The Presidency has slammed organized labour for blank statements and generalizing that all 36 state governors are not competent to distribute the palliative from the Federal Government, describing the assertion as ridiculous.
This follows statement from organized labour that the state governors could not be trusted with the N180 billion palliative packages, noting that politicians and not the poor would benefit from the N5 billion largess given to each state government for disbursement to the citizens to cushion the impact of the fuel subsidy removal.
This was made known by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, while featuring on a Channels Television programme, Politics Today, on Friday night.
Ngelale disagreed with the organized labour movement for painting all 36 state governors with the same brush as if all of them are the same, all of them are performing at the same level and all of them have the same competency.
We have to trust the governors
Ngelale said,
- “And by the way, these state governors that the organized labour movement is painting all 36 of them with the same brush as if all of them are the same, all of them are performing at the same level, all of them have the same competency—we know that’s a ridiculous assertion.’’
According to the Presidential media aide, Nigerians should open a window of trust to the state governors in distributing palliatives, adding that they were voted in by the credibility of the people to address their needs.
He said,
- “What we are saying is Nigerians elected these state governors just as they elected the president, and we have to trust the judgment of Nigerians who elected these officials to conduct these activities on their behalf.
- “So, it can’t just be at the outset panicking that they can’t do it. We have to trust them to do the job they were elected to do.”
However, he added that given the “history of maladministration in our country,” such skepticism is expected.
FG to monitor palliative distribution by states
Ngelale also stated that the Federal Government is on standby to monitor the distribution of palliatives – meant to cushion the impact of subsidy removal to Nigerians at the state level.
He said,
- “It is fair to say that there does not need to be a check. There needs to be a means of monitoring which is why federal regulators are involved; which is why we have put in place the palliatives distribution.’’
Ngelale, who admitted that there are possibilities of bad eggs manifesting in the disbursement process, pointed out that President Bola Tinubu is going to enforce a bottom-up approach.
He said,
- “So, what we are doing now is this: yes, the state government is being empowered to the extent that they are implementing some of the palliatives that we are talking about with respect to the delivery of rice and maize to communities across the states and other supplements that are well known by now.
- “But what we are also doing is that from the federal end, we are ensuring that these funds are not just giveaway grants that don’t have to be paid back. First of all, it’s a loan facility.”
This government is very insensitive to yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians and it is fritting away its social capital. The palliatives are meant to settle the governors towards 2027. The government is not after the welfare of the people. With a whopping N5b, a serious state government should be able to resuscitate the first batch of 50 companies located across the state and employing not less than 1000 people each to be able to repay the facility and export.
Any state that owns up to 50 companies (or any companies whatsoever) should be privatizing them. Not only would the state probably raise more than N5b, but the private sector will run the companies better and therefore likely to employ more people and lay more taxes.
But of course so many Nigerians would rather deceive themselves that they are part “owners” of government companies that are worth NOTHING, rather than see such companies sold to the private sector so that they might “own” a little piece (or not even own) SOMETHING.
Loan facility? To the states
Loan facility to the states? Didn’t know…
Look at the COVID palliative, see how they mismanaged it. FG giving such pay to states also show that FG have no plans at all. It’s bad already let’s take calculated risk, spend that money on power and see how far we go, or give us free data for a year. They can also chose to distribute solar panel to small and medium scale offices, to help them in times of power outage. 5 billion can build us about 3333 standard 2 bedroom flats. Giving it to the greedy guv was a mistake.
Give you free data so that you can spend all of your time on social media – or use it to find a way to “japa”?! LMAO
I think you are underestimating the benefits that free data could actually have. From facilitating remote work, thus sparing individuals from the burden of allocating their limited finances to costly fuel and transportation, to aiding the unemployed in securing new jobs or pursuing online courses for skill enhancement and new job training, there is growing empirical support for the notion that increasing Internet access can improve the productivity of workers and firms.
It’s not a bad idea.
Who’s talking about competency in governance in this country, does that phrase exist? Unless of course, it’s competency in getting away with unfulfilled key electoral promises while keeping the masses perpetually intoxicated and sedated with divisions, contented with half measures and stupefied by parodic and mock anti-corruption campaigns etc, to fully understand what had hit them.
Companies to be assisted need not be only government owned. Every state has chamber of commerce with the profile of these companies. Countries find ways to assist their private companies on a less cumbersome and seamless manner. The government has not been open on the privatization deals in the past preferring sale to cronnies and under the table deals. The country is worst for it. The stock market does not offer any advantage either with total demise of the primary segment of the market. The last privatisation transaction – Sahcol was undersubscribed and was on the verge of abortion. Meanwhile, privatisation is not meant for dead companies only. The company to be privatized must have prospect and must be in good standing