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| Mr. Lukman Oyewole Lawal speaking to Journalists during the encounter in Lagos |
A chattered
accountant, politician and Policy expert, Mr.
Lukman Oyewole Lawal has given an insight into how President Goodluck Jonathan and his economic team led by Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala ruined Nigeria’s economic system in 4 years.
accountant, politician and Policy expert, Mr.
Lukman Oyewole Lawal has given an insight into how President Goodluck Jonathan and his economic team led by Dr. Ngozi Okonjo Iweala ruined Nigeria’s economic system in 4 years.
Mr. Lawal who is the founder of The
Ultimate Youth Dream Initiative, a Lagos based Non Governmental
Organization that researches government’s policies at states, local and
national level for the promotion of good and quality governance told journalists
during a recent youth orientation
program at Akintan Grammar School in Suru-Lere
area of Lagos state, South West Nigeria
that the government of Dr. Goodluck
Ebele Jonathan ran the economy with a wrong manual and advised President Muhammad Buhari to ensure he
corrects the ills by choosing green heads in finance and economic matters to
reform the economy.
Giving a hint on how the Jonathan regime got
it wrong, Mr. Oyewole noted that “Budgeting
is a very significant instrument that is used in governance”. He stressed
further “However, the trend in Nigeria is such that the budgeting system
supposed to be in two folds. We have the vertical distribution and the horizontal
distribution”. “The vertical
distribution talks about how money accruing to the federation that is the
federal government, the state and local government are shared on a vertical
structure. The federal government at the top echelon is getting 52.68%; the
state governments (36 states) are getting 26.70% and the local governments (774
LGAs) are getting 20.6%.”
it wrong, Mr. Oyewole noted that “Budgeting
is a very significant instrument that is used in governance”. He stressed
further “However, the trend in Nigeria is such that the budgeting system
supposed to be in two folds. We have the vertical distribution and the horizontal
distribution”. “The vertical
distribution talks about how money accruing to the federation that is the
federal government, the state and local government are shared on a vertical
structure. The federal government at the top echelon is getting 52.68%; the
state governments (36 states) are getting 26.70% and the local governments (774
LGAs) are getting 20.6%.”
“I, Lukman Lawal have a workable
modem that can redress that situation from 74% to 40% in three years. Without
sounding proud, our organization has done enough research to reach this level;
we would give them the manual to achieve it. We would tell them how it is done”
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| Mr. Lukman Oyewole Lawal says ‘I have the manual to help Leaders better our economic sysytem’ |
harp on this, the finance commissioners go for the federation accounts
allocation committee meeting to draw their cheques and go back to their
respective states. In the same sense we have the horizontal distribution of the
funds by the person at the center which is the Federal Government; those funds
are supposed to go through all the 36 states through the ministries,
departments and agencies in order to ginger economic activities, to ginger
productivity and ginger growth. Then the aggregate sum goes to domestic
product. Then we talk about the fiscal and monetary policies which is the
federal government’s primary responsibilities but I can tell you that the last
regime ran a federal government that budgets over 70% of its earnings
year-in-year-out on re-current expenditure; salaries and allowances, over
heads, maintenance of buildings, travelling expenses, medical expenses,
cutleries, food, wine and all kind of frivolities; servicing of debts; most of
the debts they have incurred locally and internationally, ton of trillions, unnecessary
debts and that is why states cant pay salaries”
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| Lukman Oyewole Lawal….’Youth must be involved in governance’ |
History of Crazy Debt
Mr. Oyewole gave a swinging graph of how
Nigeria’s economic strength straddled down to an all time low tracing it to
post 2011 election trends “In 2011,
74.4% of the earnings of the federal government were budgeted on re-curing
expenditure. In 2012, it came down a little bit to 71.5% and we were applauding
them. By 2013 it went down further to 67.5% and we said ‘oh, it seems they are
thinking’. You won’t believe it my brother, that in 2014, It sky rocketed again
to 74% and we just lost focus of the kind of untapped potential that we have in
the power sector, that we have in the educational sector, that we have in the
transport sector, that we have in the manufacturing sector. It is such that we
can never get where we are supposed to be if we continue with this kind of
spending pattern. It is going to further impoverish my generation, it is going
to further impoverish my children’s generation; it is going to be a monumental
failure if we do not reject that trend of spending”
Nigeria’s economic strength straddled down to an all time low tracing it to
post 2011 election trends “In 2011,
74.4% of the earnings of the federal government were budgeted on re-curing
expenditure. In 2012, it came down a little bit to 71.5% and we were applauding
them. By 2013 it went down further to 67.5% and we said ‘oh, it seems they are
thinking’. You won’t believe it my brother, that in 2014, It sky rocketed again
to 74% and we just lost focus of the kind of untapped potential that we have in
the power sector, that we have in the educational sector, that we have in the
transport sector, that we have in the manufacturing sector. It is such that we
can never get where we are supposed to be if we continue with this kind of
spending pattern. It is going to further impoverish my generation, it is going
to further impoverish my children’s generation; it is going to be a monumental
failure if we do not reject that trend of spending”
On what to
do to correct the anomaly the chattered accountant and policy analyst offered
an idea “As I am talking to you my brother, I, Lukman Lawal have a
workable modem that can redress that situation from 74% to 40% in three years. Without
sounding proud, our organization has done enough research to reach this level;
we would give them the manual to achieve it. We would tell them how it is done;
I hope you have not forgotten how former President
Goodluck Jonathan ran to the National Assembly last year asking for a one
billion dollar loan to stop Boko Haram and I ask myself, ‘how
did we get here, at that time of the year, we were just a bit about half year
of the years’ budget, why cant we mop up just N165 Billion from the N4.3
trillion of the years’ budget? Are they saying they have finished spending
everything they budgeted on over head costs? Are they saying they have finished
all the frivolities that we have as allowances and security votes? They are
very quick to run hand in cap to get more loans and further impoverish
generation of Nigerians yet unborn and I am challenging every young person in
Nigeria today; every young educated Nigerian today, to please speak up. To
please ‘do not join the band wagon of people that has sworn to drag this
country into eternal debt, into eternal failure, into eternal cantankerous
living. Where we are today is because of the failings of twenty to twenty-five
or thirty years ago. We are reaping the failings in action and in the absence
of the entire period and now we are heaping much more bad governance, bad
decisions on this present generation and I can tell you that if we don’t speak
up, we might live to regret our actions”
do to correct the anomaly the chattered accountant and policy analyst offered
an idea “As I am talking to you my brother, I, Lukman Lawal have a
workable modem that can redress that situation from 74% to 40% in three years. Without
sounding proud, our organization has done enough research to reach this level;
we would give them the manual to achieve it. We would tell them how it is done;
I hope you have not forgotten how former President
Goodluck Jonathan ran to the National Assembly last year asking for a one
billion dollar loan to stop Boko Haram and I ask myself, ‘how
did we get here, at that time of the year, we were just a bit about half year
of the years’ budget, why cant we mop up just N165 Billion from the N4.3
trillion of the years’ budget? Are they saying they have finished spending
everything they budgeted on over head costs? Are they saying they have finished
all the frivolities that we have as allowances and security votes? They are
very quick to run hand in cap to get more loans and further impoverish
generation of Nigerians yet unborn and I am challenging every young person in
Nigeria today; every young educated Nigerian today, to please speak up. To
please ‘do not join the band wagon of people that has sworn to drag this
country into eternal debt, into eternal failure, into eternal cantankerous
living. Where we are today is because of the failings of twenty to twenty-five
or thirty years ago. We are reaping the failings in action and in the absence
of the entire period and now we are heaping much more bad governance, bad
decisions on this present generation and I can tell you that if we don’t speak
up, we might live to regret our actions”
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| Lukman Oyewole Lawal….’Economic Policy of GEJ was a sham’ |
How to solve economic crisis
Mr. Lawal gave a credible way out of the
economic logjam “Firstly, we must actively participate in governance. When you
are participating in governance, bring a positive approach. Do not allow yourself
to be used to promote bad policies. Don’t be blind to your present realities.
You are not supposed to be where you are presently; the only thing we can do to
ourselves is to eradicate this present situation by making the right choices,
by doing the needful and participating positively in governance”
economic logjam “Firstly, we must actively participate in governance. When you
are participating in governance, bring a positive approach. Do not allow yourself
to be used to promote bad policies. Don’t be blind to your present realities.
You are not supposed to be where you are presently; the only thing we can do to
ourselves is to eradicate this present situation by making the right choices,
by doing the needful and participating positively in governance”
“This people
(Politicians) have pauperized our generation. I want to call members of my
generation; I want to call every young elite and the youth to please rise up
and the time is now. No matter where you run to you will still come back to
Nigeria, no matter where you send your kids to, they will still come back to
Nigeria. God forbid, those kids that we have failed in education due to our bad
economic policies will become the nemesis of our tomorrow. Let us rise up and
support the government of President
Muhammad Buhari and all the elements of the CHANGE dream at state and
national level. I will also appeal to Mr.
President that he takes his time to appoint the best of heads that can lead
this country out of the present economic logjam that has denied people from
earning their dues after working for it”
(Politicians) have pauperized our generation. I want to call members of my
generation; I want to call every young elite and the youth to please rise up
and the time is now. No matter where you run to you will still come back to
Nigeria, no matter where you send your kids to, they will still come back to
Nigeria. God forbid, those kids that we have failed in education due to our bad
economic policies will become the nemesis of our tomorrow. Let us rise up and
support the government of President
Muhammad Buhari and all the elements of the CHANGE dream at state and
national level. I will also appeal to Mr.
President that he takes his time to appoint the best of heads that can lead
this country out of the present economic logjam that has denied people from
earning their dues after working for it”
(For Expert
Advise and Consultation, Mr. Lawal
can be reached on 070-888-00-183 or Luklawgreat@yahoo.com)
Advise and Consultation, Mr. Lawal
can be reached on 070-888-00-183 or Luklawgreat@yahoo.com)
