Nigeria’s President Buhari
By Bernard Balogun
Some people are laughing so satirically now because they do not wish this administration of PMB to succeed. So for any administrative step taken by this administration, which is not in consonance with their aspirations, they laugh, the boo us and they are happy. They are called “people from the opposition”. l am different. I am not in the opposition camp neither in the camp of the ruling party. Call me a centralist, you may be right. In any case, this write-up is not about me. But about a national burning issue. It is about a system and an Agency of government that currently promotes unhealthy rivalry amongst staff.
I am deeply saddened by the unhealthy political development in that Agency of government. The sadness is gradually translating into a shame. My friends in the opposition are actually making a huge jest of me. They are angry with me. They are pointing at me. “We told him – vote for us but he refused. See his life?” All in a satric mockery. In all of these, l remain steadfast in my believe that l took the right decision to support whoever l choose to support. That decision is mine to make and it remains sacrosant.
However my present state of despondency must not translate into an overwhelming disappointment in this current government. It is in view of this, l respectfully appeal and call on our amaiable President, President Mohammed Buhari, a man who had made so much sacrifice for the sustainability and unity of this country to please listen to the cries of some patriotic Nigerians. Their cries are not for selfish reasons, it is a cry of utter dissatisfaction and regret that have permeated the land. And this has a negative impact on this administration.
Mr President, there is a parastatal under the Ministry of Power, called Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading Plc (NBET), which you recently moved to Federal Ministry of Finance. Your Excellency, no one has the constitutional right to query, except perhaps the National Assembly, your decision but Nigerians feel it is a fundamental error to transfer NBET to Federal Ministry of Finance. It is generally believed you were wrongly advised. NBET is an essentially engineering based outfit, with the administration of electricity function as its core mandate. It is therefore inappropriate to annexe NBET to Ministry of Finance as there can never be an effective supervision that will enable NBET achieve her mandate.
Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) has consistently been in the news, on each occasion, for the wrong reason and this is giving this administration a bad name. This ugly trend must, as a matter of urgency, be reversed in the best interest of APC, as a party and this government.
Whereas NBET was inaugurated in 2011 by the former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. Its core function is to manage and indeed administer electricity pool and its supply chain in Nigeria. That significant role has been jettisoned. At its inception under the pioneer Managing Director, NBET contributed handsomely to the Federation account. This was between 2014 and 2015. Unfortunately, since Dr Marilyn Amobi was appointed in July 2016 till date, NBET had been in a kind of disarray. Its primary responsibility had been jettisoned for personal vendetta. The vendetta began in the early part of her tenure. Some personnel who want to remain loyal to the institution, rather to her were promptly categorised as “rebels” and sent on indefinite suspension. Why were they sent on suspension? Because they advised Dr Marilyn Amobi to desist from corruptly enriching herself to the princely sum of N2billion monthly. She was angry. Inspite Ministerial intervention that these officials be recalled, Dr Marilyn Amobi remain disdainfully resolute. She held to her guns. She thinks, erreneously, it is proper to wield off those she considered as “stumbling blocks”.
Nigerians must never be tired in appreciating the patriotic role of an Abuja-based popular reality talkshow programme known as Brekete programme, anchored by ordinary president (Dr Ahmad Isah), who was first to blow up this monumental corruption going on in Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET). This was around November 2018. On that occasion, Dr Marilyn Amobi was openly invited to come over to the studio to clear herself of any wrongdoing. This window of opportunity to come over to the studio was at no cost to her or to NBET. Yet she did not turn-up for many weeks before that window was shut.
One had thought, rightly so, the Federal government would quickly take prompt action to prevent further corruption in NBET. Sadly, it did not.
As we speak, NBET is in total indebtedness to the tune of N1-trillion to the GENCOS, yet it enjoyed a Central Bank of Nigeria intervention to the tune of N701-billion. Can she account for this humugeous amount? What has Dr Marilyn Amobi done with it or has she retired the money? Certainly not, my background check did not prove so. No impact of the money anywhere. The MD of NBET is known to have deliberately infringed on all known financial provisions in many instances. It is rumoured she maintained a foreign bank account two years after she had assumed duty as the Managing Director of that Agency. In fact, between April 6 and May 3, 2018 she made three separate lodgements to the tune of £90,000 into her London account. This is in contravention of Nigerian Constitution (No 3 of the fifth schedule, part 1, code of conduct for public officers). It is such a serious offence that it attracts imprisonment.
The litany of constitutional breaches by Dr Marilyn Amobi are endless and cannot be fully discussed once.
The EFCC, ICPC and indeed the office of the Auditor General of the Federation have separately indicted this woman in their separate and independent reports. In fact, the office of the Auditor General of the Federation discovered that this woman expended a princely sum of N355 million to buy 12-exotic vehicles in one year. As an MD of a Federal government Agency, the question is, has she the statutory power to authorize and approve such a huge contract?
No punitive measures had been taken against her inspite all of these infringements and indictments by the anti-graft agencies and of course, the office of the Auditor-General of the Federation. Need l mention the organisational disrespect and disdain with which she treated the office of the supervising Minister? Because no action had been taken against her, she has further been emboldened and ruthless in dealing with the staff in that Agency.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Mr President, permit me to share this true live story. It is a personal experience. It is not a friction. One Saturday about two years ago. I went to a secondary school football pitch here in Abuja, just to while-away-time. There was a football match ongoing. (May l disappointedly say, l am no fan of football). I got a seat close to a young lad. He must be between 9 and 11-years old. After making myself comfortable, l turned to the young lad. What is the scores? He gleefully laughed in response. “They are winning us 2-zero” he laughed away. He noticed the disappointment on my face, he quickly added. “Uncle, don’t worry we will win them”. Still laughing. Something in me told me, he is not a committed fan of the losing team. I was still in that state of quandary when the referee blew for half-time. This young lad jumped out of his seat unto the field, meandered in the midst of his supposedly team and returned to his seat. He looked at me again with an assurance ” uncle we will beat them”. Shortly after, the game resumed. About five minutes or so into the second half, the boy’s team scored the first goal. Fifteen minutes into the second half, the boy’s team had equalised. Gleefully, the boy turned to look at me. “Uncle we will win them”. Just about three minutes to go, the boy’s team secored the third goal and the young lad confidently turned to me and said “uncle we don win”. And this is the interesting part of it all. The boy said “l trust the team and l trust our coach”.
With your very kind permission, Mr President, permit me to say your recent presidential decision to recall Dr Marilyn Amobi back, after her supervising Minister, Mr Salel Manman, had courageously sent her away on suspension, you ordinarily would have allowed that Ministerial decision to stand. Your decision to “override” that politically wise decision of the Minister will go a long way to promote impunity in the system and utterly weaken the authorities of the Ministers, not just that of Power Ministry but in fact every other Minister. And the message was clear, you do not trust the decision of your Minister. That is the difference – that young lad displayed, he displayed trust all through. Truly sir, whoever recommended that Dr Marilyn Amobi be reinstated or talked to you about this woman, your Excellency, is one of the enemies of this administration and the country at large. And such a person certainly do not wish Nigeria to overcome her current challenges in the electricity sub sector. I respectfully call on the Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation to push to the president’s table the reports of EFCC, ICPC and indeed that of the Auditor-General of the Federation where Dr Marilyn Amobi was separately indicted. The mantra of this administration is hinged on corruption and this is one clear case of corruption in every direction. Your Excellency, Dr Marilyn Amobi should be relieved immediately of her duty as Managing Director of NBET . Her stay in NBET has negated the growth and development of that Agency. I so respectfully submit Your Excellency.
Long live Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Bernard Balogun (BenPino) writes from Wuse District of Abuja. He can be reached via 0803.787.9275
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