Nigeria needs an angry President

By Late Prince (Dr) Samuel Ibiyemi Founding Publisher, Nigerian NewsDirect

First published: December 12, 2011

My fellow country men, it is time for Nigeria to have an angry President. This was my statement in Doha immediately it was time for question and answer time when Qatar Minister of Energy finished his opening speech to commemorate the commencement of plenary session during the World Petroleum Congress that took place in Doha, Qatar between December 4 and 8. I asked the wrong question at a gathering meant to discuss global issues in the oil and gas industry but unfortunately our federal lawmakers expected to join us at the plenary session were still on their flight from Nigeria. Those I have around were mainly those from the grade of general managers below in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and indigenous oil producers. I asked the wrong question because all foreign journalists underestimated the ability of Qatar government to put necessary infrastructures and facilities needed to host a befitting World Petroleum Congress when the Petroleum Council (WPC) insisted on Qatar as the next host of the World Petroleum Congress in 2008 in Madrid, Spain. I also became a nuisance with my question because I had a terrible experience during my departure which started with potholes along Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway that damaged the borejoint of my car on my way to the airport and the extreme heat at the conveyor belt leading to the entrance of the aircraft at the Murtala Mohammed International Airport in Lagos.

I asked the wrong question because it is only in Nigeria that oil revenue has remained as a curse for the nation. I was offered another opportunity to ask another question and here it is, “Sir, where did you get the money to construct all these edifices, good roads and airports?” This question looked attractive and delegates in the auditorium murmured and ushers gave me the signal that I had utilised my opportunity to ask a question but were resisted by those on the high table.

Howeer, I received an answer frm Qatar’s Minister of Energy and this was vision, disciplie and  political will. But I beame more interested as the Minister was eager for anther question and quickly I stumbled on it, but my question again was an embarrassment to many delegates from Nigeria. They had expected me as an oil and gas reporter to ask questions relating to incentives for investors in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. Here was my third question, “Your Excellency, after 20 years in office as the Minister of Energy. Can you list the number of probes initiated by the parliament over projects awarded and where did you raise money to finance these capital intensive projects?” His simple answer was: “The private sector contributed the fund and the beautiful convention centre hosting the World Petroleum Congress is the initiative of the government but financed by the private sector based on TRUST.” Then, I was happy that the message was clear to all our delegates from Nigeria and other African countries that oil revenue will no longer remain as a curse if we do the right thing and that is giving more opportunities to the private sector regardless of the complex challenges of ethnic and religious sentiments responsible for the high level of corrupt practices. Of course, the private sector will invest in Nigeria if the government will utilise oil revenue judiciously for the construction of roads, bridges, power stations, hospitals and other amenities that will make them recoup their investment without spending extra naira on purchase of generators as alternative source of electricity generation in offices.

When I had satisfied myself with these questions, I apologised for what myself and my colleagues said at Madrid in 2008 that the World Petroleum Council must have collected bribes for granting approval for hosting the 20th World Petroleum Congress in Qatar. It was not that we underestimated Qatar because even at that time, the country was already recognised as a nation with committed leaders based on good utilisation of its oil and gas revenue for the development of the country. Our mistake at that time was our failure to read the history of Qatar and track record of the leaders. Now, Qatar Airways is the pride of the country for beating tough competition in the aviation industry to earn many international awards and accolades including the highly coveted Airline of the Year trophy at the 2011 World Airline awards. As Qatar heads towards the hosting of the football World Cup in 2022, Qatar Airways has also placed 250 new aircrafts on order. New Doha International Airport project which gulped $14.5 billion will add a vital component to the country’s infrastructure. The response of all companies to the commitment of Qatar’s government to infrastructure development is that they are falling on each other to make investment in all the sectors of the oil and gas industry. This is the opposite of what is happening in Nigeria such that despite several foreign trips of former President Olusegun Obasanjo to woo foreign investors, the likes of Shell, Chevron and ExxonMobil refused to invest in the establishment of private refineries in Nigeria. Whereas the same Shell in partnership with Qatar Petroleum have established Qatar as the Gas to Liquids (GTL) Capital of the World. This is equipped with the state-of-the-art technology and innovative engineering Pearl GTL converts natural gas from Qatar’s North field into higher quality and more efficient liquid fuels for cars and airplanes, base oils for lubricants and feed stocks for chemicals and detergents. According to an advertorial by Shell, “Over 52,000 people worked 500 million hours to deliver this world’s largest integrated gas to liquids project.”

Unfortunately, till today in Nigeria there is no solution to local refining of petroleum products and President Goodluck Jonathan is insisting on removal of fuel subsidy. This is considered a good option for Nigeria which I am in support of the implementation in order to save in future huge revenue of over N3.65 trillion spent on fuel subsidy in the last four years. This removal however will only bring benefits to the country if the implementation is postponed for another three years and this period is utilised for the construction of NNPC Greenfield refineries in partnership with the private sector in order to ensure that crude of being produced in Nigeria will serve as feedstock in order to cut down on cost of output and pump price.

Is this not a good reason why we need an angry president in Nigeria? President Jonathan should read on his own and visit the Emir of Qatar and not necessarily what the advisers recommend. He should spend his next vacation not with the First Lady but in the library of the Emir of Qatar The Senate and the House of Representatives should constitute fact-finding delegation led by Senate President David Mark and the Speaker Tambuwal to see how the Parliament in Qatar has been able to drive the achievements recorded within a short period. We should not forget that Qatar had no electricity as at 1972 as a nation but today, it enjoys 24 hours electricity in excess supply. Our lawmakers should find out how it was made possible for the government to put in place compulsory monthly payment of 5,000 Riyals to all indigenes in higher institutions.

It is also necessary to find out why the government allows only Goodluck Jonathan to allow only foreigners to sell and drink alcohol, at the same time making it a criminal offence and jail sentence to sell alcohol to Qataris.

To be continued next week…