IN a country of more than 42 Ministers,  and more similarly ranked government officials, you would be forgiven if you have not heard about Mr. Samuel Ortom. He is the Minister of State for Trade and Investment.

Mr. Ortom announced himself with the threat that the Federal Government was considering sanctions for government agencies and parastatals that bought imported vehicles rather than the ones assembled in the country. As one whose brief included promoting investment, he probably was saying the right words.

Words are important to government. In fact, they are everything. Mr. Ortom on a visit to a motor manufacturing company in Kano was surprised the company manufactured so many vehicles. He wondered why government agencies bought vehicles made abroad. The threat to sanction government organisations that bought imported cars was the Minister’s proposed solution to the matter. He knows it would not happen.

For purposes of headlines and media attention, on which the fulcrum of major government decisions rest, he scored the bull’s eye. Mr. Ortom did not arrive at the event in a Nigerian made car. He knows that the capacity of the assembling plants in Nigeria cannot meet the demands of government. He also knows why they cannot.

His bosses do not use cars assembled in Nigeria. They think too that is below their office to use vehicles assembled in Nigeria. They can give reasons they will not touch those cars. In 2009, Nigeria spent N175 billion on imported cars according to the National Automotive Council of Nigeria, NACA.

Mr. Ortom, we would assume, knows that manufacturers have had issues for decades with government. The most telling of these is poor electricity supply which, among other factors, results in goods made in Nigeria not being competitive. How many years have we talked about electricity?

Three years ago, then Vice President Goodluck Jonathan visited the foremost motor assembling plant in Kaduna. He promised (words again) that by the end of 2009, electricity would be so cheap and its supply so regular that the plant would not require to generate its own electricity. The company had complained that electricity was its major cost and that its unavailability was affecting its capacities.

Electricity supply has since degenerated. The only improvements are on celebrated increased generation while the company entrusted with supplying it lacks the capacity to do so.

What is the point in wasting resources to generate electricity that we cannot distribute?
“We have met with the stakeholders in the auto industry and they have come up with a position paper which we are looking into. Our problem is lack of discipline.

This time we shall apply sanction for those who go against Federal Government’s policy on patronage for locally assembled vehicles,” Mr. Ortom said. We think there have been too many stakeholders meetings, barely producing results because government’s interests lie in other things.

“Nigerians have no choice than to patronise their auto assembly plant because they have the potentials to create new jobs and if we patronise our own industries, we will recycle our wealth to the benefit of all,” the Minister said in the same magisterial manner that discards the interests of Nigerians who will buy cheaper products, with the meagre resources that the mismanagement of the economy awards them.

Words are no longer enough to address issues. When will government provide electricity? When will it have an industrialisation and investment policy that speaks volumes in action?
Mr. Ortom should walk on those already ignored paths.