HOW SUCCESSIVE ADMINISTRATIONS AIDED THE SPREAD OF POVERTY, INSECURITY & UNEMPLOYMENT’ IN NIGERIA

 

This write-up is an extract from CRITICAL CHALLENGES OF NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, book still under construction by Com (Engr) Japhet Ogbueri, aka Zik of Nig, Executive Director, Special Intelligentsia Outfit Ltd / Convener, National Intelligentsia Group (NIG).

 

PREAMBLE:

According to definition advanced by the 1981 Banjul Charter, Good Governance is about running the affairs of government in positive and progressive manners beneficial to the governed, but this has not been the case with Nigeria that is a signatory to the charter. It is also said that adjustment to deformed society creates deformed citizenry, even as no nation can develop beyond the intellectual size and managerial capacity of its ruling elites. Recall that Federal Government expended the sum of £30million pounds (equivalent of N60million naira) between 1960-1963 to expand oil and natural gas exploration in Niger Delta Region, 5yrs after Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) discovered the commodity in commercial quantity in Oloibiri in Bayelsa State. This Profiting economic venture in turn led to continued increase of National Budget from N104million (£50million pounds) in 1963 to as much as N8.83trillion Naira in 2019. By every yardstick of evaluation and comparative analysis, Nigeria remains a very wealthy Nation with vast human, material, mineral and natural resources that can suitably sustain all the citizens of West African countries or can turn over 70% of economically active Nigerians to Millionaire. However, with almost zero occurrence of natural disaster and near absence of extreme weather conditions, majority of Nigerians in East, West, North and South continue to suffer harsh socioeconomic situations associated with unemployment, insecurity and poverty.

• In view of the above, i have come to a conclusion that the dismal and calamitous national decline and economic uneasiness is a backdrop of cumulative jugular financial bleeding inflicted on the Nation by agglomeration of executive looters, financial rapists and economic sorcerers wearing the epaulettes of triumphal ruling elites, their administrative preferences and leadership references provided the podium to flagellate the wavelength of poverty and unemployment across the 36states of the federation. Therefore, this is a personal research article meant to arouse citizens consciousness and public reactions, so i urge you to patiently read on as to understand how and why the vicious circle of unemployment, insecurity and damning inscriptions of privation, deprivation and penury was unleashed on citizens in the face of cumulative stupendous national wealth. And to achieve this, I wish to capitalize on recent report from NEITI and CBN, which I corroborated with a World Bank report which revealed that Nigeria earned about N91trillion Naira between 1st Oct 1960 – May 29th, 2015, from foreign and domestic revenue and income sources. It is the therefore my pleasure to willfully present to you successive administrations in Nigeria, what each administration got and how they expended same.

 

ENTER THE FIRST REPUBLIC (1960 -1966) EARNED ABOUT N5BILLION NAIRA IN 6YEARS.

• Our Independent leaders were notably classified men of proven integrity, foresight, wisdom, sagacity, high ambitions and statesmen of immeasurable values, the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe was the President, Late Alh. Tafawa Belawa was the first and only Prime Minister, while late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was the leader of the opposition. Our founding fathers of blessed memory with meager budgeting provisions drafted the 1963 constitution which turned Nigerian Federation to a Republic. They developed all the four (4) geopolitical representations and evenly administered public funds equitably. They built the first TV and Radio stations in West Africa, 26-storey Cocoa House in Ibadan (tallest in sub-Sahara Africa as at then) and Nigeria National Shipping Line (NNSL) was also established in 1960, and was noted to be the first Shipping Line in Sub-Sahara Africa that had about 24 National Carrier ships as at 1987; they established over 200 textile factories, flour and oil mills across the Country, eg Flour Mills of Nigeria Plc (1960); Ikeja mill and Port Harcourt oil mill (1962); Kaduna Textile Industry, Arewa Mills, United Nigeria Textile factories (1963); Textile printers of Nigeria (1965) etc. They built five star Hotels in Lagos, Kaduna and Port Harcourt in 1964, the one in Port Harcourt is called Presidential Hotel with twin 10storey buildings; they built several Recreational Parks, Gardens, Zoos and Wildlife reservation areas, eg Port Harcourt Zoo and Yankari Game Reserve, which at then were among the most visited in West Africa; They established West African Airways Corporation (WAAC) which was rebranded to Nigerian Airways in 1971 with over 20 National Carrier planes flying both domestic and International routes, they established Cocoa, Cashew, Rubber, Cotton and Palm Plantations all over the Country as well as aided groundnut Pyramids in the North. They created Midwest Region through the Act of Parliament and renamed it Bendel State in 1967, they conducted the aborted census in 1962 that place Nigerian population at 64.26million, and constructed 3000km of rail tracks after the standard gauge line was constructed in 1930s, as well as maintained 240 Native Authorities.

• As at then, Nigeria was among the highest exporters of Palm oil, Cocoa and Cotton in the world world, foreign Countries depended heavily on the nation to source for raw materials which translated to high import, export, job and wealth creation activities. Nigeria also had the highest number of educated and enlightened leaders in African Continent, this was our golden era as a developing Nation and a time when Nigeria emerged as the *Giant of Africa*. As at then, the economic structure and social architecture of Nigeria necessitated improved human capacity and created opportunities for citizens to adequately fend for themselves and their community, as such the prevalence of Poverty, Unemployment, insecurity, corruption and foreign debts existed at its lowest ebb, while the rate of National Development, Export and Life Expectancy ratio were on the increase of over 75%.

 

ENTER THE FIRST MILITARY REGIME (1966-1975) > EARNED ABOUT N10BILLION Naira IN 8YRS.

• It was Gen. Yakubu Gowon as Military Head of State that prosecuted the most unfortunate Civil war (1967-1970) which hitherto unified the ethnic components of Nigeria on the platform of no victor, no vanquish, he also implemented the 3Rs policy, Reconstruction, Reconciliation & Rehabilitation. Despite the three years national set back, the government installed the first and only set of 760mw capacity power generating plants of Kanji Dam in 1968 and reorganized then four regions to 12states on May 1967; they introduced Naira and kobo to replace Pounds and Shillings bequeathed to the Nation by the colonial administration and change our national driving policy from Right Hand to Left Hand; established Unity Schools cum Federal Government Colleges across the 12states; and NYSC in 1973 to promote National Integration a well as NEPA in 1972 to replace Electric Corporation of Nigeria, they expanded the existing Nigeria Universities and constructed fresh federal roads across the geopolitical divided, e.g East-West Road (1972), Port Harcourt–Enugu expressway (1973) Lagos–Badagry expressway (1974) etc; they built modern infrastructures and public utilities in Lagos, e.g Eko Bridge and Ijora Kingsway complex etc, and acquired additional national Carrier ships for NNSL and commercial planes for Nigerian Airways as well as established Nigerian National Oil Company (NNOC) 1971.

 

• Highpoints of the regime was the design and implementation of the first National Development Plan and expansion of Port Harcourt, Warri and Calabar (Eastern) Ports etc. They designed programs and projects that sustained food sufficiency, human resources development, industrial growth and wealth creation throughout the Federation. As such, the prevalence of insecurity, unemployment, corruption, poverty and foreign debts were within negligible limit, while the rate of Export, Life expectancy and National Development fell down a bit to above average.

ENTER THE SECOND MILITARY REGIME (1976-1979) EARNED N5BILLION NAIRA IN 3YRS.

• This regime was led by late Gen Murtala Muhammed/Gen Olusegun Obasanjo who utilized available public funds to build the 125,000bpd capacity Warri Refinery in 1978 and also established NNPC and its subsidiaries the same year to ensure Nigeria’s full participation in the oil and gas sector, they launched Operation Feed the Nation (OFN) in 1978 to ensure food sufficiency and wealth creation, they created and funded additional seven states to increase the number of states in the country to 19, and launched Festival of Arts and Culture (FESTAC) in 1977 to promote Nigeria’s diverse cultural heritages and historical identity. They built Murtala Mohammed International Airport (MMA) in Lagos and re-launched Nigerian Airways to ensure profitability in 1978; they established one million metric ton capacity Federal Superphosphate Company in 1976, built Ajeokuta Steel Complex in 1979, the steelmill component in the company reached 98% completion in 1994. They constructed Lagos–Ibadan expressway in 1978 and instituted Local Government Reform that integrated LGAs as the 3rd tier of Government, as at 1979 Nigeria had 303LGAs.

 

• The highpoints of the regime was sacking of civil servants found to be corrupt and massive war against corruption and corrupted institutions, they drafted 1979 constitution and ensured transition from military to civilian rule the same year. The prevalence of foreign debt was almost 0%, that of insecurity, poverty, corruption and unemployment had a marginal increase to about 19%, while the rate of National Development, Export and Life expectancy were above 65%.

 

ENTER THE SECOND REPUBLIC (1979 -1983) EARNED LESS THAN N100BILLION IN 4YRS

• This administration was led by democratically elected President, late Alh Shehu Shagari and late Dr Alex Ekwueme as Vice President; with public funds available to the government, they built the 110,000bpd capacity Kaduna refinery in 1983 and established Delta Steel & Rolling Mill Complex in 1982. They built five star hotel in Owerri 1981 and established Aluminum Smelter Company of Nigeria (ASCON) in Ikot Abasi the same year; they constructed three rolling mills and additional steel plant in Ajeokuta steel complex, and established several Federal Housing Units across the 19states of the Federation. They built University Teaching Hospitals and expanded the faculties of Federal Universities. They maintained functional infrastructures and institutions in Lagos, Enugu, Kaduna, Port Harcourt and Ibadan; they invested heavily in the railway sector to ensure its functionality and established muilti-billion naira National Fertilizer Company of Nigeria (NAFCON) in 1981.

 

• In their time, rural development was a priority, several industries were established to capture multi-sectoral interest of the nation’s economy, eg Breweries, flour mills and ceramics industries etc, they funded Nigeria Airways and NNSL as profitable public enterprises, Nigeria also maintained its status as the Giant of Africa.

• The highpoints of this administration was the launching of Green Revolution to ensure food sufficiency and wealth creation, they also procured tractors to promote mechanized farming and maintained public amenities; they expanded the Cocoa, Rubber, Palm oil and Cotton Plantations across the country and implemented polices that boosted the auto manufacturing, leather and textile industries, including education and health sectors. The prevalence of insecurity, corruption, unemployment and poverty were below 25%, while the rate National Development, Import, Export and Life expectancy ratio were above 65%, with Foreign Debt Profile at less than $100million dollars.

 

ENTER THE THIRD MILITARY REGIME (1983-1985) EARNED LESS THAN N50BILLION IN 2YRS.

• The military government was led by Maj Gen Muhammed Buhari as Head of State and Brig Gen Tunde Idiagbon as Chief of Staff, Supreme Military Council (SMC), with the funds available they established DFRRI in 1983 to ensure rapid rural development and built about 20 oil depots the same year; they laid over 3200km of oil pipelines in 1984 and established NITEL in 1985 as a national telecom carrier, funded NNSL and added national carrier planes to the fleet of Nigerian Airways. The regime stopped Christian workers and Soldiers from working on Sundays and introduced the queue culture in Nigeria for the first time to promote responsibility, integrity and discipline in public places; they launched War Against Indiscipline (WAI) Brigade to enforce morality and behavioural values among citizenry and changed the colour of naira to stem looting of public funds.

 

• The highpoints of the regime was its strict compliance to anti corruption war, jailing of corrupt politicians and civil servants, some former governors of that era got as much as 102yrs jail term after conviction on corruption charges, while properties acquired with stolen public funds were summarily confiscated. As at then, the prevalence of poverty, corruption, unemployment and poverty were below 30%, while the rate of National Development, Import, Export and Life expectancy ratio were within 60%, with Foreign Debt profile at about $200million dollars.

 

ENTER THE FORTH MILITARY REGIME (1985-1993) EARNED N420 BILLION IN 8YRS.

• The regime was led by Gen Ibrahim Babangida aka IBB the Maradona, as the Head of State and Gen Sani Abacha as Chief of Staff, SMC, with the funds available, they built the second Port-Harcourt Refinery in 1987 with 150,000bpd capacity and the 3rd Mainland Bridge in Lagos the same year; they created additional 11states that brought the total number of states to 30 in 1991 and launched National Primary Health program across the states; they launched Mass Mobilization for Self Reliance Social Justice & Economic Recovery (MAMSER) as well as Structural Adjustment Program (SAP); they extended significant development in FCT and built Modern Federal Secretariats across the existing states, also established MTEL as the Mobile arm of NITEL in 1992 etc. The government established Peoples Bank in 1989 to provide interest free loans to indigents citizenry, the bank was scraped in 1992, and established OMPADEC the same year. The 1989 to 1993 LGA Reform initiated by the administration increased the number of local government areas to 589.

• Highpoints of the regime includes, truncation of the 3rd Republic, devaluation of Naira in 1985 that inflated our National Hardship and Social Uneasiness ratio; annulment of the freest election in Nigeria and imprisonment of Chief MKO Abiola of blessed memory, winner of 1993 Presidential election, redistribution of oil blocks, oil mineral licenses (OML) and juicy military positions to friends and cronies; murder of Chief Dele Giwa, Editor in Chief of News Watch Magazine 1987; the $12billion dollars oil windfall gate and reduction in funding of government projects and economic sectors, leading to systematic decline in manufacturing, production, research and academic culture in Nigeria. It was this regime that infused and federalized corruption and looting as a public norm in running government affairs and as at then, the prevalence of poverty, insecurity, corruption and unemployment were above 45%, while the rate of National Development, Export and Life expectancy ratio fell below 50%, with Foreign Debt Profile at about $3billion dollars (including accumulated interest on loan).

 

ENTER THE FIFTH MILITARY REGIME (1993-1998) EARNED N1.6TRILLION IN 5YRS;

• The regime was led by Late Gen Sani Abacha as Head of State and Lt Gen Oladipo Diya as Chief of Staff, with the funds available to the government, they established Golden Fertilizer Company in 1997, NPDC in 1998 and West African Ceramics Company in 1995; they officially moved the Federal Capital Territory from Lagos to Abuja and built more infrastructures, social amenities and public utilities; they created more 5states to increase the number of states to 36 plus FCT, while LGAs increased to 774. This was the golden era of the Nigeria sports when the Super Eagles won the African Cup of Nations in 1994, the Flying Eagles also won the under 23 World Trophy for the first time, while Nigeria won two gold, one silver and three bronze medals in 1996 Olympic games. The regime marginally funded if not refused to fund Nigerian Airways, Nigeria Railway, NNSL, Tertiary Institutions, Research Institutes and other public enterprises.

 

• Highpoints of the regime includes but not limited to abuse of human rights, deficit financing of government projects, murder of Chief MKO Abiola, restriction of political activities and unilateral allocation of oil blocks to friends of the regime as well as the sudden death of the Head of State in active service. My rating in this regard is therefore thus; the scale of insecurity though was below 25%, but the prevalence of poverty, corruption, and unemployment increased to 50%, while National Development, Export and Life expectancy ratio declined below 50%, with Foreign Debt profile still at less than $7billion (plus accumulated interest on loan).

ENTER THE TRANSITORY MILITARY GOVERNMENT (SEPTEMBER 1998 – 29th MAY 1999).

• The 8months military administration was led by Gen Abdulsalam Abubakar, but as the case is, I did not lay my hand on reliable projection or accurate figure of what they earned or accomplished, however they administration drafted the 1999 Constitution, dissolved National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) and established INEC in its place and conducted the general elections that facilitated the transition from military rule to civilian rule in 1999. This regime was also reported to have unilaterally allocated some OML and oil blocks to cronies and friends.

 

ENTER THE FOURTH REPUBLIC (1999-2015) EARNED TOTAL OF N87TRILLION IN 16YRS.

• In preferential assessment and differential appraisal, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo/ Alh Atiku Abubakar 8yrs administration (1999-2007) cumulatively got N27trillion Naira; late Alh Umaru Yar’adua/ Dr Goodluck Jonathan 3yrs government (2007-2009) got about N9trillion Naira; while the Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan/ Arc Namani Sambo 6yrs government (2009-2015) got the highest revenue of N51trillion Naira due to continued rise of crude oil price in the international market, which sold above $100dollars per barrel with 2million barrel per day peak production. From the figures so far tabulated, all the regimes and administrations from 1960-1999 got a total of N2.5trillion in 40yrs, while PDP government alone got N87trillion in 16yrs an amount that is higher than what all the West African Countries cumulatively earned in 50yrs.

 

• In a democratic Nation where 40% of its population is below 15yrs, with 35% either retired, retrenched or unemployed, while 25% belong to the category of economically active group. Yes in a nation with unstable and commercialized economy that forms a structure where at least six persons depend on the income of every income earning person, even at a projected population of 200million, the huge funds earned by past PDP government alone was capable of turning over 65% of Nigerians to millionaires within its 16yrs lifespan, alias if not rather, bulk of the funds were used to turn less than 3% of the population to overnight portfolio billionaires without verifiable business ventures.

 

• In view of the foregoing, the OBJ/Atiku government with the huge funds at its disposal established institutions like CCB, ICPC, EFCC, NDDC, NHIS, BPE, Contributing Pension Scheme and Monetization policy and also built some notable infrastructures in Abuja, like National Stadium, National Mosque, Ecunumical Centre and some FCT roads. The government started the dualization of Benin-Warri Expressway, East-West road, Lagos Badagry expressway etc but did not complete or commission any of them before their tenure elapsed. The government also commissioned NLNG Bonny in 1999 which is jointly owned with Muilti-National companies where FG controls 45% stake. Aside from this, there is no verifiable record to prove that they built or commissioned any profitable public enterprises or refinery, they rather spent about $2billion dollars for TAM of the four aged refineries, about $16billion dollars on power reform in 8yrs, of which electricity supply marginally increased from 1,900mw in 1999 to 2,026mw in 2007 against the expected 150,000mw projected national consumption rate the said fund could have achieved if properly utilized, they also pumped in huge funds on rehabilitation of federal roads which turned to death traps due to diversion of contract funds and systematically downgraded the Eastern ports.

• The highpoint of OBJ/Atiku administration was scrapping of Federal toll gates, $18billion dollars foreign debt relief due to unsolicited payment of $12billion dollars to dubious Paris Club of Creditors who have already collected their original loans through yearly payment of billions of naira inform of interests and loan servicing. the government also implemented neo-capitalistic economic policy like Privatization and Commercialization that saw to the scrapping and sales of public enterprises and government investments owned by 100% of Nigerians to less than 3% of the ruling elites. Through BPE, they sold off NITEL & M-TEL with over $500billion dollars assets as at 2001 to unregistered foreign business entity called PENTASCOPE for as low as $252million dollars, this was the final straw that killed our National telecommunication carrier; they sold off 51% stake of the four refineries to Bluestar Consortium owned by Alh Aliko Dangote and Chief Femi Otedola for less than 10% of their original value, but late Alh. Yar’adua’s government reversed the sales in 2007; they scrapped Nigerian Airways, Nigerians Shipping Line and almost buried Nigerian railway system; they sold off NAFCON and Delta Steel Complex etc and abandoned the Oil mill, Ceramics companies, breweries, textile factories and plantations to rot and decay despite huge funds available at its disposal. In the final analysis, the privatization, commercialization and monetization polices caused direct retrenchment and indirect displacement of over 5million workers in 2005 which in turn inflated the scale of poverty and compounded the scope of unemployment across the 36states of the Federation.

 

• In the same vane, the Yar’adua/Jonathan almost 3yrs government introduced 7points agenda, established Niger Delta Amnesty Program and Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs, although the government did not complete its 4yrs tenure due to the sudden death of the then President, and the rest is history. Then enter the GEJ/Namadi Sambo government with the highest earning since the history of Nigeria, they implemented N18,000 minimum wage, You-Win and Sure-P programs that hitherto served as conduit pipe to frit away public funds in billions, they also initiated TSA, Prison Reform, Railway Reform, Power Sector Reform, Budget Monitoring, Price Intelligence Unit, Almajiri School System, Servicom and Due Process etc, but lacked the will power to totally implement them. The government equally unbundled PHCN into 18 entitles, established NCDMB, and hosted World Economic Forum (WEF) in 2014, the same year the nation’s GDP was rebased. The administration started remodeling and standardization of Nigeria Airports but did not complete same in 5yrs, while the following projects were awarded but remained uncompleted as at may 29th 2015, 2nd Nigeria Bridge, Lagos-Badagry expressway, Abuja-Lokoja highway, dreging of Warri and Calabar ports, Port Harcourt-Enugu expressway, Bonny-Bodo road and shore protection projects in Niger Delta Region etc. Under this government, the financial value and investment assets of Alh Aliko Dangote rose from $2.1billion in 2009 to $23billion dollars in 2014 thereby conferring on him the title of richest black man in the world, it was also the era of financial recklessness, economic sorcery, open looting of public funds, social frenzy and political jamboree, when ownership of private jets in Nigeria jumped from 25 jets in 2010 to 250 jets in 2015 according to CBN report, the cheapest private jet as at then goes for as much as N4billion Naira and owners included Religious leaders, Contractors, Consultants, Politicians, Traditional rulers, obscure business entities and public officials under the payroll of Government.

• Some notable legacies, accomplishments, shortcomings and faultlines of successive administrations from 1999-2015 was redistribution of 70% of our commonwealth to less than 3% the population, formation of CABALS cum Financial Rapists in the power, oil and gas sectors; institution of sharing money politics; negligence of youth and sports development, inflation, duplication and abandonment of projects; orchestrated leakages of generated revenues and viral looting of public funds etc. They also manufactured ghost workers and padding of payroll to steal N100billion naira annually; looting and diversion of Pension funds, Ecologically funds, National Security and Emergency funds, Infrastructures and Human Resources development funds running into trillions of naira, they equally spent more money on fuel and fertilizer subsidies than what was expended on capital projects and recurrent expenditures in 16yrs. In the final analysis, the displaced PDP administration factored, nurtured and sponsored Boko Haram, kidnapping, Armed Fulani herdsmen, Militants, Militias, baby factories, political assassination, oil bunkery, cultism, occultism, election rigging, thuggery, pipeline sabotage, use of bullet proof vehicles, ritual killings, turning Nigerian security officials to private security guards etc, which has remained reoccurring and daring decimal till date. Under the 16yrs administrations, the prevalence of poverty, corruption, insecurity and unemployment rose above 65%, while the scale of National Development, Export and Life expectancy ratio fell below 35%, with Foreign debt profile at $35billions dollars as at 29th May 2015, even after securing $18billion dollars debt relief in 2005.

 

 

••••• To Be Continued With Appraisal of PMB Administration (2015-2023)

 

Thanks For Reading, Pls Retain The Lesson Value, Don’t Forget To Share

 

👉🏿 Zik of Nigeria can be reached at [email protected]