Restructuring will enhance rapid development of country- Olatujoye
Prince Anthony Olatujoye is an Abuja based Attorney and former Director, Legal Department, Central Bank of Nigeria. In this interview with journalists, he speaks on the two years administration of President Muhammadu Buhari saying it is a work in progress. He also speaks on other sundry issues. PATRICK OKOHUE reports.
*******President Muhammadu Buhari recently celebrated two years in office. How will you assess the administration?
My humble assessment of the Buhari administration so far is that it is work in progress which is gathering momentum considering the fact that it took the President six months to appoint his cabinet for the purpose of governance. Be that as it may, this government has taken bold steps in the areas of the economy, security and the fight against corruption. So the last two years was not so bad, but we hope the next two years will be more productive. So far so good, it is evident that the President has good intentions and I believe he will pull through some of his intended programmes in the remaining two years.
********Buhari and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), promised change in the affairs of the nation, have you seen any change?
Obviously, many things have changed. First, the style of governance has changed as a renewed sense of seriousness is seen in the day-to-day business of government. Second, the fight against insurgency is on the front foot as the military is being properly motivated resulting in the many instances of victory and recovery of former strongholds of terrorists within the country. Third, the economy is gradually being revamped through initiatives and developmental programmes such as the CBN Anchor Borrowers programme, the N-Power and Social Security Programmes. Furthermore, the government has taken commendable steps in supporting Micro, Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (MSMEs) through funds (allocated by the CBN) to Commercial and Microfinance Banks and other financial institutions for the benefit of small businesses and startups with proven capacity. Also in the area of Education, an initiative such as the School Feeding Programme embraced by some states is also in motion as well as the Government’s Social Security Programme which pays the sum of 5,000 naira to the vulnerable.
Fourth, it is instructive to state that the war against corruption has been quite successful; and with the advent of whistle blowing, anti-corruption agencies such as the EFCC have received further needed cooperation from members of the public which is vital for the decimation of corruption in the long run.
Also, it is noteworthy that the Senate has come alive to its law making responsibility by passing the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill, 2017 which will forge cooperation between Nigeria and foreign states in war against corruption.
Furthermore, in the area of Agriculture, laudable steps have been taken by the government to ensure that food security is sine-qua-non. I am aware that majority of the states in the country are now producing rice as well as other agricultural products which will in turn minimise the cost of importing such foods from other countries.
Efforts in the area of transparency and accountability have been boosted by the introduction of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) which has hugely stymied misapplication of funds by agencies of government. Added to this is the Bank Verification Number (BVN) Scheme which is greatly eliminating the “Ghost Workers” syndrome within the civil service.
*******In which area will you score the administration high and in which of the sector will you score the administration low ?
This is a difficult question to ponder, I dare say. But one can say without any fear of contradiction that government has largely tackled insecurity, to wit- Boko Haram, Herdsmen menace and kidnapping. Also; the Niger Delta militancy has been on the decrease through proper economic and policy management of the region. However, unemployment is still an issue which the government needs to look into much more closely as there are so many unemployed youths and graduates in the country and that is a major trigger for the commission of crimes.
Furthermore, there is a compelling need to reflate the economy through the deployment of funds to appropriate sectors in addition to the provision of better infrastructure to encourage private sector participation and investment in the economy. This will not only reduce the unemployment problems in Nigeria but also empower more Nigerians and add a significant input to the GDP of the country.
Again, power supply is still a mirage and this calls for optimal attention and intervention by this administration having regard to the crucial role it plays in industrial and technological development and its direct impact on the lives of the average Nigerian. More efforts should be made to increase power generation by safeguarding and upgrading existing installations for better power supply. The government can give attention to alternative source of power generation e.g. Solar Energy, Biofuel etc. as these newer sources have capacity to not only complement existing sources in order to meet the power needs of the people.
In addition, the administration of justice since the enactment of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) has experienced marked improvements under this government though there are question marks on the continued incarceration of a few suspects in spite of pronouncements by courts. The judiciary should be encouraged to dispense justice quickly and where there is insufficient evidence to justify putting defendants in custody, such persons should be promptly released to engender public confidence in the judiciary.
*******As Buhari’s administration enters the third year which areas will you like the administration to accord priority?
Of course, power, security and the economy should be prioritised. On power, I believe it has become necessary for this government to review the existing contracts with the DISCOs and the GENCOs with a view to improving quality service delivery to Nigerians and if it means terminating the contracts of inefficient service providers, so be it. It would seem that some attention is being directed at the unfortunate menace of herdsmen while the recent economic recovery & growth plan looks assuring.
*******What is your take on issues of Buhari’s health challenge?
I do not see any unusual problem with Buhari’s health condition. He is human like the rest of us and would require medical attention when needed. He has complied with the constitutional requirement by properly transmitting power to the Vice-President in order to attend to his health concerns. Having transmitted power properly, he has done the needful and to his credit, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo who is doing a great job in stewarding the economy in acting capacity as can be seen in the marked improvements in various areas of policy development and implementation.
*******How will you react to the current agitation for restructuring of the country?
Yes, if we are considering restructuring within the contexts of fiscal federalism and regional autonomy typical of other democracies particularly the United States of America, there may be a valid cause for restructuring in Nigeria as it would put an end to the ritual of coming cap-in-hand by states to the central government to obtain funds for their local needs. So I believe in constructive restructuring of the country as this will better empower federating states and reduce the burden borne by the Federal Government in order to ensure rapid development in the country.
*******How will you react to the recent revelation and warning by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Buratai that some politicians are fraternising with soldiers and that they should desist from doing so and should stop enticing the Army into staging a coup?
For me, the warning given by Lt. Gen Buratai goes to no issue, because if there are such politicians/soldiers, the proper thing to do is to have them investigated, and in the event of credible evidence showing such treasonable intentions and proclivities, such politicians/soldiers are swiftly tried before a competent court to serve as deterrent to others.
Attachments area
