Achilleus Chud-Uchegbu
11 November 2009
opinion
IN one of my arguments on this page, I had argued that President Umaru Yar'Adua is a man of some sort of style. And he has proved it. He has used his seeming silence to great ends. He refused to tow the ubiquitousness of his predecessor and by so doing made some Nigerians to argue that he would end his tenure without any reasonable impact. I had disagreed with views expressed about Yar'Adua as being slow and unattractive because I believed that leaders who behave the way our President does, often leave landmarks. And one of such landmarks which Yar'Adua and his economic team seriously want to leave is successfully landing Nigeria among the top 20 economies of the world in the next 10 years.
This dream, or vision, as it is called is one that rather demands more than Nigerians are getting. To make Nigeria an economy to reckon with is such a task that demands more from the real sector of the economy. My argument has always been that the road to 20:2020 would be a mirage if the real sector of the economy is neglected. The real sector, to my mind, remains the fulcrum on which our economic future, if we are desirous of one, must rest. For emphasis, I do not see how we can make any economic impact if we refuse to accept that our industries must operate at full steam again. This simply goes beyond generating 6000 mega watts of electricity. And this is where I differ with the Yar'Adua administration.
That Nigeria's real sector is in coma is a truth no one needs to stress. This truism was also upheld by Yar'Adua when he marshaled out his seven point agenda which includes wealth creation and employment. My interest here is that over the years, we have seen Nigeria's unemployment market burst with able bodied youths that could have been absorbed in factories had government created the enabling environment for such factories to blossom. But sadly, we have seen factory after factory pack up its machines and head for neighbouring countries. This development, which government had lamented at different occasions, presents itself as a very great challenge to the Commerce and Industry ministry which ought to be the driver of Yar'Adua's re-industrialization policy.
That ministry has always been saddled with the responsibility of driving Nigeria's quest for re-industrialization. The implication of this is that it ought to lead the campaign for the creation of employment opportunities in Nigeria and encourage companies leaving to stay back. I think it was with this in mind that past ministers at the ministry had looked for policy directions that would help make the ministry a critical ally in achieving government's seven point agenda.
I recall that Aliyu Modibbo Umar passed that ministry with his Commerce 44 initiative. Much as I tried, I could not figure out what he meant by that. Amb. Idris Waziri introduced the Cassava Initiative which has, to an extent, helped direct effort and focus on cassava production. Statistics show that there is an upsurge in cassava production in the country given its export value. After Waziri came Charles Ugwu with the idea of industrial clusters. Though his idea was novel, he could not drive it beyond incubation. Today, the incumbent minister, Achike Udenwa, a man who had eight years run on the affairs of Imo state as chief executive, is mouthing his buy Made-in-Nigeria policy. But where are the factories? Almost all our textile industries have packed up. We import cement. We import ceramics. We import textile. We import toothpicks. We import safety matches. We import almost every household appliance, even quality furniture. Probably, the only items Nigerians do not import are plastic plates, cups and spoons. Even this is getting strong challenge from China. So, how well is Udenwa's policy being articulated and pursued?
The need to jump-start the real sector again and increase interest in industrial production led to Federal Government's announcement that N70 billion was being made available as bailout for the textile sector. Till date, that remains a mirage. But it raised agitation. Operators in the sector continually asked questions as to when the bailout would come their way. They are still waiting. While the agitation was still on, Udenwa announced an increase of the amount to N100 billion. He had argued that the money would help revitalize our industries. As politicians clapped for him for the announcement, operators in the real sector asked questions that have not been answered till date. They had wanted to know the source of the N100b. They had sought to know how it would be distributed. No answers came their way. It remains that several months after that announcement, nothing more has been said about the bailout fund. That somewhat showed that the minister was only playing to the gallery in order to seek approval. Prior to that announcement, the minister's approval rating was abysmally low.
But to worsen the situation, the minister was on an NTA live interview session where he told the listening audience that reason he had not gone beyond announcement of the N100b and started disbursement was that he was afraid that when released, the money would be embezzled. In simple language, Udenwa was arguing that instead of having the fund embezzled, it would serve the country better if the industrial sector prepared for a requiem. His logic made one wonder where the minister was coming from. Of course, I have heard it said that the man is an accountant and that accountants are the happiest saving money and not spending them on projects. If that is actually a trait found in accountants, then, I do not think we need them in government. Indeed, his argument may only pass as sabotage of the economy and Yar'Adua's quest to land Nigeria somewhere in 2020.
And that is one problem Yar'Adua has had since he became president. His choice of ministers often leave Nigerians asking for explanation. Of course, a president need not explain why he chose certain persons to work with him, but when the actions and inactions of some of these appointees come under review, one no longer needs to ask why they were invited to work at the federal level. Somehow, the reason Yar'Adua brought some of these persons to serve at the national level was to expose their weaknesses and illogical minds. This, to me, is reason a president must be willing to sieve politicians from tested professionals in choosing his cabinet. It is sad that most politicians appointed to work as ministers have terribly disappointed Nigerians. This is because while still serving as ministers, they blind themselves to the value which they are expected to add to the sector and society at large and keep stoking discord in their home states because of pecuniary interest. Udenwa is not immune to this.
After eight years as governor of Imo state and bowing out on very low notes, the man still envisions himself as the political leader of Imo while allowing his job as minister to suffer. There are not many Nigerians who have felt his impact as commerce and industry minister. But Imo state is more tensed because of the political climate he is seen to be creating with a timed onslaught to decimate the incumbent administration.
It is no secret that Udenwa's actions are not in support of his successor. But that is the trend in most states where some predecessors are making life difficult for their successors on account of dwarfing performance. And I keep wondering, like you, why former governors would not thank God for granting them an eight-year free run on the affairs and treasuries of their states, and let their successors be. I recall that one of the battles Udenwa fought in Imo state was that between what his team termed Abuja politicians against the home based (onongaono). He did not quite enjoy the battle because it polarized the PDP which he led and made him uncomfortable in office. Why he has allowed himself to be now seen as the puppet master in the new fight for the soul of the PDP in Imo is disturbing.
I think that the best thing for the minister to now do is to concentrate and see how he would help revive at least one factory in Nigeria before his time in office lapses. If he fails to do so, he would only but confirm what he told journalists on the eve of his departure from office as Imo state governor. He had said: "I frankly regret that the Igbo have come to the deepest of its political depth. We have made the last rung of the ladder of the nation's politics. This is the worst stage of the Igbo nation in Nigeria, I regret that we did not keep the spirit of leadership of our people towards an expected growth. The past leaders like the Great Zik, Okpara, Ibiam, Mbakwe and the rest did far more to position Igbo, and since they did well, we had no excuse to have failed". I hope Udenwa does not reconfirm this as a minister.
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