Contrary to the damning verdicts of dismal performance passed on the present administration by Nigerians, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe, claims the Jonathan administration has delivered on its promises to the electorate. He told journalists last Friday in Abuja that what the present administration deserved was adulation, not acerbic and dismissive comments on its performance.
Excerpts: The excitement that greeted the inception of the Jonathan administration has faded, as Nigerians have lost confidence in the President’s ability to deliver on his promises….
(cuts in) That’s not true. I am pleased to inform you that President Goodluck Jonathan, is gradually delivering on the promises he made to the electorate. I have had to go and read his inaugural speech and from there, I have extracted certain promises he made, which I will enumerate to you. So, we can categorically say that Jonathan is delivering on promises. One, President Jonathan promised electoral reforms in the country, people didn’t believe that it was possible; he even offered himself as a guinea pig for election and was prepared to leave and go back to his home. The presidential election notwithstanding whatever anybody else says has been adjudged, globally as perhaps one of the best elections ever held in this country. You will also observe that other elections that had taken place under the watch of President Jonathan and he had insisted that every man vote will count in those elections and they have counted. Not only that, he has ensured that manipulations and thuggery that characterized previous elections are gradually been wiped off.
The latest in our mind is the electoral victory of the ACN in Edo State, where there was so much tension, so much apprehension and fear; not only that, some of the strongest PDP stalwarts come from that state, but yet, President Jonathan ensured that the apparatus of government maintained neutrality and firmness and the outcome is there for everyone to see. So, on electoral reform and the conduct of proper election which President Jonathan promised, he has delivered. Number two, when the President assumed office, the energy capacity of the country at that time ranged between 1,900 megawatts to some 2,200 megawatts. The Independent Power Projects, ten of them were grounded and nearly moribund, but today Nigeria is generating in excess of 4400 megawatts of electricity. Some cynics have said this is due to high level of water in the hydro generating plants in Shiroro and Kanji. This isn’t true; I can tell you, authoritatively that why it is true that every year there is a marginal increase in power supply, because of the increase contribution in the hydro plants, that cannot account for the fifteen hours or so that is being currently enjoyed in many parts of the country. The reason for this additional increase is coming from the NIPP that are now adding between 600 and 800 megawatts to the national grid.
That’s what is responsible for this new improvement and between now and December, we are expecting nearly an additional 1,000 megawatts, because of increase and an arrangement that have been made for purchase and supply of gas to some of these NIPP projects. More areas will enjoy longer hours of electricity supply by December. So, on power it is obvious that President Jonathan is fulfilling his promise to the Nigerian people. The third one is on infrastructure. The Ministry of Works have concluded several thousands of kilometers of road in the last fourteen months. Recently, the Benin-Ore road has now been awarded at a cost of about N55 billion and that road is going to be fixed.
The one that gives a lot of anxiety to the Nigerian public is the Lagos-Ibadan Express Road. It is a test case in the Public Private Partnership and it is obvious that globally this is a trend that government are patronizing. It is important that we don’t give wrong signal on this major one and that is part of the reason why government is taking its time. Number two, federal government has judgment debt in excess of hundred of billions naira. So, government is also trying to avoid issue of unnecessary litigation, but I can tell you, authoritatively also that everything concerning the Lagos Ibadan road is about to be perfected. Real construction work is likely to commence within the next four to six weeks, maximum.
The Jonathan administration promised good governance, rule of law. On rule of law, there are so many evidences and cases that show that unlike before this government isn’t one of those government that disobeys court order, or ignores court judgment. The government has upheld rule of law and without due obedience to rule of law, you really cannot have a democracy. So, while this may not be something tangible that people can hold on to, but a lot depends on the rule of law and attitude of government to rule of law, including foreign investors and all that. If your country is a place where jungle justice exists, nobody is going to bring his money. The government also promised civil liberty; it is an essential ingredient of democracy, not only is our peoples’ rights respected – when the President jokingly alluded to the fact that he was the most criticized president in the world, Nigerians and the Nigerian media missed the point.
The point he was trying to make is that he has brought liberalism to governance, even the security forces have become democratized, they no longer jump at people and detain them. If democracy indeed is about government of the people for the people by the people, the consultations that the president held yesterday with the civil societies is an outstanding example of a government that believes in dialogue and consultations with various sections of the community. But Nigerians wonder why there was no consultations on the planned introduction of N,5000 notes, even Benue State Governor, Gabriel Suswam confessed that himself and his colleagues are in the dark. How would you react to this against the backdrop of your claim that the government consults?
You must be able to… I don’t want to divide government really, this is a CBN project and in truth, presidential approval was given, but it is also important to carry the people along and to educate them and I am sure the CBN would embark on this exercise. I don’t want to pass judgment, but personally from my own investigation and discussions with experts, we are dissipating too much energy and time on an issue that is not that very, very… it isn’t that it isn’t important but its impact on us, both as citizens and on the economy of the country is almost minimal. It will be foolhardy for anybody to say that Kalu Idika Kalu is a nobody in the field of economy, he is perhaps one of the best that we have in Africa and such celebrated financial expert, consultant and economist have made statement to the effect that the introduction would have no bearing whatsoever on the economy of Nigeria.
What I have observed is that we intend to over politicize everything in this country. This is an issue that should be left in the purview of experts, but it is now being discussed by ordinary people like you and I. The American government has $1,000 bill but it isn’t for everybody, it is only for those who require it; you aren’t compelled to demand from your banker N5,000, because I heard somebody saying that, ‘can you imagine, after working for thirty days they just give you four N5,000 notes.’’ That takes the debate to the level of the ridiculous, because it isn’t compulsory that you are paid with that denomination.
If you want to be paid in N20.00 note, the banks have it, they also have N500 and N200. If we cast our minds back, there was a time when the highest denomination we had was N100 and they now brought N500 and they brought N1000. It will not affect the price of anything and will not impact negatively on the economy. I think awareness campaign can be done and reassuring move will still be made by CBN. Nigerians should focus on very, very serious issues that have potential to directly affect our lives.
Some people have said this money will encourage corruption and all that. People who have to carry large sums of money, presently, I have observed they will rather carry dollars than naira. Three quarters of those who buy dollars in Nigeria aren’t buying it to pay for foreign service, but they are using it for their own internal transactions. So, if we have a naira note that has a high denomination, that make it easier and more compact to carry big sums of money, that in itself will reduce the demand on dollar and it will help to shore up the value of our currency, because fewer people now will be going after the dollar.
Over fifty percent of those who purchase dollar aren’t purchasing it in order to use it for overseas transactions, they are buying it in order to limit the volume of cash they carry. But there is the submission that a critical segment like the National Assembly should have been carried along. National Assembly? I have no information. You just said the introduction of N5000 will enable Nigerians to carry with ease large volume of money.
How do you reconcile that with the cashless policy of the same CBN? You see, the cashless policy in America, people hardly carry cash, yet they still have high denomination dollar currency; they do. It is cashless policy, but what it means is that, before you can go to bank and withdraw N50 million, but they are trying to reduce that. But I as a signatory to my own account, I can take N500,000 at a time. That in N100 note is five bundles, but if it is in N5,000 note, that is one bundle. So, cashless society doesn’t mean total cancellation of cash transaction. No. there is still cash transactions but there is a limit. Again, there is no law that says you must be paid in N5,000 note; it is a matter of choice. But can you reject, once it becomes a legal tender? No, if they pay you in a bank you can say, sorry I don’t want N5,000. You can request for lower denominations.
You have said this government do consults Yes. But few developments seem to give Nigerians the illumination that there is a disconnection between this government and the power elite. I cite two incidents: former president, Olusegun Obasanjo and former military president, Ibrahim Babangida issued joint statement, expressing concern over state of insecurity in the country; just yesterday, Chief Obasanjo warned that the planned introduction of N5,000 will kill production. Has the doors of Aso Rock been shut against these eminent citizens, or they are just interested in playing to the gallery?
I cannot answer that question. Obasanjo is no longer the president of the country, he is an ordinary citizen like you and I, he is totally out of purview of government and governance. So, on issues that are very cogent and of serious national importance, I am sure they have the council of state, where they consult on a regular basis and the president himself has direct access to them. But the former president has absolute right to his own opinion. You spoke about the adherence of the present administration to rule of law and due process. But critics of the Jonathan administration have always accused him of being selective on this; they always cite the treatment given to Justice Ayo Salami, the suspended President of the Court of Appeal, who President Jonathan has refused to reinstate, despite the recommendation of the National Judicial Council? What does the law says on that matter?
When the President was advised to approve his suspension, if he didn’t, would he have contravened any law? On point of law, has any law been broken? No. let us be guided by facts. When the president was advised to suspend Justice Salami, he took it. If he didn’t take it; the law says NJC shall recommend, not order the President. So, the discretion is that of the President and in the exercise of discretion you cannot order him, because he has more information than any other person in the country.
Culled From The SUN