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Strike: Why we refused to sign MoU — Doctors

Striking resident doctors said yesterday that they declined to append their signature to the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the federal government because they had the feeling they were being punished for the failure of government.

The doctors, operating under the aegis of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, NARD, also vowed to continue the ongoing strike until their demands were met.

National President of NARD, Dr. Okhuaihesuyi Uyilawa, stated this after the meeting between the Nigerian Medical Association, NMA, stakeholders in the medical sector and the Federal Government.

The meeting was at the instance of President Muhammadu Buhari who directed the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, to ensure all contentious issues that led to the strike were resolved.

The NMA attended the meeting only to intervene for the resident doctors.

After the meeting which lasted for hours, the NARD president said they would proceed with the case at the National Industrial Court, NIC, having refused to sign the MoU.

“We rejected the MoU, we didn’t sign it because we feel we are being punished for the failures of those in government,’’ Uyilawa said.

But speaking earlier, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Ngige, said the federal government will commence the implementation of its Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, with the NMA today.

The Minister in his opening remarks at the all-stakeholders meeting, told journalists that they had reached agreements the previous night on all the 12 disputed issues, adding that implementation would start from the next working day (today)

Regarding the issue of non-payment of some house officers, the Minister said NARD was expected to submit the list of the affected 114 officers for further verification, adding that when confirmed that they were genuine, and their IPPIS particulars and BVN were in order, they would be paid in September with the outstanding arrears.

He said an agreement was reached on the Residency Training Fund outstanding for 2020 and 2021, after the Budget Office had explained that N617, 429, 121 was the outstanding to be paid in the 2020.

The minister said: “There are reconciliations to be done here because 2020 was done with some errors. Some people who are not supposed to benefit from the fund got money and because of that, the number of genuine people that were not paid also came to that quantum of persons.

“So, reconciliation is being done and some monies are being returned. We have given a timeline for this reconciliation to be done. And for 2021, the money approved by government is N4.802 billion.

‘’This money as I said earlier, was contained in the 2021 Supplementary Budget, which the President signed on the eve of his departure to the UK.

“So, between that time and now, it became a money law. The funds have now been sourced and it has been received from the CBN to the Budget Office where we expect it to be processed in one week as undertaken by the government side.”

Ngige added that the meeting agreed that by Friday, August 27, residents in institutions would have started getting their money, with each receiving about N542, 000.

He noted that the issue of consequential adjustment on national minimum wage cuts across the health and educational sectors, which were both affected by the projection of N160 billion done in 2019, but which fell short of the people that were to benefit from it.

“The meeting agreed that we need to let this matter be. Therefore, the Budget Office of the Federation should start from the 2021 service vote to start paying. And if we have any leftovers, we roll it into 2022.

“Coming to hazard allowance, everybody agreed that the discussion is still ongoing and, therefore, government wants to finish it up. We agreed with NMA’s position to us that they don’t want to discuss holistically anymore as an association and that they have their own peculiarities that are not same with other health workers.

“We are going to do two meetings, one for NMA and affiliates and one for JOHESU. But we are taking the meetings concurrently, so we don’t run into troubled waters. We are starting next weeks,’’ he said.

Ngige said the meeting equally noted that the non-payment of skipping allowance cuts across the entire health sector and agreed that it was going to be handled holistically, while awaiting the court judgment on the matter.

He said the NMA had been directed to submit a written position on the controversial circular withdrawing NYSC doctors and house officers from the scheme of service to point out the anomaly in the circular for onward transmission to Head of Service of the Federation, who will look at the inputs given by NMA to the circular and process it to either the Council of Establishment or handle it administratively.

“We also agreed on the migration of doctors on Government Financial Management Information System, GFMIS, from some university teaching hospitals, like University College Hospital Ibadan, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital and University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital which have recruited doctors on GFMIS and were unable to pay them when GFMIS was tampered with.

“We can resume when we verify those people. They can be there until the recruitment is perfected in order to migrate them to Integrated Personnel and Payroll System, IPPIS,. In this wise, the Head of Service has granted waiver and revalidation of old waiver for University of Port Harcourt and waivers for University College Ibadan and Calabar but this is not without reprimand for CMDs who have flouted government’s regulations by recruiting people into the service without fulfilling the requirements of circular on this.

“We also have issue of hazard allowances for doctors in government hospitals that did not benefit from that 2020 payment. The Federal Ministry of Health has compiled a list and we said the list should be forwarded back again to the Federal Ministry of Finance.

“For doctors in university clinics and the rest of them, we said they should route their own through the Federal Ministry of Education, their parent Ministry and employer.

“On the controversial issue of NSIWC circular, removing doctors in academia from Consolidated Medical Salary Structure, CONMESS, and also doctors who are doubling as honorary consultants/lecturers from CONMESS to Congress of University Academics, CONUAS, we have even before their request treated one leg of it by obeying the court order already got by them and in the spirit of dialogue, we said further discussions should continue with National salaries, Income and Wages Commission, NSIWC.

“NMA has undertaken that they should tell the two members and their association to do an out of court settlement by withdrawing the matter from the industrial court until we finish the negotiation. We gave a time for negotiation.

“We have empanelled a committee with NMA, including NSIWC, Federal Ministry of Health, Federal Ministry of Labour and others in the team. The first inaugural meeting is Tuesday, August 31st, we are hopeful that this meeting will give us suggestion on how to resolve the matter.

“On the issues relating to states, there is no way the Federal Government will start pulling the states on the issue of domestication of Medical Residency Training Programme by their various Houses of Assembly and government and issue of Medical Training Residency Fund.

‘’We also have the issue of non-payment of COVID-19 allowances by some state governments and consequential minimum wage adjustments.

“We have before now made contact with the Governors Forum on these matters and the onus is now on us as the Ministry of Labour to talk to the Governors Forum and impress on them on the need for this to be done.

“The Medical Residency Training and accompanying Fund is already in the Act which the Federal Government has signed. We will impress it on them as part of strengthening the health system so that we are not starved of specialist doctors. There is an urgent need for them to adopt that.

“This will also help us to stem the issue of brain drain. The Federal Government cannot employ everybody. We want state governments to pay more attention to secondary and tertiary health,’’ Ngige said.

Doom At The Emirates As Chelsea cruise to win over woeful Arsenal

This was men against boys which, given Romelu Lukaku first arrived at Chelsea as a raw teenager 10 years ago and returns as one of the world’s finest strikers, was accurate in more ways than one.

Chelsea were simply too good for Arsenal who have now played two, lost two and have not even scored. Chelsea were too good, too strong, too skilful, too well-organised, too competitive. The differences went on and on.

Lukaku got his goal inside 15 minutes, having not scored in 15 appearances for Chelsea during his first spell at the club and the strike summed this match up. The difference he made to Chelsea – who are bona fide, genuine Premier League title contenders, and the difference between them and Arsenal.

Following his £97.5million move from Inter Milan and on his return to the west Londoners Lukaku did precisely what Chelsea want. As the away fans chanted his name at a corner Lukaku tapped the club badge on his shirt. This appears set to be a very happy reunion.

For his goal the 28 year old held the ball up against Pablo Mari, like he was fending off an over-eager puppy, and released it back to Mateo Kovavic who picked out Reece James unmarked on the right. The wing-back’s low cross was precise and for all of Mari’s efforts to try and impede him Lukaku was in the six-yard area to tuck it into the net. Mari ended up on the ground having thrown his arms in the air. It was not a good look for Arsenal although it was a textbook example of what Chelsea hoped for from Lukaku.

It was his first ever goal against Arsenal and was also his 114th in the Premier League – taking him ahead of Ian Wright in the all-time list. There will be many more to come. And with that Arsenal’s optimism was burst. The next pass backwards by them was booed and the fans frustration was bubbling over. There were more boos at half-time and it was as if those fans had never been away.

Mikel Ateta had summoned up a siege mentality saying “they” (whoever they are) could not break Arsenal’s “spirit” and here it had been broken. Chelsea smashed straight through it and although Arsenal were significantly improved in the second-half it was never enough. Maybe instead of worrying about outside noise Arteta should have organised his team better in that first period. Even the most basic of coaching courses would have pointed out, for example, that James needed to stopped down the right. Instead he remained unmarked.

Arsenal were without their £50 million signing Ben White after he tested positive for Covid but that was not the problem. It was simple organisation and, well, not being good enough. Three more times James should have picked out Lukaku who bumped and barged – or simply did so with clever movement – his way into space and Arsenal only escaped because the delivery was not good enough. Mari finally got close to Lukaku and was booked for bringing him down.

And then Chelsea scored again and – guess what? – it was James who claimed it. The move began as Chelsea worked their way down the left with Marcos Alonso’s pass infield intended for Lukaku. Granit Xhaka slid in but the ball ran to Mount who quickly, again, found James who, again, was unmarked and slammed the ball high into the net.

As the goal was scored Kieran Tierney could be seen throwing himself to block James. It was too little, too late.

Arsenal needed a lifeline and hoped they would get it when James appeared to bundle over Bukayo Saka in the penalty area. Referee Paul Tierney was unmoved and the decision stood after a Var check. Last season it probably would have been a spot-kick but the rules have been softened with the officials deciding there was insufficient contact. If Arsenal were unfortunate then they were lucky when an ugly lunge by Rob Holding on Alonso went unpunished. Last season that could have been a red card.

A fierce rising shot from Saka on the area’s edge was smartly tipped over by Edouard Mendy and Arsenal were also lifted by a charge forward from Tierney which followed a period of pressure when Lukaku again looked like scoring on more than one occasion.

When Mari headed a corner back across goal it was met by Holding who surely had to score. But he only managed to send his own header the wrong side of the post. It was undoubtedly better from Arsenal, with Cesar Azpilicueta doing well to block Emile Smith Rowe’s goal-bound shot, who had started well before being overwhelmed. Arteta responded after 60 minutes by bringing on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang although it was a surprise to see Saka give way.

But did Arsenal ever look like saving themselves? Thomas Tuchel turned to N’Golo Kante – what a substitute to be able to bring on – and that ended that with Lukaku appearing certain to score again when he met Mount’s cross. His close-range header, as he was too quick for Holding, was firm but Bernd Leno excelled in turning it onto the cross-bar and away for a corner. Leno then also blocked from Kai Havertz, who was teed up by Lukaku and should really have scored.

“Too easy,” shouted one angry Arsenal fan. For Chelsea it had been just that as they made it two wins from two and no goals conceded at the start of the season. Their record – with five goals scored – is identical to Liverpool who they face next weekend. It should be a closer contest as the boos rang out again at full-time from the Arsenal supporters who must already be wondering where their season is heading.

Under Buhari’s Administration, Nigeria Now Produces SIM Cards, Cell Phones For African Continent— Pantami

The Federal Government says it has achieved 100 per cent in the production of Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards as well as manufacture of many components of cell phones used in the country.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, said this when featured in a special News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) interview programme in Abuja.

He said government was partnering private sectors on the local production of SIM cards, cell phones, tablets and other ICT facilities.

Pantami said that the local production was sequel to the national policy on local content signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on the promotion of Indigenous Content in the Nigerian Telecommunications Sector.

Pantami said this was in line with the Nigerian government’s commitment to ensure that Nigerians become active participants in the different sectors of the economy.

He said the policy had addressed pertinent areas, including manufacturing, services, people, research and development, thus further advancing the goals of the nation.

Pantami said developing the capacity of Nigerians would ensure an enhanced role for Nigerians in the design and manufacture of devices and in meeting the manpower requirements in the sector.

“The main aim of the policy transcends the literary translation to more of a technical one when Mr President said Nigerians must produce what we eat, and eat what we produce.

“In the digital economy sector, we consider this statement not just the literary meaning of agriculture but extends to other sectors.

“We produce what we want to consume in Nigeria and manufacture what we need in ICT sector, telecommunication sector,” he said.

The minister, however, said the policy had ensured local manufacturing, developing skills, sponsoring and mentoring of other Nigerians to acquire the same skills to serve the country.

“After launching the policy until date, SIM cards are being manufactured in Nigeria.

“Before this administration, SIM cards were being imported into the country but today Nigeria has the capacity to produce SIM cards for the African continent.

“In Nigeria we manufacture smart phones, we have been licensed internationally and we partner others in the production of smart phones and Tablets,” he said.

Pantami said in the next few months and years, Industrial Training Fund in collaboration with other private sectors would manufacture phones that could be exported.

“The policy is to make sure we manufacture what we patronise, and patronise what we manufacture.

“On 12th of Feb., Mr President signed the Executive order on local content patronage where Federal institutions were directed to give priority and preferences to citizens when it comes to consulting work and many more.’’

The minister said the production of SIM cards and ICT facilities were beyond reducing importation, adding it would increase job creation as well as bring about large produce for citizen.

He said the country was faced with the challenges of unemployment and unemployability “where graduates have relevance certificates sometimes without the basic skills and opportunities.

“Where ICT items are being produced locally, they can get the hands on and get skills required. It will bring an end to brain drain as many Nigeria are leaving the country to other countries.

“It will support us in strengthening the value of our local currency; one of the major challenges with Naira today is more of our being a consuming nation rather than a producing nation.

“Almost whatever you need, you discover it is being imported. So, it is putting so much pressure on our local currency,” he said.

The Minister said there was need to change the perception to being producers rather than consumers, saying it would reduce the demand for international currency and forex. (NAN)

15 Years After Funsho William’s Death, Bode George Sends Strong Message To Killers

A former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Olabode George, has said the killers of Chief Funsho Williams will be apprehended not matter how long it takes.
Recall that Funsho Williams was on July 27, 2006, found bound, strangled, and stabbed at his home in Dolphin Estate, Ikoyi.

No one has been arrested and prosecuted for the murder of the PDP chieftain.

Speaking to The PUNCH on Sunday, Bode George stated that no matter how long it takes justice will be meted out to those who took the life of the politicians ahead of the 2007 governorship election.

Asked about the yet-to-be concluded Investigation into the murder, he said: “We should ask the police who investigated it. The truth will prevail one day.

“Right now, they have shut it down and are pretending they don’t know, but they know.

“I have linked this one to the bigger one, when Cain murdered Abel. When God asked him, ‘What did you do to your brother?’ he said, ‘Since when did you appoint me as my brother’s keeper.’ But eventually, justice was meted out.

“Funsho has not died in vain. May God’s will be done.”

Go and Rest, Allow Your ‘Children’ Take Over The Mantle Of Leadership – Yahaya Bello Tells Bola Tinubu

The Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has called on the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, to drop his presidential ambition.
Society gazette reports that Bola Tinubu, a former governor of Lagos state, is reportedly plotting to replace President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023, though he is yet to officially declare his intention.

Speaking in an interview with DailyTrust, Yahaya Bello, who described Tinubu as his father, urged the APC leader to allow his ‘children take over the mantle of leadership.’

The governor however stated that the former Lagos governor has a right to contest the election as he is a man of integrity.

Yahaya Bello said: “Senator Tinubu is one of our leaders and I respect him so much. He has played a very significant role in Nigeria’s democracy and has built a lot of people.

“He has paid his dues, and with all respect, as a son to him, my simple advice is that it is time for him to allow his children take over the mantle of leadership and do it to the glory of God and his admiration.

“He should see that those children he raised are now doing well. Let him see how we manage this country in his lifetime.

“However, he has a right to run, nobody is questioning that. I always urge everybody to respect him for the roles he has played in this country’s democracy. He is a man of integrity, to be candid.”

Just In: FG, striking doctors reach agreement Over 12 Points Demand

The Federal Government and the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), including resident doctors and other stakeholders in the medical sector have reached an agreement over the 12-point demands by the doctors.

It will be recalled that the resident doctors under the aegis of Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) had embarked on indefinite strike on August 2 over the alleged inability of the government to meet with the association’s demands.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, had threatened to invoke the ‘no work, no pay’ policy to compel the striking workers suspend the strike, but the doctors were unmoved.

The development made Ngige to drag the doctors to the Industrial Court for adjudication, as negotiation to resolve the industrial dispute broke down

However, after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, Ngige was directed to use every available means to resolve the issue.

Now, according to Vanguard on Saturday, after a marathon meeting that lasted about 11 hours on the instance of Ngige, an agreement was reached, although as of the time of publishing this report, the relevant parties were yet to conclude the paper work.

Ex Oyo Military Governor, General Tunji Olurin Dies At 76

The former Military Administrator of Oyo and Ekiti States state, General Tunji Olurin (rtd.), is dead.

Olurin, a political ally of former President Olusegun Obasanjo died at the age of 76.

Olurin died at Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) in the early hours of Saturday, according to Funso Olurin, the deceased’s brother.

According to him, Olurin died after a brief illness.

Olurin was the military administrator of Ekiti between from October 8, 2006, and April 27, 2007.

He hailed from Ilaro in Ogun West Senatorial district of Ogun state.

He was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship candidate in the 2011 general election in Ogun.

The deceased was a Field Commander of ECOMOG Peacekeeping Force in Liberia from 1992 to 1993 during the First Liberian Civil War.

He retired from service in 1993.

‘I Can Be Friends With Isa Pantami, it’s Called Politics Without Bitterness’ – Fani-Kayode Replies Nigerians

Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani-Kayode has replied Nigerians who criticised him for describing the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, as his brother and friend.

Society gazette reports that the former minister was pictured smiling with Pantami at the wedding ceremony of Yusuf, President Muhammadu Buhari’s son, and his bride Zahra in Kano.

Joining a host of others at the affluent ceremony, Fani-Kayode while giving an update about his trip to Kano alongside top politicians, described Pantami as his brother.

It could be recalled that FFK a few months ago went hard on Pantami, describing him as a sociopath among many unprintable names.

Fani-Kayode in April this year lampooned Pantami after the Communication’s Minister came under fire over his past controversial comments supporting Islamic terrorist group known as the Taliban.

FFK who is a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, labelled the communication minister with ‘humiliating’ terms for his extremist Salafist views and sympathy for the Taliban, currently on the rampage in Afghanistan.

Nigerians, surprised to see Fani-Kayode with Pantami and other APC politicians, slammed the former Minister.

Some Nigerians accused the minister of lacking honour for dining with someone he described as a “unrepentant jihadist, cold blooded beast, a psychopathic and clearly insane individual”

Reacting, Fani-Kayode stated that he can disagree with his friend, stressing that politics is about bridge-building.

He wrote, “Buba Galadima with Ahmad Lawan, GEJ with PMB, GEJ with VP & Atiku with PMB. Politics is about bridge-building regardless of your differences.

“It is not war. You can be friends with your political adversary & still disagree. It’s called politics without bitterness & being civilised.”

Nigeria Now Cow Republic’ – Ortom Reacts To Buhari Government Grazing Reserves Order

The Governor of Benue State, Samuel Ortom says President Muhammadu Buhari-led government’s insistence on carving out grazing routes and reserves for herdsmen across 25 states despite resistance by Nigerians is a final onslaught on the people and an invitation to crisis and anarchy.
Society gazette reports that Ortom asked in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary Terver Akase in Makurdi, “What is the difference between the Buhari administration’s approach to insecurity and the Taliban agenda in Afghanistan?”

The President had on Thursday, August 19, approved recommendations of a committee to review “with dispatch” 368 grazing sites across 25 states in the country, “to determine the levels of encroachment.”

The Governor said it was shocking and disappointing to read this statement from the Presidency, stating that it was clear that the Presidency wanted to plunge the country into avoidable crisis.

This, according to him, is because there was no justification for Buhari to insist on establishing reserves and routes for cattle against the widely accepted ranching policy.

Ortom, in the statement, said, “millions of Nigerians have been displaced following attacks by armed herders and are currently suffering in IDP camps. Benue State for instance has over 1.5 million displaced people with thousands living in camps and many more forced to flee their ancestral lands to stay under dehumanizing conditions in open fields.

“The Buhari administration does not seem to be worried about the food crisis already ravaging the country. Farmers have been chased into IDP camps by herders and children are dying of starvation in addition to being denied education, yet what is more important to the President is the wellbeing of cows.

“We expected the pitiable condition of the displaced people to be the preoccupation of the President whom they voted in 2015 and 2019. It is unfortunate that the people’s genuine show of love, trust and votes for the President are being rewarded with hate, cruelty and dictatorial policies aimed at grabbing their lands to donate to herders and cows.”

The Benue governor maintained that it was now evident that Buhari prioritizes the welfare of cattle over human beings and is bent on taking Nigeria back to the precolonial era with some snippets of a society where in the words of Thomas Hobbes, life has become ‘solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short’.

He lamented that the country has been turned to a cow republic by the Buhari administration where basic principles of equality, justice, fairness and equity which engender peace and suppress anarchy are now non-existent.

Ortom said, “President Buhari has refused to prove wrong, those who accuse him of being a Fulani President. He has instead proven that he indeed belongs to somebody. But Buhari is not the first Fulani man to be President of this country.

“Nigeria had Presidents Shehu Shagari and Umaru Yar’Adua who were also of Fulani ethnicity; but were Presidents for all Nigerians and treated citizens of this country fairly and equitably.

“Our country has never been more divided on ethnic lines and sentiments as it is under President Buhari who was thought to be the most prepared to lead the country at this time. Under President Shagari and President Yar’Adua, Nigerians were not chided by a horde of presidential spokesmen and social media hirelings for simply expressing their views on government policies.”

Dwindling revenue: Buhari government Resort To borrow N5.2trillion

From Monday to Thursday, the House of Representatives Committee on Finance had an interactive session with revenue-generating agencies on the Medium Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF).

President Muhammadu Buhari had forwarded the 2022-2024 MTEF to the National Assembly for approval. However, what is alarming is that the government is proposing a deficit of N5.2trillion, which will be financed through borrowing.

The MTEF is a rolling plan of three years, which contains macroeconomics projections for the three years under review. The MTEF projection is crude oil benchmark price of $57 per barrel for 2022, crude oil production of 1.88 million barrels per day, and a dollar exchange rate of N410.15 to one US dollar.

At the public hearing, the Chairman of the Committee, James Faleke, appeared to be on the quest to search for money to reduce the proposed deficit and cut the borrowing down.

On Thursday, while speaking to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), he warned that the committee will cut any capital projects by any agency to free more revenue for the government.

Most revenue-generating agencies increase their capital expenditure to reduce their operating surplus which they are supposed to remit to the government.

“The major problem we have is revenue. The MTEF we have now is to borrow N5.2trillion. If we discover that any of your capital projects is not necessary, we will push it to revenue,” Faleke had said.

Agencies like the NPA, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), and others have been asked to increase their revenue collection, while the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS) Chairman, Mohammed Nami, told the committee that social media companies like Twitter, Facebook and others will be included in the tax bracket and also planned to introduce road tax.

As revenue continues to dwindled and expenditure continues to rise, Buhari administration continues to resort to borrowing, which is increasing the debt profile of the state and increasing money spent on debt servicing.

For the ongoing 2021 budget, according to the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed, N5.81trillion has been released so far for the 2021 budget, but N2.02trillion was to service debt.

In the proposed 2022 budget estimate of N13.09trillion expenditure, N3.60trillion will go into debt servicing, while the government will be borrowing another N5.22 trillion.

Borrowing 800 billion to fund supplementary budget

In July, the National Assembly passed the supplementary budget, however, out of the N982.7billion approved, the government is planning to borrow N802.1 billion from the Nigerian financial market.

The implication is that the government will be borrowing 80% of the said supplementary budget.

Buhari’s borrowing

As of June 2015 when President Buhari came in, the debt profile of Nigeria, according to the Debt Management Office, was N12.18trillion (Federal, states and FCT)

As of March 31st, the DMO pegged the borrowing at N33.1 trillion. The federal government alone has about N26 trillion of the profile of the entire loan.

This was before the country embarked on the N802.2 billion supplementary budget borrowing.

It would be recalled that in July, the National Assembly approved the borrowing of $6.1 billion loan request by the administration.

Lekan Olaleye, an Economist who spoke with DAILY POST, said the problem is not the debt, but the poor revenue generation and expenditure that has been increasing exponentially.

“Borrowing can help to bridge the gap in infrastructure as the government is claiming, of course, that is true. What is the economic viability of the projects? Can they refund the loans? Will future generations partake in the project. The point is, loans are like a future burden, it will be shifted to generation unborn. If you are giving them a liability, are you bequeathing assets?

“On the revenue aspect, the government’s revenue is struggling to keep up with the expenditure. In the 2022 MTEF, which is a rolling plan, the government is proposing N6.2trillion as recurrent expenditure and N3.60 as debt servicing. Mind you, there is a deficit of over N5 trillion. The implication is that the government is only projecting to generate about N8 trillion for the 2022 fiscal year. In fact, projected revenue is about an estimate, which the government may end up not meeting.

“If you look at the parameters in the MTEF, the oil benchmark is $57 per barrel. The government cannot control the price of oil, it could crash at any point in time. COVID-19 is on the rise, what happens in case of another lockdown? Will FIRS be able to meet up with its target?”

Despite the alarming rate of the increase in the debt profile, the National Assembly continues to approve the loans request of the government.

Also, the government is yet to implement the Steve Oransanye’s report despite promising to implement the report which will help to reduce the cost of governance.