Beyond sheer resources
The unprecedented prosperity that greeted the former Obasanjo administration had raised legitimate questions of whether sheer resources alone can automatically bring development. It is on record that Nigeria’s foreign reserve rose to 68 billion dollars during Obasanjo’s eight years in office. Yet service delivery remained incredibly poor, despite the self-righteous posturing of the Obasanjo government. […]
The unprecedented prosperity that greeted the former Obasanjo administration had raised legitimate questions of whether sheer resources alone can automatically bring development. It is on record that Nigeria’s foreign reserve rose to 68 billion dollars during Obasanjo’s eight years in office. Yet service delivery remained incredibly poor, despite the self-righteous posturing of the Obasanjo government. While he undermined many important social and economic projects begun in the Abacha era in order to rob the late military ruler of any credit, General Obasanjo didn’t produce projects of his own. In fact, even where he did so, such projects died because of corruption or lack of regard for due process.
Vice President Namadi Sambo stated last year that 10 billion dollars was spent on the execution of the so-called independent power projects. Despite promising to boost power generation to 10, 000 megawatts by the end of 2007, he left office without fulfilling his pledge. The power projects highlight the level of corruption, impunity and disregard for due process, which characterized the former Obasanjo administration. The late President Yar’adua promised to increase power generation to 6, 000 megawatts in six months. Until he died however, he couldn’t meet this target because he underestimated the mess he inherited from Obasanjo.
Nigerians did not also forget the fact that million dollars was spent by the Obasanjo administration to revamp our dysfunctional refineries. Eight years after leaving office, Nigeria was (and still is) importing refined petroleum products. Why did the refineries refuse to word after the expenditure of these huge funds? This was the same Obasanjo that had accused the late General Abacha of “deliberately” killing refineries in favour of importation to “enrich his cronies.” With Abacha dead, why did the refineries refuse to work and why does importation of petroleum continue?
The House of Representatives power contracts report was deliberately killed to protect some people. General Obasanjo loves to hold others accountable, but he is the least willing to take a dose of his own medicine of accountability. While he celebrated with unbelievably glee the recovery of the so-called Abacha loot, nobody could ultimately explain to Nigerians where these recovered funds disappeared into. It is a clear case of a man who decreed against sleeping but was caught sleeping!
We are all well aware of the efforts of the former Obasanjo administration to demonize and vilify the memory of General Abacha so that nobody could remember anything good about the late military Head of State. Despite this wicked demonization, however, realities are forcing Nigerians to become more forgiving of General Abacha. The Abacha government was able to achieve more with fewer resources what Obasanjo failed to achieve in eight years. With only eight years in office and with less than 10 billion dollars in Nigeria’s foreign reserve, General Abacha had achieved a level of performance that dwarfed the record of his enemies.
Against this background, sincerity and commitment are more important than the level of resources available to a leader. With commitment, a leader can achieve much with limited funds. That defines efficiency. What is the point having 68 billion dollars in foreign reserves but fail to fix basic social service challenges? Nigeria is still generating less than 3,000 megawatts of electricity, despite the so-called 10 billion dollars committed to the power sector by the former Obasanjo administration. Profligacy and pursuit of wrong priorities have destroyed many government programmes. If Abacha held back Nigeria’s progress as maliciously alleged by his enemies, why are Nigerians still looking back to his tenure with nostalgia?
Results speak louder than rhetoric and, for that reason Nigerians have valid evidence to make legitimate comparisons between Abacha’s record and the performance of his vindictive enemies. In 2001, the Federal ministry of Works and Housing was allocated 350 billion naira, but the conditions of roads continued to deteriorate. In fact, at a point, former President Obasanjo publicly acknowledged that he was ashamed of the conditions of federal roads. And curiously enough, eight years after completing his tenure, Obasanjo didn’t change the conditions of these roads. Ironically, even in his southwest political zone, the roads didn’t fare any better.
However, with the Petroleum trust Fund (PTF) which Obasanjo maliciously scrapped, Abacha made a big difference within so short a time. Our roads, hospitals, schools, water supply and other essential areas of social services took a remarkable new shape and outlook under the PTF established by General Abacha. Facts speak for themselves and a good record survives beyond the grave. Despite efforts to obliterate his performance record, Nigeria’s still have fond and stubborn memories of Abacha’s achievements.
But for the politically motivated scrapping of the PTF, the agencies would have achieved greater results in terms of fixing the sorry state of our national infrastructure. Myopic policies undermine national interest. There is no reason whatsoever why good projects should be undermined because they were initiated by a previous government another leader doesn’t like. The petroleum Trust Fund held a great promise for transformation because of its tough standards and transparency.
Fagge wrote from 72, Isa Kaita Road, Kaduna