The report said, "Senator Sabu Abdullahi in support of the motion (raised by Senator Duro Faseyi, representing Ekiti North), lamented the poor financial backing to budgetary allocations of agencies such as National Directorate of Employment and Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria."
It is amazing the kind of human beings from all over the federation with which we have populated our legislative chambers at Abuja. I am so ashamed that a good number of these are supposed to be my agemates and colleagues in the professions who lay claim to even better education than my not-so-humble self. They have consistently let us all down. Not to know how the world works is inexcusable from those who thrust themselves in our faces and presume to lead.
Let me pick on just one of them. I hope he doesnt mind. It's nothing personal. Here we go: Engr Senator Barnabas Gemade, erstwhile Managing Director of the defunct Benue Cement Company Ltd. His administration, working hand in glove with the then Benue State governments, ran the company aground before handing over to Engr Solomon Nyagba, another colleague of mine. The rest is history. The intervention by the Dangote Group saved the day, not without initial long drawn out resistance from Benue State stakeholders. Gemade cannot claim not to know how jobs are created and maintained. There are hundreds if not thousands of other examples across the nation. If I stick to the Cement Sub-Sector, then I can mention The Nigercem Cement factory at Nkalagu. The endless controversy between the major investor, the Ibeto Group and the Ebonyi State government remains a serious scandal to this day.
How on earth then did Sen Sabu Abdullahi deduce that it is the financial allocation to the Ministry of Labour and Productivity, miniscule even in the best of times, that will lead to the creation of jobs for our teeming youths? He and his colleagues just don't get it.
Whatever template for job creation that we adopt must include the following headings with the overlaps:
1) Electrical power availability. Note that I never mentioned the word "cheap." Nobody can plan on cheap but unavailable electric power, or petrol, diesel, kerosene (aviation and domestic) or gas for that matter. It is trite to say thst plant location and even the basic investment decision is more often than not predicated on availability of steady and reliable electricity. We do not need to dwell on roads and railways here.
2) Mining. Everybody talks glibly about solid minerals as if it is another magic wand, like crude oil. The good thing is that even in advanced climes, mining is labour intensive and will be much more so here in Nigeria. Hence jobs, jobs, jobs!
The mining of coal at the appropriate scale, among other minerals, will provide one leg of the energy diversification triad or quad, that we talk about but have never lifted a finger to implement. We shortchange ourselves if we do not move away from total dependence on natural gas fired hightech turbines for electricity generation.
Listening to Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun lament the refusal of the US to bankroll our proposed coal power plants indicated that our leaders have not been reading newspapers and following the trends. What exactly did we go to do at the definitive Paris Climate Conference? Did the Nigerian delegation imagine that it was another jomboree, without consequences? Was the minister not privy to our pivot to Asia, meaning China?
3) Hydroelectric Potential:
With the extended confusion, spanning four administrations, over the Mambilla Hydroelectric project, it is doubtful if this administration has the stomach to continue with the necessary studies to identify and define our hydro potentials, with reliable cost/benefit analysis. The intellectual work, designs, the dam constructions, power plant, irrigation works, agricultural estates expansion, etc, all lead to millions of jobs.
With the extended confusion, spanning four administrations, over the Mambilla Hydroelectric project, it is doubtful if this administration has the stomach to continue with the necessary studies to identify and define our hydro potentials, with reliable cost/benefit analysis. The intellectual work, designs, the dam constructions, power plant, irrigation works, agricultural estates expansion, etc, all lead to millions of jobs.
I have written on the posture that our governments must adopt in dealing with direct foreign investors in our country, stressing that these have no duty to look out for our interests. We must look out for our own without locking out potentially useful engagements.
I am actually tired of hearing my own voice, especially after having expounded on all the issues that I mentioned above and more. I hate repeating myself. If our Senators and Representatives have run out of ideas and moreover cannot learn, then it's about time they threw in the towel and head for home. Our National Assembly is not a place for passengers. Readers can follow my contributions on all the headings and more as they wish on my blog.
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