Dr Sani Abacha - The good economics implementor
musa jokolo
On the economic front, the gains of general Abacha's 4 years of to
rescue mission have been universally acknowledged, even by the most
virulent critics of this administration.
The entire social order of given society is a function of its prevailing
economic conditions. This is the basic premise that underlies General
Abacha's political economy. He believes that there can be no condition
more important for the ultimate sustenance of the democratic order than
the people's economic prosperity. the failure of the Second Republic
offers itself as a good example. In that experience, the existing social
and political frameworks disintegrated when the economic structures were
at the verge of collapse.
When General Abacha assumed leadership in 1993, he met an economic
situation that was both precarious and thoroughly depressed. All the
economic indicators pointed to failed performance in a system operating
under considerable irrationalities and distortions.
The previous years of the execution of the Structural Adjustment
Programme (SAP), had produced nothing but a nightmare for Nigerians and
the economy had sunk to such a low as to put Nigeria among the poorest
nations of the world . The most urgent task of General Abacha's
administration was to execute "extensive repair works" on the economy in
order to arrest its decline, stabilise the economy and restructure the
system in such a way as to ensure recovery
and sustainable growth.
The Abacha economic reform measures were designed to strengthen the
macro- economic environment and to provide incentives for domestic
economic growth .In particular, they sought to reverse the negative
economic trends such as the incidence of high inflation and slow growth
as well as worsening unemployment and wastage of national resources.
Instead of opting for full scale liberalisation and deregulation,
General Abacha adopted a form of control on key macro-economic
instruments- the exchange rate and interest rates - in order to give
the economy a sense of direction. His strategy is a guided deregulation,
aimed at steering the economy away from unbridled speculation.
It involves a wide range of measures which include the fixing of the
exchange rate of the naira to the dollar, adjustment of interest rates
and other forms of control to ensure stability and create a conducive
environment for businessmen and industrialists to operate without
apprehension.
The General's reaction to suggestion during a budget session that we
should start opening our windows to outside investors, he asked. "Why
windows?" Let's open the gate for them to come in". The result of all
this is that the economic decline has been effectively arrested and
reversed.
All economic indicators point to the success of the 4 years of what is
now popularly known as Abachanomics. As a matter of fact, you and I are
living witnesses to these concrete achievements. Prices of several
commodities e.g. food items, domestic cooking gas, services, transport.
etc., have stabilised.
This is not to suggest that our economic problems are over,
or that the income of the average family is adequate to rake care of all
of its needs. It is merely to say that our situation has improved
considerably far way beyond what Dr Sani Abacha met, and that with faith
and perseverance the nation's fortunes will continue to improve.
______________________________________________________
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Rashid Oniyangi
This is another example of quantum political deception: if you create a
situation that would justify military intervention, and you intervene
militarily, then your intervention is justified! This is the political
self-replicating explanation that has been used to deceive Nigerians into
believing that the military, each time they have intervened on their own
behalf, are there to save Nigerians. The proper way for any patriotic army
to help in creating a stable and sustainable democracy is by helping to
stabilize an imminent collapse of social structures, while preserving those
political structures that would allow the conflicting democratic forces to
resolve their differences. This does not necessitate the complete decimation
and ursupation of the democratic power structure in favor of a dictatorship
of the military. You seem to forget that Abacha's regime is twice removed
from the second republic and that he could have saved us from imminent
collapse by simply respecting the wishes of the Nigerian people.
On the economic front, you must realize the ultimate futility in fiscal
manipulations that completely prevents free market determinations. The
distortions you claim to have been smoothed over by Abacha's policies are
merely plastered over. Authentic economic development is measured, not by
the stability of our currency or interest rate, as important as they may be,
but by the real standard of living of the people as measured by the
macro-economic indexes of savings-investment matrix and its concomitant
effects. Where does Nigeria stand on this aspect? Foreign investment is
virtually non-existent, and this is why there is a continuing need to prop
up the value of the Naira. The political climate is itself inimical to
foreign investment. A condition where fiscal instruments can be arbitrarily
modified without warning cannot represent a good climate for foreign
participation in our economic development, since such system as it exists
in Nigeria, cannot guarantee the free flow of returns on investment
according to what the market dictates.
Assuming that all the wild claims you have made for Abacha's economic
miracle were right and that we are all just air-headed refuseniks, would
that be enough reason to maintain that he is the only option we have if we
must continue to 'grow' economically. But where else would people like you
see prosperity, if not in the impoverishment and thingification of the
entire citizenry of Nigeria. let general sani Abacha relinquish his
military position and contest as a civilian under rules agreed upon by a
representative cross-section of Nigerians and I will, like you support his
policies. Barring that, he is no different from another despot (a la Jean
Bedel Bokassa) who engineered his own ascendancy to the throne). We all know
what happened to all the self-appointed saviors.
dele jegede
I woke up this morning and, the chilly December air on my face
nothwithstanding, felt the most vibrant I've been in recent times.
The radiant glow on my face was so apparent that my colleagues
may have harbored the thought that I needed to see a shrink: dele
has not been this enthused, this celebratory, in months. And this
during the finals week when the struggle to post the grades
sometimes induces its own sullenness. How I wish they knew that
the single source of my internal bliss, the balm that has soothed
my paroxysms of anger, was this erudite piece by Naijanet's own
Musa Jokolo, a gentleman whose name should strike fear in the minds
of anyone with lots of suitcases or ungainly cupboards.
His analysis of the economic situation in my beloved country, and
his sterling portrayal of Dr.(Professor Alhaji Chief) General Sani
Abacha as Nigeria's inimitable twentieth century redeemer, ranks
as one of themost insightful that anyone has written in ages. Mr.
Jokolo's erudition posits that Nigeria proper began the moment
Professor Abacha stepped in: it was this humble man in dark glasses,
this stout "ofcer" whose reticence is legendary, that lifted Nigeria
from the abyss of economic collapse without uttering a word. He did
this through what has been termed guided deregulation. Nigerians
have become so deregulated that they cannot be regulated anymore!
Thanks to our economic genius, Nigerians can now sleep without
bothering about the menace of robbers: armed or under-armed. Nigerians
are not only safe in their private domains, the streets are even
safer. Not a single Nigerian has lost his or her life under
mysterious circumstances since the Professor's economic miracle
took hold. Politicians who are believed to be endangered species
have been taken good care of, courtesy of the Professor's protective
plan. They are being protected from themselves since the theory is
that the miracle of "abachanomics" may shame them into committing
unspeakable acts not only against society, but against themselves.
Since Professor Abacha's tenure, there has never been any single day
when gas stations ran out of supply in Nigeria. Indeed, transportation
is so smooth it is now the envy of the world--certainly of Africa.
As a result of the General's midas touch, our industries are expanding
at a phenomenal rate--so unbelievably phenomenal that some eggheads are
suggesting that Nigeria should annex Republic of Benin so that the
Industrial Estate at Ikeja could stretch through Badagry to Cotonou.
Such is the impact of Nigeria's end-of-century economic boom. The
exchange rate that was about 20 to 1 when the tall general invited
himself to power has since climbed to 80 to 1 although in recent
times, detractors have been doing their darnest to bring this down.
Thanks to the efforts of the Jokolos, the exchange rate will continue
its upward climb.
We are witnessing the most peaceful period in Nigeria's history. It is
a period of blissful power supply. Since when did anybody witness power
outage? I understand that power supply has become one of the most
predictable assets in Nigeria that some area boys are in fact known to
be planning a protest to bring back the old NEPA. As many of us this
side of the Atlantic would readily testify, the boom years have also
resulted in the most effective communication lines Nigeria has ever
witnessed. Telephone calls to Nigeria go through even before you lift
your finger. The Nigerian postal system has, I understand, silently
acquired a new middle name: "Effico." This, I've been told, is acronym
for "Efficiency." It takes less than four days for any mail from outside
of Nigeria to be delivered anywhere in that country. The banking industry
has profitted by the growth spurred by abachanomics. So much so that
many of its chief executives are currently relaxing in Kirikiri, at
the expense of the whiz prof.
The overall effect of our genial general's wizardry has had unmistakable
reverberations in important domains in the country. The educational
system has been totally revamped: new courses for gangs and cults have
been introduced in an attempt to socialize our youths into the 21st
century. The embracement of technology has become so total that there
is computer in every Jakande school. Have you observed how easy it is
to send e-mail to Nigeria? Libraries in our universities do not have
enough books not because there is no money for acquisitions but, in fact,
because there is so much money that there are no more new books to buy.
And to think that Nigeria has gone this far in only four years of
Professor Abacha's rule. Can you imagine what the future holds for our
country when he is sworn in come October 1998? We must thank the likes
of Musa Jokolo for bringing us this far. With them in power, what
more power do we need?
Alafia
dele jegede
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It is the stupid fly that follows the corpse
to the grave
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http://thunder.indstate.edu/~shango
Nubi Achebo
He is our man indeed! I dare say when he is dead his body should be
mummified and should continue ruling because he would hold sway in
this world and beyond. Yes, he is our man - where will Nigeria be
without our Great Leader - Field marshall, General, Professor, Dr.,
Alhaji Abacha?
Nubi Achebo
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musa jokolo
Are you threatening the president? Dr Soyinka who tried this is still
wanted by His Excellency General Dr Sani Abacha.
You are smelling the coffee too strongly His Excellency is not a Field
Marshall. It is good you are tuning in.
Victor O. Alaofin
Ogbeni Dele
Thanks for your thoughtful piece. I can't find a more serious answer to
Alhaji's mails. More vaseline to elbow or vice versa!
Ire O!
Victor
--
Victor O. Alaofin
Institute of Agricultural Economics
Market and Policy Analysis Unit
Olshausenstr 40
24118 Kiel, Germany
Tel. 0049-431-880-1477
Fax 0049-431-880-4592
Email. Vala...@email.uni-kiel.de
'dapo Oguntoyinbo
This is like a tale, full of untruths and distortions, signifying nothing.
Another one of "them". The delete key is, perhaps, the best solution.
'dapo
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From: musa jokolo <mj9...@HOTMAIL.COM>
To: NAIJA...@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU
Subject: Dr Sani Abacha - The good economics implementor
Date: Tuesday, December 16, 1997 9:27 PM
musa jokolo
No one is afraid to say what they feel. AT least the poor lagos lawyer
is saying what he feels but no one is listening.
General Dr Sani Abacha is our man, come October 1, 1998.
General Dr Sani Abacha is not watching everyone. Nigerians are paranoics
by nature, especially from the Southern part of the country.
That is why they (mr abiola et al) called on General Dr Sani Abacha to
save Nigeria, the same man that will lead us into the next century.
Nigerians wake up and smell the coffee. General Dr Sani Abacha is our
BEST MAN for the presidency.
Dr Soyinka could not complete an MA from Leeds (a Nigerian dullard he
was called. Made a 2.1 in English too.) , why are you wasting your time
on the man, because OAU dashed him a seat. What do you expect from OAU?
>
><<
>Are you threatening the president? Dr Soyinka who tried this is still
>wanted by His Excellency General Dr Sani Abacha.
>
>
>...and if Mr Abacha is the right man for the country, why will someone
be
>"wanted" by him. Is there something you are trying to share with us?.
If he is
>the right man for the country, why should people be afraid to say as
they
>feel, just as you are. If Soyinka is "wanted" by Abacha, I would rather
not
>have Abacha as my man for 1998. I will like to be able to roam the
streets of
>my country and dissagree with anyone as I please without having to fear
Dr
>Abacha watching every move i make, I dont want "Big brother" watching
over me,
>Thank you
musa jokolo
The facts is Dr Soyinka is wanted by the Government of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria. An inexperienced nonentity of the utmost
insignificance, couldn't even bag a simple MA degree.
>I think that every Nigerian is as important as the other. You seem not
to be
>addressing the issues at hand. Soyinka is as important as Abacha.
Whatever
>happened to the policy of inclusion or is it selective. Fingerpointing
the
>Southerners is not going to further your Abacha cause