I read with consternation, an advertorial sponsored by the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose in the PUNCH of Tuesday, December 22, 2015 where he reeled out twenty (20) prophecies of doom for Nigeria. I was not too surprised given his antecedents in our recent political history.
Nigerians can recall with nostalgia how the same Ayo Fayose was sponsoring some front page adverts, sadly with Ekiti State public funds, in the same newspaper. First bandying lies that the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the March 28 Presidential election, General Muhammadu Buhari was ill and cannot stand for the election as a result. When he discovered that the man was waxing stronger in his campaigns and that his lies were not swaying anybody, he cooked up another story when Buhari went to the Chatham House in London to address the international community on his manifesto to take Nigeria out of the sinking ship. Ayo Fayose came up to tell Nigerians that Buhari went to London for medical treatment for undisclosed ailment and that his presentation in Chatham House was a mere cover up.
That lie falling flat on its face and without convincing the electorate, Fayose went for the kill. He sponsored yet another satanic advertorial on the front page of punch displaying all former presidents from the North West of Nigeria who died while serving the country and went on to insinuate same for Buhari with a question mark? It was the height of political malevolence and desperation on the part of Fayose against the APC presidential candidate. When Nigerians eventually went to the polls on March 28th, 2015 to elect a President, Fayo’s candidate, Goodluck Jonathan lost woefully but demonstrated a rare courage by calling Muhammadu Buhari to congratulate him before the official declaration of the results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to the chagrin of a narrow-minded Ayo Fayose.
Shamelessly, the fickle-minded Ayo Fayose started a macabre dance. He started speaking from both ends of his oozing mouth. He congratulated Buhari and started telling Nigerians that all what he did against Buhari were done out of politics. He sounded like someone who was going to decamp to Buhari’s party the next minute- Just like a baby would behave.
When he discovered that Buhari was not interested in his unsolicited overtures and praise singing, he made a sudden u-turn and started hauling abuses and foolish criticisms on the young Buhari administration again. Today, he is out with a 20-point doom predictions on Nigeria which he ignorantly tagged” 20 Things Nigerians May Experience in 2016 Under Buhari’s Govt.”
Going through the twenty predictions of doom for his country, one cannot but conclude that Ayo Fayose is already suffering from melancholy and if not immediately attended to, might relapse into full blown lunacy.
For instance, he predicts that “there will be so much industrial unrest, especially in the first quarter of the year.” Fayose is flagging the issue of industrial unrest because he is one of the governors clamouring for the reduction of the minimum wage from the current N18,000 as he will not be able to pay Ekiti State workers following the sharp drop in the international market price of crude oil from next year. He is also bereft of ideas on how to improve Ekiti state’s Internally Generated Revenue and cannot also learn from his superior colleague, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State who is ready to continue to pay workers the minimum wage as at when due. As the prophet of doom, he should be prepared for the industrial unrest that would envelope his Ekiti State, or be prepared to resign as advised by the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC). Labour has told governors who cannot pay the current minimum wage to resign and this is the time for Fayose to toe that honourable path.
He equally said “there will be removal of fuel subsidy and petrol (PMS) will sell over and above N100/litre…long queues will persist throughout the first quarter of 2016 and beyond.” Contrary to his devilish prediction, fuel prices will stabilise in the first quarter of 2016 and beyond, fuel subsidy or no fuel subsidy. This is because the Kaduna refinery has started full scale production of PMS, the Warri and Port-Harcourt refineries would soon commence full scale production as well. Some private refineries, including Dangote’s are billed to commence refining in 2016. So, If anything, Nigeria will in 2016 depend less on imported PMS. The Buhari government has announced a reduction in the pump price of petrol to N85 per litre from January 1, 2016.
Thirdly, he predicts that power generation will drop to the lowest ebb and that tariffs will be increased in 2016. But as opposed to his glum forecast, electricity tariffs, which have already been increased , will not be increased again in 2016. power generation will greatly improve in the new year too. Already, Nigerians have started experiencing improvement in electricity supply and supply would greatly improve next year.
Fourthly, he prophesied that millions of jobs would be lost in 2016, as against the three million jobs promised by the APC government annually. Already, the 2016 budget of the federal government provides for the employment of 500,000 graduates into the teaching profession next year. This is just in one sector (education). Agriculture, Solid minerals and other sectors would employ millions next year contrary to Fayose’s kismet prophesy.
In the economic front, he predicts that ” most private owned middle-class businesses will fold up because of bad economic policies..” But on the contrary, more and more businesses , both middle class and large scale will come on stream next year given the favourable investment climate pervading the country. Already, Boko Haram insurgency that almost swallowed the Jonathan government has been decimated by the Buhari young regime in record six months. Electricity and basic infrastructure that would greatly improve the economy as well as the on-going war on corruption that is consuming Fayose’s allies is giving investors the confidence to massively invest in the country.
He claims that “the fight against corruption will not only be selective, but will target southerners”. The war on corruption will be doggedly prosecuted and anybody who corruptly enriched himself hiding under any political party would not only return the loot in 2016, but would pay for their sins against the Nigerian people as provided for by the laws of the land. Fayose needs to be positive about his country and stop sending wrong signals to the international community with his obtuse commentaries.
Mr. Dan Owegie is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Edo State.
