…Seek PIB passage, cut in governance costs
By Bankole Taiwo, Abeokuta
Media executives and Publishers under the umbrella of Nigerian Press Organization (NPO) comprising of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), and the Nigeria Union Of Journalists (NUJ) have tasked the federal government on devolution of powers to its federating units as contained in the El-Rufai Committee report.
This was part of the submission of the association during its recent meeting in a statement signed by Kabiru A. Yusuf, President of NPAN and NPO, Mustapha Isa, President of NGE and Chris Isiguzo, President, NUJ.
The Media executives observed that Nigeria has been embroiled lately in profound socio-economic, political and security challenges that threaten its very existence as reflected in ethnic divisions and separatist agitations in the country, with growing fears that an implosion is imminent.
The NPO disclosed that as at today in Nigeria, criminality such as kidnapping for ransom, banditry, arson, killings – defines the everyday reality for a good number of our citizens and that at the centre of all these are: high cost of governance; devolution of powers/restructuring; Petroleum Subsidy Removal; and acumulation of foreign debt among others.
It stated further that as leaders of media in the country and major stakeholders in Nigeria project, “We believe in the oneness of Nigeria and that its population of about 200 million people, if resources are well managed, have innumerable advantages – both in economic and soft power, and that this should not be sacrificed on the altar of ethnic or tribal chauvinism.”
The media leaders also observed further that “one of the triggers for the current socio-political, economic, and security challenges in the country is high cost of governance, reflected in the outrageous allowances and flamboyant lifestyles of our political leaders.
“These leaders, rather erroneously, misconstrue public service for primitive accummulation of wealth, instead of its being a platform for galvanising development and satisfying the collective aspiration of our people for quality life in a safe and secure enviroment. One of the consequences of this ostentatious lifestyle is the new craze among a growing number of youths that the end justifies the means in their quest for easy wealth.”
The association revealed further that “as a Federal system of government, particularly in a country like Nigeria which is diverse in ethnicity, culture, and religion, an overbearing centre is counter productive to the development of the centre itself and the component units.
“To leave the Federal Government with 68 items under the Exclusive Legislative List, including policing, is a recipe for unending destructive tension in the struggle for advantage among the federating units. It explains why our country is seemingly overwhelmed by non-state actors engaged in criminality and separatist agitations.”
The media leaders affirmed that given the observations above the federal government should immediately take steps at devolving powers to the component units by implementing the El Rufai Committee Report, which among others, recommends State Policing, in addition to other far reaching adjustments to the structure of governance.
The association disclosed that “continued delay to implement the report after its recommendations have been approved by all the organs of the ruling All Progressives Party, in line with the manifesto for which the party sold itself to win the 2015 election is self-defeating. We hold that its implementation will curb the galloping rate of criminality, reduce tension across the country, and reset the botton of development.”
The media leaders also called for the “implementation of the Orosanye Report, which provides a veritable road map for arresting the unsustainable high cost of governance. A reduced cost of gevernance will free substantial funds to fight insecurity, provide social safety nets for the generality of the people, fund developmental projects, and stem the current penchant for external and local borrowing by government.”
The media executives also tasked FG “to put pressure on the National Assembly to pass the Petroleum Industry Bill, (PIB), which has gone into our history as the longest bill to ever go through legislative processes. It is of common knowledge that the petroleum industry has been long overdue for an overhaul and the passage of the bill will be a major boost. That the bill has stayed this long in the National Assembly militates against improved corporate governance in the oil sector.”
The association also urged FG to avoid debt overhang inherent in excessive borrowing saying “we are aware that borrowing is good so long as such loans are deployed to funding enduring development projects, within the GDP ratio. However, the current borrowing in the face of the slide in the value of the country’s number one revenue earner-oil remains worrisome.”
They also appealed to politicians and state actors to minimise their inflammatory rhetoric in order to reduce tension and ease the growing sense of fear among the people.