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MAY 21, 2007 VOL. 21. NO 6 |
Ijeoma Nwogwugwu!
By Magnus Abe In Nigeria, one of the greatest tragedies of our time is that good education hardly leads to good character or competence, and the character these days hardly connect with positions people occupy. Tragically, most critics lack the required competences for the exercise, and so, fail to apply ethical ingredients needed when acting as judges. Or, how else would one explain the flippant application of denigrating description of the highly-respected out-going Governor of Rivers State, Sir (Dr) Peter Odili, in the back page of the widely-read Nigerian daily, ThisDay, on Monday, May 7, 2007, entitled, “Yar’Adua Needs to Chart a New Course?” In the second paragraph of her column, Behind the Figures, Ijeoma Nwogwugwu applied the comparative casting technique to attempt to characterise the President-elect, using the name of some governors. In carrying out this exercise, she wrote: “Umaru Musa Yar’Adua … is not Alamieyeseigha or Dariye who shamelessly jumped bail ... in the UK … Neither is he an Odili who largely mismanaged and wasted the huge resources that accrued to his oil-rich state in the Niger Delta over the last eight years”. I used to have tremendous respect for Miss Ijeoma Nwogwugwu and had read many of her write-ups in ThisDay Newspaper. On several occasions, I had admired her rising profile in a male-dominated industry, despite the fact that she is single with two kids. It would have been easy to dismiss Nwogwugwu as one of those journalists or writers who do not bother to visit the Niger Delta but sit in their offices at will to insult leaders who strive under very difficult situations to make a difference. But, even when some of them visit the area, they choose to see what was not done, not the much that was done, as the CNN would always do. Worse than this, Nwogwugwu and her likes believe that because they have the pen and the privilege, they are above reproach, and that every knee must bow at their altar; and that all mortals must accept their verdict. Their cynicism must be accepted as criticism. Mismanagement can be understood as the process of misleading or misdirecting all or part of an organisation. In the case of a government, it is done through deliberate wrong deployment and manipulation of resources of the people including human, financial, intellectual or intangible resources. To largely waste resources is ‘to use, consume, spend or expend thoughtlessly or carelessly’. To think that this is what the administration of Dr. Odili represents in the evolution process of 40-year-old Rivers State is, to say the least, untrue, unkind and unacceptable. If goodwill is a type of resource, Nwogwugwu has mismanaged it in the most careless manner. The ease with which the writer concluded without any logical backup that Odili wasted the resources of Rivers State, makes it easy to conclude too, that Nwogwugwu is either unaware or is part of an unending gang-up to attack Dr. Odili in any method possible. And this is a project that has failed. It is amazing that some persons have so suddenly forgotten that Rivers State was a mere fourth in oil revenue allocation before late 2005. This, of course was due to injustices of the past. Dr. Odili peacefully battled all forces and cajoled all authorities until the rightful position of the state was achieved, and Rivers State is now number one. In good societies, this would make any man a hero, not the villain the likes of Nwogwugwu would force hapless Nigerians to accept. Many are made to believe that Dr. Odili just walked into fortune and fame in the Brick House, but they forget that the medical doctor walked into a state where the civil service was on strike for inability to pay a mere N3,500 minimum wage. Several remunerations of workers were unpaid, students were paying all manner of levies, charges for medical treatments were high, and university students had long forgotten what their bursary (a mere N2,500) looked like, and many more discouraging situations. The previous state government had estimated it would get revenue of about N6billion in 1999. The then in-coming administration did a study and felt it could work on internal revenue, not federal oil allocation, to increase this to N10bn. Now, Nwogwugwu has forgotten that without receiving any new oil revenue, the state immediately ordered the payment of the disputed minimum wage, and when President Olusegun Obasanjo announced a new wage of N7,500, Rivers was the first to pay, though it was them fourth in oil revenue allocation. From this moment on, despite the state being a mere fourth in oil revenue allocation, Odili’s Rivers State never took second position on anything. Has anybody vilified other oil states the way Dr. Odili is? Dr. Odili had a burning desire to reposition Port Harcourt into a new investment destination, foreign or local, and he succeeded in this enterprise by remaining focused, putting on ground things that investors crave for, roads, airport, power, and houses. Where any of these has failed, it can never be for want of trying. His ultimate ambition is to make Rivers State largely independent, in a true sense of fiscal federalism. He desires a state that can pay its bills without waiting for the federation account from Abuja. This could explain why and how he worked hard by plugging loopholes and discovering new areas of internal revenue. While most others care to evaluate federal allocation increases, which of course come without effort, they do not care to know that Dr. Odili worked to increase the internal revenue from a mere N250m in 1999 to almost N3bn per month today. Is this an act of mismanagement? It is amazingly sad that anywhere one big or small project is commissioned outside Rivers State, the refrain is ‘Odili who got the highest allocation, what did he do?’ But the real question is, if Dr. Odili wasted, squandered and mismanaged Rivers wealth, which state governor developed his state more? Which state carried more federal burden than Rivers State? Many like Nwogwugwu have forgotten that Rivers State is an oil export terminal and therefore an oil bunkerers’ playground. It has always been a breeding ground for armed groups that protect the black market. Most of the big lords that were displaced in the past few years have used their resources to fight Dr. Odili. Read the threats of some militants carefully and see the anger over assistance to the military to fight bunkerers. Dr. Odili ruled and made an outstanding difference under a very hostile environment. His successes only seemed to attract jealousy. Somebody fights and makes enormous sacrifices to keep the oil that Nigeria is exporting afloat. What has Dr. Odili not done to keep the country flying high. It was a day of history when the former Chief of Defence Staff, General Ogomudia came to Port Harcourt to bury the 14 soldiers lost to militants in Bayelsa State. The Defence Chief commissioned the three fast assault sea crafts which Dr. Odili procured at great cost to assist the Navy fight illegal bunkering and save their men. By Shell’s admission, crude oil loss came down to 40,000 barrels per day (bpd) from 200,000. Is a State government supposed to buy equipment for the military in Nigeria? Are the dead soldiers that he gave their relations N1m each from Rivers State? How many other oil governors did this, since oil is for all? Is this mismanagement? Nwogwugwu needs to get close to the ordinary soldiers that are exposed to the militants and know their real opinion of who is a hero or villain among the governors of the region. Those who duck the bullets know who their friend is. Nigeria must begin to appreciate those in the line of duty and that without the likes of Dr. Odili in the Niger Delta, there may be no drop of oil to lift. The mere fact that MV African Pride, which was arrested and kept in proper custody got lost with its crude oil content, is enough to give an inkling into the gravity and enormity of oil trafficking and crisis in the sector. Powerful people are behind large scale oil theft and they will not forgive whoever stood on their way. Dr. Odili joined good forces and at a point, they fought the menace from 200,000 bpd to 40,000 before the recent upsurge. These are things the likes of Nwogwugwu should appreciate, but these forces have wide reaches especially in the media. Dr. Odili stands tops in matters of security and his choice to work with the police through the provision of equipment and incentives to provide impeccable security in the state for many years is no more news. Dr. Odili remains the only state governor to provide 160 trooper vehicles to the police in his state. His target is 180. Recently, Rivers State Government donated an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), the best by any state government in Nigeria. You must know that the cost of the APC is the equivalent of over 30 troupers. Is Odili the Commissioner of Police, the Inspector General (IG) or the FG? Is it only indigenes that are being protected by the 160 troopers and the APC? He has equally extended his largesse to the Army, Navy, Airforce, and the para-military, just to protect his side of the country and yet he has mismanaged the state’s resources. Is this a fair assessment of such a patriot? Who has stood for one Nigeria more than Dr. Odili, carrying all burdens that would reduce tension, improve cohesion, and promote democracy? Who has practically taken over the burden of federal parastals in his state more than Odili? Until Dr. Odili provided an ambulance to the Prisons in the state, they were carrying sick inmates on the back to hospitals, and many died on their backs. Perhaps, it is the helpless warders that suffered this who felt eternally grateful, others looked the other way, waiting to pounce on a man who thinks and eats nothing but the good of the next person. Has the University of Port Harcourt not admitted that they received the highest assistance from Dr. Odili’s administration more than all other regimes put together? The state bankrolled the NUGA fiesta and put on ground the best facilities in the institution. This is almost the case in every federal agency in the state. Rivers State Government donated a Clinical students’ hostel, and gave UPTH over N300m to enable it function properly. Yet, Dr. Odili’s projects have humbled everyone else. The Gas Turbine stations and the Independent Power Project (IPP) which most detractors choose to denigrate, have withstood all cannons aimed at calling it black. At over N50bn, it is the biggest most single project executed in history by any state government, and with zero financial liability in Nigeria. Since Rivers State was fourth in oil revenue when this was initiated, one needs to ask what those who got higher figures than Rivers State did that Dr. Odili did not top many times over? Why has anybody not asked why the FG is doing what Dr. Odili did in power, even using the same contractor who did the magic in Rivers State to establish some of the seven integrated power stations at even higher costs? Dr. Odili did not only spend money courageously to begin a journey in self-sufficiency in power generation, he also made an experiment that has now opened the way for other states. The FG endorsed this. Is this governor a villain? The IPP has proved what it is, a well thought-out plan. The out-going state boss of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), Mr George Chiatula, has admitted that the state supplies up to 60 per cent of the power currently used in Port Harcourt, but this will mean nothing to the likes of Nwogwugwu. Which state has achieved 60 per cent power sufficiency? Yet, Nwogwugwu flippantly declared Dr. Odili as one who did nothing but wasted and mismanaged Rivers resources. Thank goodness that the FG has asked PHCN to turn in the direction of the Rivers IPP for solace in this moment of dire need. Is it easy to achieve such feat in power supply? The Rivers State government has ever remained grateful to the President who has always come to its assistance in the IPP in terms of waivers and support in the experiment. Those who compare Cross River’s Tinapa with Rivers Gas Turbine project, make huge mistakes. The two governors are friends. Dr. Odili’s administration so believes in Tinapa that it invested two billion naira in it. How many other states did? While Tinapa is a downstream venture, bearing direct fruits, Gas Turbine is a turnkey project that would propel industrialisation. While Tinapa may touch a large population, Gas Turbine will touch every single person in Rivers State. Dr. Odili has never ceased to support the Tinapa vision and nobody should try to use it against Rivers State. Dr. Odili’s administration even acquired and warehoused good stocks worth over N40billion in blue chip companies including banks. The government has over N5billion cash reserve. A governor who saved N5billion is a hero, the governor who established Tinapa at N45billion or thereabout is a legend, the governor who established farms is a good investor, the governor who bought shares in a telecomm outfit is a man of vision, but Dr. Odili who did all these and more did not perform? State governors who put signposts on federally neglected roads are heroes but Dr. Odili who made N4billion available to rescue the PH International Airport Road to save Nigeria from international disgrace and make travelling from the airport less traumatic is a villain. When the FG shut down the airport and could not restart it, the state government extended a loan of N4billion to quicken action in the face of outcry and risks of Port Harcourt to Owerri Airport, Dr. Odili moved to rehabilitate the military airport at Airforce Base on Aba Road by reconstructing internal roads, the runway, installing radar equipment and landing lights at whooping costs to the state and yet another body collects revenue accruing from that effort. What job has been done at the International Airport? Has any of these been refunded? Is this an act of mismanagement? Which other state did any of these? Why must anybody want to crucify Dr. Odili? That he does not believe in fighting anybody does not mean that others won’t fight for him. He has fought more than anybody else to save the Niger Delta and he draws fire from the creeks for saving Nigeria, but how many Nigerians are grateful to him? Take a look at the credentials of a nationalist. When Nigeria had lost hope with the Super Eagles ever making it to the World Cup in Japan/Korea 2002, Dr. Odili’s administration stepped in and saved the nation. When he kept quiet, did Nigeria go to the next World Cup in 2006 in Germany? When the Super Falcons faced disgrace in South Africa, who came to their rescue? When Enyimba FC of Aba sought to make history to win the rare CAF Champions Cup back-to-back, which other governor helped out with N10million and huge moral support, even when Dr. Odili’s state had two teams in the Premiership? Which state began free HIV/AIDS treatment? Which state started free caesarean section? Which state began free treatment of infants (under 6) and the aged? Which state started free WAEC, NECO, NABTEB? What else can a man do for his people? Yet, Odili mismanaged and wasted Rivers wealth. These free things in Rivers State are enjoyed by most of eastern Nigerians who live in or visit Rivers State and we looked the other way. Is Nwogwugwu shocked by all these things? If those she is praising did any of these things, it would be celebration time, but because they were done by the ‘wrong’ governor, it is a crime. The FG and other states are fast borrowing these things, yet the man who started them is a villain. If the appropriate agencies had done their duty, would Dr. Odili be ‘wasting’ money on International Airport, Fly-overs, Airport rehabilitation, Hangar, rebuilding the Airforce Base airport, IPP, et cetera? If past administrations had established basic infrastructure, would Dr. Odili not have built on them the way the incoming governor would now do? Would the next governor worry about a government house? Rivers State was rich, why did it not build a government house until Odili did it. If Dr. Odili is collecting huge oil revenue now, what was done with the Gulf war windfall in the 1980’s? Why was it left for Dr. Odili to start and finish a House of Assembly complex, a Judiciary complex, a liaison complex in Abuja, estates in PH and more than 6,000 houses across the state? Why is Bonny Island, the export terminal of the so-called oil and gas that sustain Nigeria not having an airstrip? Is there any such neglect anywhere else in the world? Now that Dr. Odili’s administration has ventured into airplanes to service some of such critical points in the Niger Delta, he is a villain, he is wasting money, even in the estimation of business journalists such as Nwogwugwu. Every person who wants to practice his hands on reckless journalism or vile criticism will pick on Dr. Odili and his or her refrain will be that Odili wasted Rivers money. In the absence of a probe of his entire tenure, it is assumed that such critics act from notions and rumours as well as droplets from the warped imagination of detractors. Even those who have been indicted by Government white papers have been saved from the courts until such indictments are confirmed by the court. Why is Dr. Odili not allowed to remain an honourable Nigerian until he is found guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction on any of the petitions bandied about by detractors? If other governors are judged on face value and on things on ground, why not so with Dr. Odili? Has any governor performed close to his? Is the best stadium in Nigeria not found in Port Harcourt? Is the best state hospital, the BMH, not found in Port Harcourt? Who else has pumped N11.8billion to attempt a road across a tributaries of the Atlantic in the swamps of Ogoni-Opobo-Andoni to make half of the eastern riverine section of the state motorable? Who before or now has devoted about N12billion to attempt to link all major Kalabari towns or half of western Rivers State through the Trans-Kalabari highway? These are difficult and expensive projects that were mere dreams, if not hallucinations since the creation of the earth, but which demand political will and courage to flag-off, even against advice. Many would prefer doing hundreds of small projects that would attract applause but the fundamentals would remain. If Dr. Odili did not do them, who would? He chose not to play to the gallery, and the future will tell. It is sad that some seasoned commentators who ought to look beyond the chorus of ‘what did Odili do? Odili wasted funds, have been caught by the bug. Some of us used to respect the likes of Nwogwugwu but not anymore, if she can so flagrantly conclude that Dr. Odili mismanaged Rivers wealth. When others sponsored mass killing in their states, he saved lives, when others walked away from collapsed buildings and other disasters, Dr. Odili came to their rescue, when others abandoned the people for the FG, Dr. Odili gave them respite, yet he is a villain. Most projects executed by Dr. Odili were certified as either best in Nigeria or one of the best in the world by experts. His poverty alleviation package is described as the best, and was even adopted by the Federal Government. He paid Rivers State’s part of the micro-credit scheme with NAPEP and Oceanic Bank (N500m), and this attracted praises from those who know its worth. He is sponsoring the largest number of students (over 500) in rare sciences abroad. Every where he turned, he came tops in development endeavours, yet detractors say it is due to too much money. These are just some of the key things Dr. Odili did that won him awards and commendations from all well-meaning assessors, even by respected media practitioners and media houses not far from Nwogwugwu. It is amazing that the lawmakers (vested by law to vet projects) endorsed his projects, over 600 journalists assessed him, traditional rulers hailed him, students applauded him, sportsmen insisted on him, Labour bowed to him, et cetera, one wonders how then Dr. Odili is still a villain. When his party asked him to step down, he did, and yet his state returned the highest vote to the party in less controversial circumstances than those who vilify him. What else does one need as evidence that this is a true nationalist, democrat and governor par-excellence? Temporary vilifications will go, history will vindicate the just! If what Dr. Odili did in Rivers State and Nigeria is mismanagement and waste of funds, Rivers people would want more of such. Meanwhile, those who do not have facts but vile declarations on the Odili administration should shut up. Miss Ijeoma Nwogwugwu, please shut up. Abe is the Rivers State Commissioner for Information. |
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