difficult watching the Toyota Crown become a commute vehicle. Other workers became menial laborers, as Buhari provided no safe landing. Despair was in the land. Buhari went on to heighten disagreements with International bodies/countries including the IMF, Britain and the USA over their non-support of his economic policies. Though a very righteous move, these countries however made it difficult for Nigeria to be welcome in World economic circles, including obtaining credit from friendly and buoyant organizations and countries. Nigeria called their bluff and resorted to barter trade with Brazil, Czechoslovakia, even Romania. External and Internal trade went into coma as Government would hardly support any individual or corporate business involving the use of foreign currency. Trade and Commerce in the South-East and South-West cities crumbled as literally no shipments of the private enterprise could come into the ports. Allied services including shipping, Insurance, maritime agents, Air, Sea and Land transport whittled down considerably. Nigerian Airways planes became grounded as they had difficulty servicing wet-lease agreement due to lack of functional use and ensuing decline in income generation. Most airplanes were repossessed when they landed at foreign airports. To Buhari's credit, The Textiles Industries in the North flourished. But the Buharist thinking was a novice within international circles, and Nigeria paid deeply for it, as the US and UK made it increasingly difficult for Nigeria to obtain credit. Nigeria resorted to bartering. The barter move seemed contemporary. However, local and international financial wizards knew we were firmly in the doldrums with this very pre-civilization economic strategy. Sections of the country grumbled. Particularly the South-East Traders and the South-West Press. Decree 4 came in to muzzle the pressmen. The South-East lobby was totally shut out. They didn't exist in the Buhari plan. A very bleak future set in, especially in the South -East as lenders, borrowers and investors had difficulty obtaining or sustaining credit. Loans were suddenly called in by banks. Manufacturers and their representatives closed shop. Stores depleted. Whole streets lay empty. Merchants abandoned their empty stores and headed for the hinterland. City dwellers had difficulty paying rent and moved back to the village. Subsistence farming was in. At least, to feed the family. It was a very cruel adjustment. While Buhari may have encouraged us not to waste, He demonstrated severe difficulty with stopping Nigerians from wanting. Despite our well documented economic woes, Nigerians reminisced on what was. They liked what used to be, despite the chronicled excesses. How can we get back to that? Was the question on all lips. In the end, Frugalism failed. Nigerians rejected it. They believed they could do better than Buhari believed. Nigerians found out they were patriotic, even without being asked. The fault was not with ordinary Nigerians. It was with the leaders, who were supposed to keep an eye on things. "Monkey dey work, Baboon dey chop", did not sit well with us. Till this day. Nigerians were miffed that people who had heavily benefitted from the economy, refused to re-invest in Nigeria. That continues to be our bane. Funnily, our leaders have their names, but would never approach or reproach them. That is why the ordinary Nigerian never feels he has done anything bad. The rot in the apple started from the top of the tree. "Nigeria go survive", became the hopeful song of choice everywhere, as Nigerians encouraged each other, and dreamt of yore. Bits and pieces of foreign currency began to come home from the emigrants overseas. Signs of life elsewhere. The emigration surge began. It started with the private businessmen who sought visas under the guise of meeting with business partners overseas. They stayed put in the host countries once granted the visa. Anywhere but Nigeria. It was natural. People sought out places they could do better. And were prepared to risk all to get there. A people used to 'owambe' refused this 'siddon look' approach. Sunny Ade tapped his drums. Shina Peters staged his block party. The Ariya pieces began to fall. A Tiny ray of hope began to emerge. We didn't really lose it. We could live like we used to. Even Buhari's compatriots in the AFRC refused to continue supporting the policies. It had brought untold hardship to Nigerians and earned us more foes worldwide, even in the induced poverty we embraced. It seemed like while others were marching forward, we had taken a deliberate step backwards to the dark ages. Though Buhari's move seemed disciplined, the later consensus was that it was rather too self-serving. Nigeria was made to look selfish and ignorant in international circles. Resentment gradually built up in the polity and within the inner circles of the Armed Forces Ruling Council (AFRC). A palace coup was in order. Babangida agreed to IMF and SAP. The ease began to return to the country and the economy. We were in debt. But we had hoped to pay while living a normal life. Shopping at Frugal Fanny's was not an Economic plan. The Messiah could not be seen destroying a nation's spirit and doggedness, and be very dismissive of its effects. What were we without our spirit? Nigerians welcomed the relief of a change in Government. Debt does not kill anybody who strives. In Nigeria, we are still striving. We cannot go back to the dark ages. Read! http://247ureports.com/the-missing-links-in-buharis-manifesto-by-law-mefor/ http://www.bodedolu.com/apc-hurting-buhari-prof-sullivan-odumegwu/#sthash.dtD6uSQs.dpbs TIT BITS https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2iZnRyW634 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3N2s7yVXZ4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HaANNQchG_c&index=4&list=RDEKqDDWkp7XI THE THANX IS ALL YOURS!!! Continued from Part 20 |
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