By Adisa Adeleye
MANY Nigerians, perhaps still suffering from a bout of post elections hay fever, are still confused about their present and worried about their future.  Apart from the shocking deadly disturbances in some parts of the North after the elections, bombs continue to rock Abuja, the capital city with disturbing frequencies.  And yet, Nigerians are hopeful.

Many ordinary Nigerians are hopeful that the Federal Government, States and Local authorities would pay the monthly minimum wage of N18, 000.  In many respects, the paltry sum of N18, 000 a month could be insulting in a country blessed with abundant oil and gas and other untapped mineral resources.

It is strange that some governors who recently called for the abolition of subsidy on petroleum products would find it impossible to pay the minimum wage until -the mighty Labour Force threatened with a general strike.

It will be interesting to know what would be the emoluments of each Federal Minister, State Commissioner, Chairmen and Councilors of each local government in the country.  The problem of the government is how to fix remuneration of public officials to ensure fairness and equity for all citizens.

The other day a friend phoned to enquire about the survival of the President in the midst of about forty ministers and twenty advisers.  I explained that President Jonathan had arranged a convenient time-table to see his ministers.

According to reports, the President would meet with the Finance Minister (three or four times a week) because of the importance of the job.  Other ministers would meet the President at least once a week.  This arrangement seems to be perfect to the extent that it would allow the ministers to concentrate on their jobs and the President would have time for deep thoughts on his Transformation Agenda.

Since it is generally believed that economic transformation has much to play in the complete transformation of this country, it would not be out of place to repeat what I have written many times over the years on acceptable development strategy.

Broad economic policy
Government should be able to choose wisely from various complimentary economic policies adopted by the South Asian countries after their independence.

These included little or no restriction of imports but low or no tariffs on raw materials, spare parts and machinery, free repatriation of profits and unhindered foreign participation in the most vibrant sectors of the economy; foreign investments in labour intensive industries; subsidy to selected export oriented industries and protection for import substitutes industries against foreign dumping and manufacture of capital goods.

A short term policy should aim at increasing the level of effective demand for goods and services through increase in the purchasing power of the populace.

It should be realized that a national economy like ours that seems to have lost its bearing politically and socially needs more radical measures that would involve all stake holders in both public and private sectors.  The whole burden should not be thrown on the shoulders of the private sector alone as being currently canvassed.  We should try to operate a ‘mixed economy‘, with the private sector predominating and the public sector delivering the social goods at affordable and reasonable cost.

A short-term economic formula will include:
(a) Power supply:  an uninterrupted power supply to industrial centers of Lagos, Ibadan, Benin, Warri, Onitsha, Enugu, Owerri, Aba, Port-Harcourt, Calabar, Kaduna, Kano, Jos, Maiduguri and all state capitals through PHCN and independent suppliers, as a priority.

(b) Constant maintenance of existing roads: Lagos-Ibadan-Kaduna-Kano-Abuja; Lagos-Benin-Onitsha-Owerri-Port Harcourt-Aba-Uyo-Calabar, (through daily or weekly paid local workers) to ease transportation of goods and services immediately after the rains.

(c) Communication links with all commercial and industrial areas of the country with Lagos, (the commercial nerve centre of the country) and Abuja, the capital of the country.

(d)Full employment policy to take care of irate youths roaming the streets of urban centers.

(di)As Professor J. Pen succinctly puts it, ‘a national economy that has lost its balance socially and politically cannot have that balance restored by a purely economic Neo-Keynesian policy. More radical measures are needed.  But an otherwise sound community in which enterprising employers and responsible employees are reasonably accommodating towards each other can avoid inflationary and deflationary disturbances if a national policy is directed towards this‘.

He concludes, ‘in this sense, a policy aimed at even distribution of income can make a positive contribution to wage stabilization, an unfair distribution of goods of this world forms a constant threat to the stability of the economy, with all its attendant consequences‘.

Sadly, Nigeria of today is a country of extreme wealth and extreme poverty which makes the survival of ordinary person a very difficult task.

Happily, a former Finance Minister under Obasanjo, Dr (Mrs.) Okonjo-Iweala now back in the Finance Ministry, was reported to have said during her last tenure that ‘the planned fiscal reform would affect the size and expenditure of the government‘. The amiable minister, without a magic wand, looks forward to the next ten years for appreciable achievements after judicious reduction in government expenditure‘.

For the survival of the nation from further economic, political and social decadence, widespread rural poverty and urban congestion, and with its attendant fifth and disease, it is necessary to seek a new solution in the idea of a genuine NATIONAL GOVERNMENT of wider and tested talents under the present President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan.

Unfortunately, the ruling party (PDP) has failed to allow the President to cast its net wide enough to attract other talented interests.  It is the same old ‘winners-take-all‘ syndrome which has led us nowhere since 1999.

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