I Pledge to Support Obasanjo, If He Should Do the Under Listed

By

Wada Nas

wada@gamji.com

 

  1. Commitment to oil exploration in the North. We believe that there is too much politics involved in the matter.

  2. More funding of the solid mineral sector. If, as experts say, that this sector could give Nigeria three times what we are getting from oil, we don’t understand why government’s lukewarm attitude toward its development.

  3. Dredging of the Niger, a beneficial project that this administration has abandoned.

  4. More commitment to the development of agriculture. It doesn’t speak well of good intention that only N3 billion out of about N800 billion was allocated to agriculture in this year’s budget when the sector employs about 70% of the labour force.

  5. A demonstrated commitment to equity. Take the financial sector: The Minister of State for Finance, the Auditor General of the Federation, the Accountant General of the Federation, the Governor of the Central Bank, the Minister of Industries, the D.G National Deposit Insurance Corporation, the DG, NCCON and Chairman, Oil Price Control Board, the Minister of National Planning, all institutions to do with the financial sector are in the hand of one group. This doesn’t speak good.

  6. An end to the undue harassment of the Abachas and the release of Bamaiyi and co. Gani Adams has been discharged and acquitted because the Federal Government wasn’t interested in prosecuting him. Why then special interest in the case of Bamaiyi and others?

  7. Correcting glaring imbalance in military postings where young officers from a particular section are systematically being retired. Of the total of about ten command positions in the Army, Navy and Air force, only two are headed by Northerners. Add this to those heading Jaji, NDA and the War College. Furthermore the Army, Navy, Police, SSS, National Intelligence Agency, NIA, and Immigration are all from one political bloc. The North is only in charge of Air Force, Custom and Prison. We are even hearing that when the next comptroller of Prisons retired next month, he may be replaced with some one from outside the region.

If president Obasanjo could demonstrate practical and sincere commitment to only these, I pledge on my honour to campaign for him.