Eromosele Ebhomele
It could provoke laughter, but a revelation by Bobboi Kaigama, the President of the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, on how some governors empower their people with goats is a further testimony to the alleged laziness of the governors to idealise ways to economically strengthen their various states and make them viable.
Apart from huge debt burdens, most of the states are heavily indebted to their workers especially at a time when the price of crude oil, the country’s mainstay, has crashed.
Today, governors of the 36 states run to Abuja, the seat of political power in the country, for support at every opportunity.
President Muhammadu Buhari recently had cause to blast the governors for the disappointing ways they cheated their workers by refusing to effectively appropriate the bail-out funds granted them by the Federal Government for them to offset salaries, arrears and pensions of workers in their various states.
As part of the May Day celebration in Abuja, Bobboi slammed the governors for making mockery of governance.
While commending the Federal Government over its plan to empower market women through loans, Kaigama said: “however, we frown at governors giving male and female goats to widows in the name of ‘empowerment’.
“Getting graduates to sweep the streets can also not be adjudged to be empowerment.”
He urged that the country’s infrastructure should be fixed as this is the key to growth and development.
“We expect much from this government in the area of economic diversification into non-oil sectors such as agriculture, solid minerals, communication, science and technology and other revenue-generating areas,” he added.
Kaigama said Nigerians are worried that the 2016 national budget is yet to be passed in the second quarter of the year.
“Incidentally the budget has been at the centre of controversy. First came tales of its misplacement, followed by claims of existence of different versions of the document. Now we understand that the President has faulted the one submitted by the National Assembly because some vital ingredients that are supposed to be of benefit to the masses were expunged.
“The forces militating against the budget should be warned that organised labour will no longer tolerate their enmity towards the nation. When a budget is delayed the economy and the people suffer, which is exactly what we are facing right now.
“Nevertheless we are not as much bothered about increase or decrease in the budget provided the money is judiciously used. There is the dire need to increase the investment on infrastructure as a way to revive the economy.
“For example, Dunlop closed shop because it was spending about N150 million to power its plants monthly. The Federal Government must show its seriousness by ensuring that the budget pays special attention to infrastructure and job creation.
“More teachers, military and police officers need to be employed. The private sector likewise needs friendly environment to operate.
Kaigama further complained that Nigeria is spending too much on governance at this time when the price of crude oil has nose-dived, while the rate of inflation has risen to 12.8 percent.
“It is also needful for government to commit resources to the enhancement of social infrastructure, human capital development and job creation to boost the economy.
“The country is bleeding and there is no pretence about that. He who feels it knows it! The poor masses of the country feel it in all spheres, and only very close monitoring of the economy, commitment and sincerity of purpose constitute the way out.
“We must start generating significant increase in the income and development of the country.
“In as much as the present administration appears intent on fashioning out effective ways of checking wastage of our resources, they must decisively check unrepentant saboteurs who have continued to have a field day,” he suggested.
“Unfortunately the massive theft of our oil, the scandalous incidence of money laundering, over-invoicing and double-invoicing of contracts, dumping of foreign goods, budget alterations, and politics of acrimony, etc. tend to frustrate that prospect.
“These activities must be curtailed immediately if the country must move forward. We charge the government’s economic team to do a better job of guiding the direction of the economy. To this end, we must reintroduce the concept of having periodic national development plans. There is need to chart long, medium and short-term goals, as is done in developed countries.
“The truth is Nigerians are presently in pains, and the pains can only be soothed when the leadership abhors unfriendly policies like those advocated by the Bretton Wood institutions, addresses naira depreciation issues, inflation, corruption, power outages, breach of collective agreements by employers, Boko Haram insurgency and ethno-religious violence, the unwarranted killings in Agatu by Fulani herdsmen, the kidnappings, collapse of socio-economic infrastructure including our existing refineries, roads, schools, and the drought of petroleum products, etc.
“We certainly do not need any soothsayer to tell us that the current slide in the global prices of oil would have less adverse effects on our economy if we refine our oil within our borders,” he continued.