Independent / Nigeria: Chief Martin Onovo was the presidential candidate of the National Conscience Party (NCP) in the 2015 election.
In this interview with Ejikeme Omenazu, he took a critical look at the 2017 national budget proposal as well as other crucial national issues. Excerpt.
President Muhammadu Buhari recently presented his 2017 budget proposal of N7.3 trillion to the National Assembly. What is your assessment of the proposal?
In January 2016, we called the 2016 budget proposal a ‘Budget of ruination’. By June 2016, the Nigeria economy was officially in recession, confirming our prediction. By October 2016, it was clear to all that the economy had been ruined. It is very unfortunate the current Federal Government has continued with its wasteful, political and unproductive positions that led to the present economic crisis. This budget is clearly worse than the 2016 ‘Budget of ruination’. With a deficit of N2.4 trillion and a non-debt recurrent expenditure of N2.98 trillion out of a N4.94 trillion projected revenue, it is clear that the budget is incrementally ruinous. In addition, it can be seen that the capital expenditure of N2.24 trillion is less than the deficit of 2.4 trillion. The 2017 budget proposal cannot improve the Nigerian economy.
The general opinion is that the 2016 budget of over N6 trn was not diligently implemented by the government before the 2017 appropriation. What is your take on this development?
As we have said, the 2016 budget was a ‘Budget of ruination’. It also could not have been diligently executed due to several reasons. It was not properly developed due to the glaring incompetence in the Presidency, with arithmetic errors, perverted economic logic and padding; it was presented very late in December; its principal purpose was to gain unpatriotic political advantage for the ruling party; and the Federal Executive Council (FEC) which has the responsibility to execute the budget is notoriously weak.
Like the 2016 budget, the 2017 budget was presented mid-December when the National Assembly members were preparing for their yuletide break. With this in mind, do you see the budget being passed early enough to ensure its implementation from the first quarter of the year?
National Assembly members are presently on Christmas break. It is their right. The previous ‘Medium Term Expenditure Framework’ recommended the presentation of the budget proposal in August, but this government presented the 2016 budget in December 2015 and has again presented the 2017 budget in December 2016. This is a confirmation that the government remains incompetent, dictatorial, unpatriotic and obstinate in its errors.
Don’t you think that Legislative/Executive logjams or face-offs will adversely affect the early passage of the budget as has always been the case in the past?
The Legislative and Judicial arms of government have been undemocratically intimidated by the dictatorial onslaught of the Executive arm. The current national legislature under Dr. Bukola Saraki has been intimidated and cannot objectively assess the dictatorial Executive appropriately.
Presidency plans to represent the earlier request to the National Assembly for approval to go for $30 billion foreign loan, which the Senate turned down. How would you react to this development?
The Senate rejected the earlier request because it was submitted without the attachments it referred to. This shows the unacceptable level of mediocrity and incompetence in the current Presidency. This is not an isolated case. The same level of incompetence and mediocrity was seen in the preparation of the scandalous 2016 budget. The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is very clear about our need to be self-reliant. Even the current national debt burden of Nigeria is a cause for serious patriotic concern and the present trend of national debt servicing cost is a clear warning sign of future trouble if not reversed.
According to the Debt Management Office, total national debt increased from $54.2 billion by March 31, 2014 to $61.45billion by June 30, 2016. Similarly, debt service cost increased from N592 billion in 2013 to N1.48 trillion in 2015. The debt service cost was almost 40 percent of estimated total federal revenue for 2016. Nigeria is already in a debt trap. Nigeria is currently borrowing more to service its debt. In the 2016 budget, Nigeria is to borrow N2.2 trillion and apply N1.48 trillion for debt servicing. The 2017 budget framework is even worse as we plan to borrow N2.7 trillion and pay only N1.64 trillion (over N1trillion more). This guarantees a continued increase in our debt burden. This increase will continue to breaking point by 2019 if not checked immediately. Debt is not free. Even the IMF has raised an alarm over Nigeria’s rising debt.
With this new $29.96 billion loan, national debt will increase correspondingly and servicing cost will also increase. National credit rating will decrease and the image of Nigeria will be further degraded. If we take the loan, and do not take any more loans and continue debt servicing with five percent interest rate at the 2016 budget debt servicing level, it will take another about 40 years to pay off the national debt.
We can learn from our recent experience. According to our former President Chief (Dr.) Obasanjo, “A few years ago, we rescued Nigeria from its creditors. My first year as an elected President of Nigeria, we were spending over three billion dollars to service our debts, and even then, the quantum of debts were not reducing. Anytime we were not able to pay those debts, they piled up at a punishing rate. So we moved from $18 billion to $30 billion, until we got to $35 billion. We were lucky that we finally met with the Paris Club and other creditors and we were able to obtain a $18 billion debt forgiveness.” Nigeria must reject the borrowing plan because it will further jeopardise the future of the country and lead to a debt crisis by 2019.
In your view, what should be the priorities of the federal administration this year?
The priorities depend on the objectives of the government and can only be realisable in an ambience of integrity. We can highlight what the priorities of a National Conscience Party (NCP) federal government could have been. We cannot dictate priorities to the current government. The Federal Executive Council (FEC) insists that it has three priorities namely, Security, Anti-corruption and the Economy. But, it has failed woefully on all counts and all its actions contradict its claims. Remember, ‘Actions speak louder than words’. On security: rising crime, growing Boko Haram impunity and the inaction against terrorist Fulani herdsmen confirm the complete failure of the present government to improve security. On anti-corruption: the personal vendetta, the false propaganda against political enemies, the lawlessness, the obvious selectiveness, the consequent inability to obtain convictions, the very poor recovery and the growing corruption allegations against very high ranking officials in the presidency confirm the catastrophic failure of the government in its anti-corruption charade. On the economy: the current economic recession, the current exchange rate, the current inflation rate, the current unemployment rate, the rising national debt and the growing poverty confirm the cataclysmic failure of the present ‘Federal Executive Council’ to improve the economy.
How do you see the outburst by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) that several cabinet ministers and agency heads of the current administration have refused to fulfill their asset declaration requirements? Does this not contradict the anti-corruption stance of the administration?
Leadership is service. The leader is the servant and leadership is by example. Gen Buhari needs to lead by example. His ‘Asset Declaration’ must show all details and current value of all his assets and be made public for transparency. With the opaque and questionable declaration made by Gen. Buhari, the media cannot publish his net worth. We challenge the media to publish Gen. Buhari’s assets with full details and net worth for public verification.
The Senate has accused the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, of alleged corrupt involvement in contract deals and has called for his resignation and prosecution. What is your take on this?
The Senate has played its constitutional role in this instance.
For the first time in the history of the nation, the Senate refused to confirm the appointment of an EFCC Acting Chairman, in the person of Ibrahim Magu? Some people see the development as blackmail by the lawmakers considering the number of the lawmakers that have cases with the agency. How would you react to this?
The Senate referred to a security report. The Senate is not the author of that security report. It is unfair to blame the Senate in this case. The circumstance is such that the DSS has exposed and confirmed the alleged incompetence of the Presidency. The Presidency must get security clearance before making very strategic appointments. The position of Chairman of EFCC is a very strategic appointment. It is either that security clearance was not sought and obtained, which confirms incompetence or that it was sought and the unfavourable report was ignored which confirms abuse of power.
With the economy still a very bad shape, do you think the federal government’s economic team is really functioning properly? Would you agree that President Buhari should have a second look at the team?
The current economic team cannot function properly because it lacks the capacity to manage the economy effectively. The team as currently constituted is very mediocre. It is highly political. It is dominated by lawyers who may not be experts in economic matters.
What is your view on the performance of INEC in the recent Edo, Ondo governorship elections and the lately, the Rivers legislative re-run?
The current INEC leadership is clearly partisan and incapable of organising free and fair elections. All three elections were undemocratic and unacceptable. This may be a result of the geopolitical skew in INEC appointments and assignments. I wish to stress that INEC has been conducting elections in Nigeria since 1999. INEC has enough experience to conduct free and fair elections, but partisan and ethical issues within INEC have led to very treasonable performance by INEC. No political party can manipulate elections without collaboration from INEC and its officials. INEC has the constitutional authority to conduct elections and must accept responsibility for consistently subverting the will of the people in a most treasonable manner that is worse than military coups.
With the recent revelation by the Presidency that President Buhari may contest the 2019 election, do you think he should run?
Dr. Femi Aribisala published that this is the worst government since independence. We agree with him. Buhari celebrated his 74th birthday a few days ago. Early retirement is at 45 years of age, regular retirement age in the civil service is 55 years. Compulsory retirement in the civil service is at 60 years of age. Buhari will be 77 years old in 2019. If he comes back in 2019 for another four years, he will be 81 years old in 2023. If he refuses to retire in 2019, we will retire him compulsorily.
There is a speculation that President Buhari may not pick Vice President Yemi Osinbajo as his running mate for the 2019 election but may run with the former Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi or ex-Abia State governor, Orji Kalu. How would you react to this?
I have said that if Buhari refuses to retire in 2019 at 77 years old, we will retire him compulsorily.
Political pundits believe that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar will dump APC and join a new party to pursue his presidential ambition come 2019. Will that be proper?
His Excellency Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is free to exercise his constitutional political rights.
The recent death of some NYSC members has led to a call for the scheme’s scrapping. Would you agree to such a call?
The NYSC scheme is a very patriotic scheme and must be maintained. The deaths must be investigated and corrective actions taken to ensure that such deaths do not occur in the future.
The government has continued to detain the Shiites leader Al-Zakzaky and Nnamdi Kalu of Biafra Movement and is allegedly trying some of the detainees in secret. How do you see the human rights record of this administration?
The human rights record is a result of the tyrannical activities of the government. Secret trial is unjust and must be rejected. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has criticised the unlawful detention of El-Zakzaky, countless human rights organizations have complained against rights abuses and we too have complained against the impunity of the government. Amnesty International has published several reports confirming mass killings and rights abuses. We must insist on the ‘Rule of law’ and oppose stone-age dictatorship.
United States President-elect, Mr. Donald Trump, will soon be sworn in. What do you think should be his economic and foreign policy as regard Africa and Nigeria?
I have to stress that America depends on many other countries for its Security, Economic and Political interests in international scenes. No country is completely self-sufficient. America needs Nigeria and we need America. The foreign policies of developed countries are established to protect and promote their ‘Strategic National Interests’. Unfortunately, the illegitimate, mediocre and unpatriotic rulers of Nigeria lack the capacity to manage foreign policy effectively. They have also been unable to manage domestic health, education, energy, aviation and security policies effectively. The result is our current state of under-development. We should not worry about the possibly new American foreign policy direction in its relationship with Nigeria. We should worry about the lack of capacity of our present rulers to respond effectively to challenges in foreign policy development.
