Lagos Action Congress, Pretender And Cheat, Says Agbaje

Amidst the growing issues in the polity and economic front, Special Adviser to the President (Media & Publicity), Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi spoke to Abuja Deputy Bureau Chief, Madu Onuorah on the President YarAduas take on them.

THERE was so much hype about an impending cabinet. Suddenly, everything died down. What happened? What has delayed the cabinet reshuffle?

As I said recently, the cabinet reshuffle is just one aspect of the overall restructuring of government to make it more efficient for service delivery. And the hype thing you talked about is from the media; it is not from government. I can assure you the President is ready for the reshuffle. But he had to tarry when the international financial crisis threw some of the 2009 projections into a yoyo with the current slide in the price of oil. That has delayed the 2009 budget preparations, which the President wanted concluded before the cabinet reshuffle.

As you are already aware, the Federal Executive Council will hold a special session on the 2009 budget tomorrow (last Friday) and once that is concluded, you should expect the reshuffle, hopefully next week.

But how come that almost seven months after sacking the two Ministers in the Ministry of Health, an important ministry, which also deals with one of the seven-point agenda of the administration, the ministry is still being administered by a Supervising Minister?

I suppose my explanation for the delay in the cabinet reshuffle answers your question but you can be sure that the President takes the health sector very seriously. The idea has always been to wait for the cabinet reshuffle before the appointment of a substantive minister. And that, I believe, will happen next week, or at least the process will begin with the submission of the list of the new nominees to the Senate.

Any idea as to which ministers will be replaced and the kind of people the president intends to appoint? Are they going to be another set of politicians or will they be technocrats, as most Nigerians would want?

To be honest, I have no clue as to who is going and who remains or the likely nominees though I doubt if I would tell you if I knew. But I honestly dont. Only the President and Vice President have the details and they are keeping things close to their chests.

Now, lets go to the Ministry of Niger Delta about to be created. The Nigerian experience has always been that of unnecessary bureaucracy and many fear this could be just another public relations gambit.

People, who know this President, know very well that he doesnt take decisions for the fun of it or just to please the mob. He is rather deliberative and painstaking before taking decisions and would not do anything for public relations. The idea of the Niger Delta Ministry was a well thought-out decision and thats why he has a mental picture of how he wants the ministry to look like and function. In fact, the directive of the President on the Niger Delta Ministry is that he doesnt want another bureaucracy.

What type of ministry does the President envisage and what are his expectations from such a ministry?

The Niger Delta Ministry is going to be a specialized ministry with very few departments. So, in essence, the conception is for it to be lean and efficient. From all my interactions with the President on the issue, I think he would not want to see more than four substantive departments in that ministry. I know he would want one department to handle infrastructural development, another to deal with environmental issue while the third will deal with youth empowerment. And then you will have a department for finance and administration.

Interestingly, I have received a lot of requests from many people, including top civil servants seeking to be either one director or the other in the ministry, apparently looking at the structure of our bureaucracy. But that is not what the President has in mind. The Ministry of Niger Delta will be the vehicle for delivering on his agenda for the long overdue development of the Niger Delta.

The President announced early in his administration that there would be a declaration of state of emergency in the energy sector. Almost 18 months into his administration, nothing has been done. Why is it taking so long and what magic do Nigerians expect from the electricity sector in the nearest future?

I think I need to explain that the declaration of a state of emergency in the power sector was never meant to be an end in itself but rather a means to an end - that end being regular power supply. It is not true that nothing has been done because the process began almost immediately the President took over with the Lukman Committee that has now come up with a solid plan for the short, medium and long terms.

The OGIC Committee has provided the template for the emergency and other reforms in the sector, including the reforms of our oil and gas sector. Again, I can also say quite clearly that there is significant improvement in the power situation. That is a fact.

But to answer your question on the declaration of emergency, the President said from the outset that he would give primacy to the rule of law in all his dealings with Nigerians. That presupposes that every action of his should follow from the law so he had to ensure the State Houses of Assembly properly appropriate the contributions from the states even while it is going to be taken from the federation account.

Like I said, the Presidents determination on the power situation is already yielding results because right now, the situation has improved dramatically but the emergency, which is just a mere to an end will be declared once the financial aspect of the short-term commitment is tidied up. Right now, almost all the states have appropriated their counterpart funding for the emergency, which means that the emergency will soon be declared.

But much more importantly, the President intends to deliver on all the targets in the power sector, which means that what we will be witnessing from now is a gradual improvement until Nigerians begin to take electricity for granted.

But what do you tell this class of citizens which seems to feel that the pace of the administration is rather slow?

I am aware of the perception that this government is slow. And while I would not agree with such summation, it really doesnt worry me. One reason I am not worried by those who say the government is slow is that I am aware the President has set for himself clear goals on which he should be judged. And I am very sure that with the foundation now firmly laid, by the time his tenure ends, people would look back and say; he has done well, very well.

But as I keep saying, an approach that places premium on careful planning, rather than throwing money at problems, does not lend itself to applause in our kind of society. Ultimately, our people will appreciate because they will see the results of the efforts.

Can you give us some specifics? For instance, what would you say the government has done or is doing to positively affect the lives of the average Nigerian, that is, beyond the macro-economic indices, which is always bandied about by the Federal Ministry of Finance, the CBN and other economic managers?

Let us begin from the basic. Before the food crisis became a global phenomenon, the President had already decided that food security would form one of the cornerstones of his policy drive. That was why substantial amount of money was voted for agricultural inputs in the 2008 budget with a clear paradigm shift to redirect the efforts of the Ministry. The result is evident because we have high level of agricultural yield this year. So, food security being one of the Presidents seven-point agenda, is already guaranteed in the short and medium term with the long term aim being to make Nigeria a net exporter of agricultural products while creating a hub for agro-allied industries.

Some of the strategies, which also aim at increasing farm output to raise both income and employment opportunities, include utilising our idle water bodies like River Basin Development Authorities assets to increase sugar-cane, rice, tomatoes and wheat output. There is a Yoruba adage, which says once you can remove hunger from poverty, half the job is done. And that is also the philosophy of this President.

On roads, the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission Act, which Chief Ernest Shonekan graciously agreed to chair for the President, has become the platform for embarking on massive construction and rehabilitation of major roads and rail facilities, as well as waterways and marine transport infrastructure across the country. The Transportation Ministry has done the groundwork. So, work will begin on some major roads like the Lagos-Ibadan express road, Benin-Ore express road, Abuja-Kaduna express road and many others before the end of the year when the rainy season would have been over.

The issue about our roads is not only that we have spent hundreds of billions of Naira on them in the past; but that we have not seen value for the money spent in that these roads dont last two years before they go into state of disrepair. A good example is the Benin-Ore road, which has been reconstructed many times. That kind of situation called for fresh thinking, more so for an administration that places premium on value for money.

Now, the designs are ready for most of these roads that will be concessioned, with a delivery time that will not exceed the lifespan of this administration. As for roads that have little or no commercial value, money will be provided for their service within the available resources in the budget.

The President also recognises the need to make changes to our land laws, and to build on current capacities in order to make land an easily convertible asset. That is the kernel of his legislative agenda on land holdings to enable increased investment in agriculture, and help strengthen the mortgage industry. The draft legislation is ready and the Land Reform Commission that will soon be inaugurated will revolutionise what is currently a dormant asset.

I can go on and on to issues like the dredging of River Niger that should begin early next year to several other areas. That is why I am not worried by the current criticism because I know the end will bear the President right. When the President said his second year in office presents an exciting period for this country, he knew what he was talking about and people will begin to see some of these things before the end of the year.

What are the overriding issues that prompted the Oath of Secrecy on political appointees in the State House? It is being seen as a way to gag the media and the officials. What are the real issues involved in it?

The oath of secrecy thing is one issue that has been blown out of proportion. But to be honest, it is also an issue I could have written scathing comments about if I were a columnist. That is basically because like you, I would not have the facts. I will agree, however, with those who argue that the whole thing was mismanaged.

Oath of secrecy, I must inform you, is normal in public service, almost like the confidentiality agreement usually entered into in the private sector. It is not to gag but rather to ensure a measure of responsibility in the management of sensitive public documents. But it is not for senior political office holders like Ministers and Advisers like me who already swore to oath of allegiance. That is one of the errors of the whole issue, which I pointed out.

There were changes of personnel at the State House and someone discovered that in the record of the officials, the form was not there and so decided that it had to be done. From what I later learnt, the usual procedure was to give everyone the form to fill and submit. But as it turned out, we had a mass exercise. There was really nothing to it but there were lessons from the experience.

I recall a day inside Federal Executive Council meeting when I sent a text message to a friend trying to reach me as to why I could not pick his call and he replied that I was revealing state secret. Even my friend, Reuben Abati, wrote a rather hilarious piece that all the cooks, gardeners and stewards in Aso Rock were sworn to the oath.

Of course, these are not true. But when I read some of these things, I look at the comic side of it. I would have been worried if there were attempts to gag people in the discharge of their responsibilities. There is no such thing.

But then you ask yourself, of what use is the oath of secrecy or any of such oaths for that matter? My attitude to all those public service rituals really is that they make no meaning. Even the oath of allegiance that public officials have been swearing to since independence, which specifically states that one would not allow personal interest to override public good; do you see evidence of that in our polity? So, I wonder why anyone would imagine that swearing to oath of secrecy would prevent people from talking once there is vested interest.

I have attended a high-level meeting in which after the session, where crucial decisions concerning an issue were taken, an interested party called me and was repeating what I said at the meeting almost verbatim. How does the oath of secrecy help in such situation? The whole misrepresentation came because people were tying the decision to the President, who knew nothing about it. It was purely a mismanaged administrative exercise that had nothing to do with any attempt to gag the media or officials.

This is mid-October, and the issues surrounding the 2008 budget are still pending at the National Assembly. How does the President feel about this?

The President feels sad about the way the 2008 budget has been handled. And with what is happening in the international oil market now, Nigerians can appreciate his stance, which is now vindicated. You will recall that the whole problem started with the National Assembly raising the oil price benchmark from 53 dollars to 59 dollars per barrel on the premise that the oil price at that time was about 80 dollars per barrel and that the executive benchmark was low.

The position of the President then and now is that oil prices are so unpredictable that it is always better to err on the side of caution. Unfortunately, even after a compromise was reached and the President signed the budget before submitting an amendment, his position was not appreciated because oil prices kept going up even though we were unfortunate not to take advantage because at that period, the Niger Delta crisis affected our supply, which dwindled.

Now oil price as at today is 67 dollars per barrel. Yet a few weeks ago, it was 140 dollars per barrel with predictions that it could hit 200 dollars per barrel by year ending. Now, the reality is hitting everyone that you cannot plan with a commodity like oil and that we have to begin to rethink our economic strategies. That is what the President is doing.

And how does the President feel about the global economic crisis and its implications for the Nigerian economy?

The President has held series of meetings with all the relevant stakeholders on the issue with a view to ensuring that the impact of the crisis is minimal on Nigerians. I dont think we can avoid it totally because already, we are suffering the fall in oil prices aside from the turbulence in the stock market. But we can mitigate it in several ways. First, by ensuring adequate food security and then to continue a fiscal regime that preaches discipline and transparency.

That is why the emphasis remains on completion of ongoing projects before starting new ones while the President has directed that procurement would now be direct from manufacturers to eliminate the middle men who help to build in corruption, as we have seen over the years in the power sector.

I read some scathing comments about what the President said in his October 1 speech: that about N400 billion was returned to Treasury last year. People should look back into the past to see whether we had a situation in which unspent money was returned to the Treasury at the end of the year and we are talking of more than three billion dollars here.

There is a report that Ministers now have to report to the SGF. Is it true and why?

No, it is not reporting, as you think it is. So much is going on by way of restructuring, all in the bid to ensure efficiency in governance. The President deplores a situation in which Ministers, rather than stay in their respective offices working, would rather spend the whole day in the Villa, waiting to see either him or the Vice President for what often turns out to be matters they could easily have handled on their own.

Most often, many bring files containing memos they could easily have sent through normal channels, knowing they would get early response. When you add that to Governors, who have unhindered access, when do the President and Vice President have time to work? Many things are being streamlined and aside from personal aides like us and about seven Ministers and heads of critical agencies, the SGF would serve as a buffer. And it is only important matters that would require the personal intervention of either the President or the Vice President. The SGF would determine if those Ministers have to see either the President or the Vice President during official working hours in the office.

The President does not micromanage and so has given the Ministers all the powers to do their job. There is no reason why they should come and line up in his office waiting to see him or the Vice President with a mere memo that could have been routed through normal administrative channel. I guess its a tradition that evolved over a long period of time for Ministers to directly take their memos to the President. And thats why vital records of government transactions are easily missing since they are not properly processed and documented. That is what the new structure is meant to address.

You issued a Press Statement that the President was going to Saudi Arabia for his lesser Hajj and less than one week into the trip, stories started flying around that he was actually hospitalised. What really happened and how is the state of the Presidents health?

I think we had an agreement before this interview that we should just stick to issues and that I will not respond to personal questions. I am aware some politicians have a fixation about the Presidents health and they can continue to play God. What happened during the last trip to Saudi Arabia has already been over-flogged and, perhaps, at a more auspicious time, I will speak on the issue. But the important thing is that the President is okay. And he is doing the job for which he was elected. That is what matters.

Is that why the former SGF was removed?

No, no, no, certainly not. And I will plead that we end the discussion on this issue. Ambassador Babagana Kingibe did his job to the best of his ability. I know that the President wrote him a very complementary letter when he was disengaging from government.

Was it disengagement or sack?

You can please yourself.

Okay. There is this perception that the President is not serious about the fight against corruption especially with the EFCC Chairperson saying she has no evidence against former President Obasanjo and the Governors, most of whom are adjudged corrupt.

While I cannot speak for the EFCC and I dont know what the Chairperson said, I can say quite clearly that the President is committed to instilling accountability and transparency in the conduct of government business. His idea basically is that prevention is better than cure. That is why he is interested in process. He believes it is more important to nip corrupt practices in the bud than provide entertainment for the public after the deed has been done.

But I understand the public expectation concerning some former public officials. It would be popular for the President to go on air without evidence to say some people are corrupt and possibly get EFCC to effect arrest. But would that guarantee conviction in court and in any case, is that right?

As to what the EFCC boss said about President Obasanjo, do you have any evidence against the man? I wonder why the media seems to dislike President Obasanjo so much, though it is on public record that he also doesnt like we journalists. But that is not enough for all these negative reports. I think we should allow the old man to be. As for what the EFCC is doing and not doing, since they have free hands, the responsibility for that should go to the commission.

What is the status of the PPMC? There is this controversy that it might be sold.

Definitely not! At least not under the watch of President YarAdua. The President believes that there are some vital national assets that should not be sold in the first place. And that is one of the issues with the Ajaokuta Steel Complex, aside from the impropriety of the whole deal. PPMC will never be sold and if anybody is contemplating that, the person can be sure it will never happen under the current dispensation.

There was also a report that the Federal Government may have lifted the suspension order on Siemens that was fingered in a bribery scandal for which the company was earlier banned by the Federal Executive Council. Is that true?

Yes, it is true. The suspension order on Siemens has been lifted and they can now do business in Nigeria, having agreed to abide by international best practices. I recall that during the Europe-African summit in Portugal, the German Chancellor, Ms Angela Merkel met President YarAdua on the issue and gave assurances on behalf of Siemens that they had cleaned up their system following what happened in Nigeria and that they would abide by a code of ethics that emphasises transparency.

The company executives also wrote the President on the issue and following that commitment, the suspension order was lifted. Siemens can continue to do business in Nigeria.

What happens to the Nigerian officials involved and the EFCC investigation on the issue?

I guess the investigations and whatever EFCC may be doing on the issue continue but you will have to seek further clarification from them; I have no details on that.