President lays out his blueprint

Setting the tone for the way he plans to clean up Nigeria during his first four-year term, President Olusegun Obasanjo called on the National Assembly on Friday to repeal or amend all laws inconsistent with democracy. In a speech to both the Senate and the House of Representatives, broadcast nationwide, Obasanjo also presented his blueprint for ending corruption, revamping the economy, and rehabilitating the country’s badly battered infrastructure. Ending corruption One of his main aims is to uproot corruption, considered the bane of Nigeria’s development. “Government expenditure will, from now on, be according to the financial rules and regulations,” he said. The Presidency, the Office of the Accountant General and the Auditor General will monitor and account for state expenditure. The Federal Tenders Board and that of the ministries will be reactivated and given wider powers to make sure contracts are awarded to competent firms. “This procedure, with the implicit transparency and competitiveness, will eliminate the so-called Nigerian factor that adds as much as fifty percent to costs of contracts,” he said. Parliamentarians will be receive salaries and allowances that are enough to stop them from committing fraud and other malpractices, which Obasanjo promised to crack down on, saying: “I will expose and severely punish all those who do not heed this admonition.” He can expect support in his anti-corruption effort, Nimi Walson-Jack told IRIN on Monday. Having worked with Obasanjo in Transparency International, Walson-Jack said he felt the president was earnest in ending this blight on Nigeria. “We will be giving him support from civil society,” added Walson-Jack, executive director of the Centre for Responsive Politics. He added that legislators who opposed anti-corruption bills in parliament would be seen by the public as corrupt. “Its an all-win situation,” he said, referring to the fight against corruption. The Organising Secretary for Educational Research of the Nigerian Textile, Garment and Tailoring Workers Union (NUTGTWN), Salihu Lukman, told IRIN that in the past, statements about ending corruption were a “political gimmick” but this government seemed bent on taking specific action. Tackling the economy A budget deficit of 256 billion naira (US $2.69 billion) as at end May is a major source of concern as is the reduction in foreign reserves to US $3.75 billion at the end of last month from US $7.1 billion in early January. The situation requires “dire and immediate” redress, Obasanjo said, “and we have started that action”. Other measures will be to reduce a bloated public service and eliminate ghost workers. “Our march towards economic recovery will require strict discipline, tight and responsible financial management,” he said. Rehabilitating transport Transport priorities, Obasanjo said, would be to design and implement a road maintenance policy, and carry out a rural road development programme that will employ the vast pool of rural labour. Railways are to be modernised and expanded. Airports are to be remoulded and installed with state-of-the-art navigation aids. In the troubled Niger Delta, rivers and other inland waterways will be utilised for mass transport in certain towns and cities. Farming to get a boost Obasanjo promised to give “maximum necessary support” to Nigeria’s farm sector so as to increase its productivity. Agricultural inputs are to be supplied in a more timely fashion and irrigation facilities will be rehabilitated. He said he would encourage the building of small-size irrigation facilities for farmers and support livestock production. Minerals Obasanjo said he would review the policy on developing solid minerals by removing impediments to investment in this sector. A major problem is the state of the petroleum industry: although a big producer, Nigeria has had to import oil products because its refineries, flow stations, pipelines and depots have been poorly maintained. Obasanjo said he would reverse this by enforcing laws on the purchase, storage and distribution of all petroleum products and make sure exploration licences are granted only after competitive bidding. Privatisations The government, he said, would also be “more active” in implementing joint venture deals so as to protect natural resources. Weeks before coming into office, Obasanjo criticised the outgoing military government for hastily selling off state firms. He told the assembly state firms would be privatised only after a thorough review of their benefit to the nation. After assets are valued, he said, sales would be open, transparent and accessible to all Nigerians. “The privatisation process will not be rushed,” he said . Education His administration also plans to rebuild and update the educational system. “We shall pay special attention to science and technology,” he said. Measures will also be taken to bring education to areas where awareness and facilities are low, in addition to making primary education compulsory for all.