Inequity of approving additional $22.7bn loan by Senate despite deteriorating economy, By Echefuna' RG Onyebeadi
Posted by News Express | 9 March 2020 | 1,862 times
•Senate President Ahmad Lawan
Details of the projects and services assigned to the geopolitical zones of Nigeria, from the additional $22.7 billion loan approved by the "Nigerian" Senate, for the government of Maj-Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd), are reproduced below for ease of reference.
My first reaction is to assume that the breakdown of the copied information reproduced below for ease of reference may not be correct despite the well-known pattern of the reigning Buhari's regime.
However, in the absence of any other verifiable information, what is available to Nigerians is the above information and this leaves one with no option now than to accept it as a fact.
The above stated loan imposed on Nigeria, among others by this regime is to be paid back - if not now but certainly later - from the resources (beer money - including other alcohols and sundry taxes plus VAT, ocean money and oil money, among others), from Southern Nigeria; the North contributes NOTHING, so long as the current revenue sources of the "Federation" persists!
From the figures detailed below, out of this additional $22.7 billion loan approved by the "Nigerian" Senate, a whopping $13.203 billion is to be spent on whatever in/for Northern Nigeria (that shall NOT be liable in any form for any refund); a meagre total sum of $4.47 billion will be spent in/for South-west and South-south combined (To The Complete Exclusion Of SOUTH-EAST NIGERIA); while the balance of over $5 billion out of the $22.7 billion loan said to be reserved for "Aso Rock" under the heading "General", presumably, for the Presidency big boys to play with. Yet, only Southern Nigeria shall be liable to pay back the entire loan with the accrued interest, so long as the present revenue generation pattern persists!
Now, fellow Nigerians: how equitable, fair and just is this?
And we are talking of one Nigeria!
The question that readily demands urgent answer is: Why Is The Entire South East Geopolitical Zone Completely Omitted/Excluded From The Projects To Be Executed From The Said Loan?
Will the South-east be excluded from the said loan repayment?
Is South-east no longer a part of this country called Nigeria?
What is the crime of the people of the entire South-eastern Nigeria to warrant the continued total incarceration and exclusion from key government positions, projects and programmes at the centre, particularly by the Gen Muhammadu Buhari's regime?
Recently, this same regime informed Nigerians that several billions of naira (that is principally sourced from Southern Nigeria) shall be spent to rehabilitate the "illegal miners" of gold, mainly in Northern Nigeria for them to mine gold and sell same to the Central Bank of Nigeria. That is to say that the mineral resources found in the North remains the properties of Northern Nigeria while mineral resources, including the oil, from Southern Nigeria belongs to the entire country, from which the North has continued to retain the largest share. Again, how equitable, fair and just is this?
Meanwhile, the crude oil modular/cottage refineries in Southern Nigeria by self-efforts of some indigenes of the oil-producing communities are termed illegal and are continuously being destroyed by the "Federal" Government irrespective of the huge environmental, human and financial costs to the host communities. The proprietors of these cottage refineries are usually criminalised by the "Federal" Government and even sometimes killed with reckless abandon. Now, how equitable, fair and just is this?
Whereas the "Religious Police" of Northern Nigeria governments destroy Southern Nigerians hospitality businesses in the North because some sell alcoholic drinks (which some of their elites secretly patronise), these same governments of Northern Nigeria continue to collect the lion share of VAT on same alcohols and other products from Southern Nigeria. Again, how equitable, fair and just is this?
All the proceeds from the livestock from the North, particularly the cows, among others, for which southerners and other Nigerians are being raped, maimed and killed in their ancestral homes by the terrorist Fulani herdsmen belongs to the North and NOT Nigeria.
Meanwhile, Nigeria's money is being spent on RUGA, these livestock and other enablers by the "Federal" Government under Buhari’s watch, to which the North contributes nothing! NO taxes, NO royalties are paid on the proceeds from these livestock into the common pool of the "Federation" Account and shared to all states, as done with that of oil and other products from Southern Nigeria. How equitable, fair and just is this?
All the proceeds from agricultural produce from the North for which Nigeria's money is spent on dams and fertilisers, among other enablers by the "Federal" Government, belong to the North. NO taxes, NO royalties! How equitable, fair and just is this?
All the proceeds from the "illegal mining" of gold and other mineral resources from the North belongs to the North and NOT Nigeria! How equitable, fair and just is this?
At present, Northern Nigeria, having perfected various “smart” means, such as the number of states, number of LGAs, "Land-mass", "population" and such others, have continued to collect more that 70 per cent from the 'Federation' Account sourced mainly from Southern Nigeria, to which they contribute NOTHING. Again, how equitable, fair and just is this?
Meanwhile, the North have continued to hold Nigeria “hostage” by ruling Nigeria for over 42 years and still counting, as a matter of "right"; the South-west did same for about 12 years and still counting; the South-South that provides over 90 per cent of Nigeria's revenue accidentally presided over the nation for just about five years, while the South-east has done same for just 6 months, out of about 60 years of Nigeria's independence! How equitable, fair and just is this?
Details Of The Projects & Services Assigned To The Geopolitical Zones
1. South-west: $200,000,000.00
2. South-South: $4,270,000,000.00
3. South-east: ZERO!
4. North-west: $6,372,000,000.00
5. North-east: $300,000,000.00
6. North-central: $6,531,000,000
General: $5,853,900,000.00.
South-west – Power transmission project ($200m; Lagos, Ogun).
South-south - East-west road ($800m; Niger Delta); Railway modernization/coastal railway project (Calabar-Port Harcourt-Onne deep sea port segment ($3.47bn; Cross River and Rivers states).
South-east - Nil Nil Nil Nil.
North-East – Multi-sectoral crises recovery programme ($200m, North-east); North-east Nigeria integrated social protection, basic health, education, nutrition services and livelihood restoration project ($100m; North-east); Mambila hydro-electric power project ($4.8bn; Taraba)
Lake Chad Basin Commission ($13m, multinational).
North-west – Kano-Lagos railway modernisation project (Kano-Ibadan segment double track) ($5.53bn; Kano, Oyo states).
Vocational training in power sector ($50m; FCT, Lagos, Ogun, Kano, Plateau, Niger, Enugu, Kaduna and Cross River states).
Kaduna State economic transformation programme for results ($35m, Kaduna). National Information and Communication Technology Infrastructural Backbone Project (NICTIB) Phase II ($328.1m; Lagos, Abuja, Ibadan, Akure, Maiduguri, Lokoja, Kaduna, Akwanga, Bauchi, Kano, Katsina).
Katsina State - Health System Project ($110m, Katsina).
North-east, Plateau State – Rural water supply and sanitation ($150m; North-east, and Plateau).
Development of the mining industry ($150m, nationwide).
North-central:
Staple crops processing zone support project ($100m, Kogi)
Greater Abuja water supply project ($381m; FCT)
Abuja mass rail transit project (phase 2) ($1.25bn; FCT).
Integrated programme for development and adaption to climate change in the Niger Basin ($6m; Nigeria and Niger Republic)
The examples of the inequities in virtually all spheres of life abounds in Nigeria, and yet we are mouthing one Nigeria (only in nomenclature) and unity of the non-existent “non negotiable” national unity.
Can there be peace and progress without fairness and justice?
The world is watching! Hummm!!
•Prof. Echefuna' RG Onyebeadi writes from Abuja.
Source: News Express
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