Lagos — It was a justified hell that was let loose when the public reacted angrily to the proposal to spend N10 billion for activities marking the 50th anniversary of the country's independence.The angst was qualified because a poverty-stricken people, hunted by insecurity and herded by a swarm of ravenous leaders, would not understand what a terribly devastated country like Nigeria would be celebrating with that whooping amount.
It was therefore good relief when some apparently harassed members of the implementation committee explained, rather belatedly, that the blunder came from those who neither appreciate the essence of proper planning nor the need to communicate even when the resultant mess is oozing out some sickening stench. We were eventually told that they added what should ordinarily be capital projects to the list of the event. According to the officer, whom all the papers said did not want his name mentioned, about half of the entire bill was for two major projects - upgrading of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja and construction of the Jubilee Tower, also in Abuja, for which N2.2 billion and N2.8 billion respectively were earmarked. With N5 billion out, what is left is N5 billion, which is reasonable by our own standard.
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