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Tinubu’s Effort To Shift Blame For Bad Governance To Governors, Deceitful
Published
4 months agoon
By
Ekwutos Blog
The 1st to 10th August 2024 End Bad Governance Nation – wide protest put tremendous pressure on President Tinubu, and exposed the failures of his administration.
The protesters demanded that the President must tell the nation how he intended to improve the deplorable state of the economy, and the ever-growing insecurity to life and property. They insisted that the President must change his extravagant lifestyle, reduce the size of his cabinet, and cut back on the cost of government. Unable to address these concerns, the President became unduly defensive and belligerent. He began to blame others for his own failures. The state governors were his favorite scapegoats.
In order to cement his accusations against the governors, Tinubu posited that they have all the money they need to develop their states if they wanted to.
According to the President, the N2.4 trillion Federal Government allocation which he approved for state governors between January and June 2024 was the largest ever in history. In addition to this allocation which translates to N431 billion monthly per state, the President announced that he gave each state an additional N570 billion.
Unfortunately, both of the generous funds which Tinubu claimed he has made available to the governors are fallacious misrepresentations.
Consider the facts: Given Nigeria’s 35% rate of inflation and the value of the naira which has depreciated by over 300% (450 to 1 dollar in 2022, and 1,500 to 1 dollar in 2024), the N2.4 trillion allocated to states from January to June 2024 is in reality less valuable than the N1.788 trillion six months Federal Government allocation to states by President Buhari in 2022.
In order for governors as alleged by Tinubu to be able to achieve similar developmental goals they achieved with N1.788 trillion (for six months, and N298 billion per month) in 2022, they would require N8.4 trillion, (six months), not N2.4 trillion. And for their monthly allocation they would require N1.508 trillion monthly, not N431 billion. Clearly the governors have less revenue to work with today, not more as alleged by Tinubu.
Disingenuous as the N2.4 trillion allocation issue is, the President’s other claim of providing an additional N570 billion to each state is even more egregious. Simply put, on the matter of the N570 billion additional funds, the president lied to the nation. As Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and other governors have explained and as the World Health Organization (WHO) records show, the said N570 billion was a World Bank Intervention Fund for COVID Recovery. The States have already spent their own money for the purpose of fighting the impact of the COVID pandemic on behalf of the World Health Organization (WHO), and were merely refunded through their Federal Government. This was how WHO refunded states all over the world.
President Tinubu mustaccept the responsibility for the myriads of problems which his policies and actions have brought upon Nigeria instead of blaming state governors. After all he has said that the buck stops with him as President.
It was his ill-conceived decision to remove fuel subsidies which has virtually brought the economy to its knees. His devaluation of the naira has led to an astronomical increase in the cost of living. Food and every day household items are becoming increasingly unaffordable. His draconian tax policies are creating a crisis of unemployment as companies are going bankrupt and others are relocating out of Nigeria. The instability of the economy is keeping foreign investors away from our shores.
True, about 60% of Nigerian governors are performing very poorly. Unfortunately for the country, these wasteful, greedy and unethical governors’ model themselves after the President; the nation’s leader. But even these unreliable governors cannot be held responsible for the state of the economy and the state of the country’s security as both critical areas of government are controlled from the center.
It is the Federal Government which coordinates the country’s economy by receiving revenue from states and redistributing it to them through the Federal Government’s distribution formula. It is not the Governors who control the Federation Account.
And it is the Federal Government which is responsible for the nation’s security through its control of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force as well as the police, not state Governors. Whether he likes it or not, President Tinubu has to be held responsible for Nigeria’s worsening economy and disastrous security situation.
And it is the Federal Government which is responsible for the nation’s security through its control of the Army, the Navy, the Air Force as well as the police, not state Governors. Whether he likes it or not, President Tinubu has to be held responsible for Nigeria’s worsening economy and disastrous security situation.
Also, President Tinubu cannot blame Governors for the aspect of bad governance which is reflected in his obnoxious lifestyle. He has only himself to blame if Nigerians condemn him for prioritizing his 150-billion-naira jet, his N1 billion cardilac, his N5 billion yacht, the N21 billion vote for refurbishing his Vice President’s lodge and several billion Naira approved for the First Lady’s travels over Education, Health, Transportation and agriculture.
Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse, PhD. Public Affairs Analyst and Convener Reset Lagos PDP and member PDP National Presidential Campaign Council (2023).
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Columns
“Why men should marry poor women” – Mr Nigeria (VIDEO)
Published
4 days agoon
January 18, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
Nigeria’s top influencer, Ugochukwu Nwokolo, popularly known as Mr. Nigeria, recently shared his perspective on why men should consider marrying women from less privileged backgrounds.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Honest Bunch podcast, Ugochukwu expressed his belief that poor women possess certain qualities that make them ideal partners, citing their prayerfulness and fertility as key attributes.
In his words, “Poor girls turn me on. The poorer she is, the more attractive I find her. A poor woman will wake up at 7:00 a.m., join NSPPD, and pray fervently for her husband. She’ll say, ‘I’m putting my husband on the fire altar.’ When it comes to fertility, poor women can be incredibly fertile.”
Ugochukwu Nwokolo is the first-ever Mr. Nigeria Supranational, crowned by the Silverbird Group under the Mister World Nigeria platform. He will represent Nigeria in the Mr. Supranational competition held in Poland.
FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW TO SEE VIDEO:
https://x.com/OneJoblessBoy/status/1880540913497518518?t=WFcx7Q6extTGZjdFyNkSww&s=19
Columns
Do you know that an Att0rney General in Nigeria can walk into any c0urt while a Cri’minal case is going on and put a st0p to that cri’minal case
Published
4 days agoon
January 18, 2025By
Ekwutos BlogDo you know that an Att0rney General in Nigeria can walk into any c0urt while a Cri’minal case is going on and put a st0p to that cri’minal case
I mean any crim’inal case at all, if you like make e b the case wey dey kpai person or make e be R(@)P£ case or anyone at all
And they have the p0wer to do so without any explanation at all
They can just walk into any c0urt room and say this crim’inal matter will not proceed anymore
I am exercising my p0wer of nolle prosequi as an Att0rney General in Nigeria
Chai, this p0wer sweet
P0wer to st0p any case you want
Ignorance of the law is no excuse
Columns
Baringo man uses KSh 2m cash gift from William Ruto to expand online goat marketplace
Published
5 days agoon
January 17, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog- Efarmer Goats Initiative, which has transformed goat farming through innovation, was conceived on December 1, 2023
- The website helps people who are looking for goats to buy them at an affordable price and get them in different corners of the country and the world
- When Enock Kimosop explained his idea to President William Ruto in December 2024, he got a KSh 2 million cash gift from him, and he told TUKO.co.ke that it helped expand his business
Baringo: Enock Kimosop, a man thriving in the goat business, has shared how a KSh 2 million gift from President William Ruto helped him increase his number of goats and better utilise his form of transportation.
How was Efarmer Goats idea conceived?
Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Kimosop shared that the concept of the Efarmer Goats Initiative, which transforms goat farming through innovation, was conceived on December 1, 2023, during the annual Kimalel Goat Auction.
“I was inspired by speeches from dignitaries at the event, which emphasised the need to make the process of buying and selling goats digital,” he said.
“The idea of selling goats online took root as a way to modernise the traditional goat farming business and address challenges in market access,” he added.
How did Kimosop get Efarmer website started?
Enock started to put his idea in motion; he reached out to his friends from Strathmore and another lady who helped build the website.
The site went live on April 2, 2024, and the group had a vision of transforming the website into an app within a year if it was successful.
Just as with many other businesses, Enock didn’t have all the cash needed to start, so he got together with some friends, and they contributed KSh 150,000 each; in the end, they had a capital of KSh 600,000, and they started their businesses of selling goats online.
How else did the Kimalel meeting help Efarmer?
“Our first sales took place during the Idd Mubarak celebrations in 2024, where we successfully sold 200 goats to individuals and butcheries; some were taking upto 10,” said Enock.
On December 17, 2024, Enock returned to the Kimalel Goat Auction to showcase his firm’s initiative. The president and other stakeholders helped them gain significant visibility, allowing them to penetrate the market at an accelerated pace.
“The KSh 2 million from the president helped boost the businesses with more goats. Initially, we were also transporting a few goats which was costly but now they can get return on investment,” he said.
“Despite our progress, transportation costs remain a significant challenge. Renting trucks for goat transportation is expensive and inefficient. To address this, we are actively exploring options to acquire our own lorry, which would greatly reduce logistics costs and enhance profitability,” he added.
How does Efarmer source goats?
Over time, Efarmer Goats identified reliable sources of the animals, ensuring consistent supply and competitive pricing.
Once Efarmer Goats has found the best breeds needed by the clients, they transport them on a lorry to Nairobi, where they have since found a holding ground in Rongai. At the holding ground, the goats are fed well and rest.
“It is important that they are fed and rest well so that their kgs do not go down after slaughtering,” insisted Enock.
How has the evolution of Efarmer happened over time?
Today, Efarmer Goats has established a foothold in international markets as well, and Enock said that they now have a client from Dubai who orders 1000 goats from them on a monthly basis.
“We are managing 300 goats weekly and we sell to him per kilogram. There is also another Saudi Arabia client who is reliable,” he said.
Efarmer Goats prioritises reliability and efficiency. They aim to build client trust while empowering local farmers through sustainable practices and innovative solutions.
One such solution is a mobile app where farmers will be able to upload their goats for sale directly onto the platform, connecting them to buyers within their region.
“This platform will be cost-effective, with farmers only paying a small website application fee,” said Enock.
“We aim to fully exploit global opportunities, increasing our export capacity to handle goat sales in bulk quantities (measured in tons),” he added.
There are also farmer empowerment programs, where Efarmer Goats buys kids from farmers for KSh 6,000, provides guidance on rearing them, and facilitates sales at significantly higher prices (between Ksh 12,000 and Ksh 15,000) after a year.
This initiative ensures farmers achieve higher returns while enhancing their rearing skills.
What are some of the challenges Kimosop faced?
Efarmer Goats expanded its reach to Nairobi, selling both through the website and offline. However, the initial phase was marked by significant challenges.
Among them was the high cost of transportation; transporting goats using large trucks, despite having only a few goats per trip, inflated operational costs.
“Inconsistent and high purchase prices for goats in some regions negatively impacted profitability. These logistical and supply chain issues led to initial losses, prompting us to refine our operations,” shared Enock.
Apparently, the future of goat farming in Kenya lies in technology, collaboration, and a relentless pursuit of excellence. Efarmer Goats said they embody those values as they continue to grow and transform.
Thika farmer frustrated by gate prices turns to grocery business
Elsewhere, on January 13, 2024, Sebastian Peter became the proud owner of two grocery shops in Thika Ngoingwa Estate, Mangu Road.
According to Peter, a friend lent him money to start leasing land for his vegetables, but later, he was frustrated by people who would buy them at KSh 3 and sell them between KSh 50 and KSh 100.
Speaking to TUKO.co.ke, Peter shared that he started as a hawker for his produce, such as kales, but over time, gate prices frustrated him, and he opted to start food kiosks.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura Guthua, journalist and copy editor at TUKO.co.ke
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