A visitor from another planet, versed in economics, on arriving in Nigeria and reading our newspapers must wonder if there are intelligent people governing us. Future historians might not be too wrong if they assume or conclude that in 2020 Nigeria still lived in the Dark Age. Everything – CAMA 2020, Magu Probe, P&ID’s $9.68billion judgment, bandits etc – touched by the administration has turned to dust.

Furthermore, I strongly believe that the subjects of articles – Presidents, Governors, Ministers — being public servants are directly accountable. I will never stoop so low as to trade words with a servant of a servant. One Bukky Ighodaro who wrote from Abuja on behalf of his masters will receive no reply from me. His employers will – especially the ones old enough to be my age group.

“If you have tears, prepare to shed them now.” That is not original to me. The original author was Mark Anthony in Shakespeare’s (1564-1616) play Julius Ceasar. But the great(est) British writer/poet had provided the most appropriate opening statement in response to the announcement by the Vice President (The VP), Prof Yemi Osinbajo. What we have in Nigeria right now is not a case of the blind leading the blind. If it was so, that situation can be easily corrected.

In the first part of this series, we explained how ignorance, poverty of leadership, incompetence and the wrong mindsets of our leaders combined to push us into the economic quagmire in which we find ourselves now.

THIS report went on to list the failed targets of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan, ERGP, as follows: ‘‘Stable macroeconomic environment; Agricultural transformation and food security; Sufficiency in energy (power and petroleum products; Improved transportation infrastructure; and Industrialisation focusing SMEs.