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Nigeria: 2012 Most Controversial Moments By Simeon Christian Chukwu

January 12, 2013

JANUARY: Apparently the most controversial month in the life of an average Nigerian following the removal of the stoking Fuel Subsidy. There were debates over whether anything of such ever existed or that GEJ and his team lied to Nigerians or that it was just an enrichment of few "cabals" or that GEJ and his team have displayed high level of incompetence at managing the oil sector. More dumbfounding is the discrepancies in the figures from each government agencies and parastatals. The statistics from the CBN confounded the stats from the Ministry of Finance while the stats from the Oil Ministry confounded the stats postulated by Prof. Tam David West et al.

JANUARY: Apparently the most controversial month in the life of an average Nigerian following the removal of the stoking Fuel Subsidy. There were debates over whether anything of such ever existed or that GEJ and his team lied to Nigerians or that it was just an enrichment of few "cabals" or that GEJ and his team have displayed high level of incompetence at managing the oil sector. More dumbfounding is the discrepancies in the figures from each government agencies and parastatals. The statistics from the CBN confounded the stats from the Ministry of Finance while the stats from the Oil Ministry confounded the stats postulated by Prof. Tam David West et al.



APRIL: The House of Representatives dared and got burnt in the heat fuming out from the scam decried by Nigerians in the corrupt-ridden fuel subsidy payment. The frustrations and agitations from Nigerians prompted the House to set up a committee to investigate the subsidy scam. Only for the chairman of the committee also know as Mr. Integrity to be subsumed by the corruption in the oil sector. The Farouk/Otedola saga will continue to remain fresh in the minds of an average Nigerian whenever an issue of fighting corruption is mentioned by the House of Representatives. The controversy lingered for months only for the House members to suddenly exculpate Mr. Integrity from the bribery scandal shrouded in mystery.

MAY: President Goodluck during his Democracy day speech announced the unanimous decision of the Federal Government to rename University of Lagos to Moshood Abiola University (MAU). A move some pundits alleged to be befuddling, controversial and have a political undertone - all targeted at scoring cheap political points. It generated so much controversy that led to the shutting down of the school entrance by the angry students for weeks. The alumni body of the institution also filed a court injunction asking for the renaming to be suspended. It took another publication from the presidency to explain that the process of renaming a school or any of the Federal Government properties is an exclusive reserve of the government. And that conventionally, the pronouncement will be made before a bill to ratify it is forwarded to the National Assembly.

JULY: The heat and feud generated from the unscrupulous removal of the Fuel subsidy in January coupled with the bewildering process that led to the renaming of Unilag in May, dealt the President's public image and likeness a serious blow. As some cynical Nigerians, opposition party members, exuberant and irate Youths took to the social media and other platforms to lash out at not just the president but other members of his family and sympathizers. However, in being proactive, the President, immediately swung into action to redeem and fortify his public image by appointing what the ACN spokesperson appelled as an "attack dog" of the President, Dr. Doyin Okupe... There were controversies over his job specifications and mandate, or he was just there to do some dirty jobs and get paid with tax payers’ money...

AUGUST: This time the table and destination for tantrums shifted from Aso Rock to CBN as Sanusi Lamido landed himself into a troubled water - by proposing the transmogrification of our polymer notes to coins and introducing a new N5000 note. Till the bill was thrown into a trash can by the President, a day never passed without Sanusi getting lashed both by emeritus scholars, fellow economists and social media users. People argued that it’s an attempt to aid politicians in money laundering and further improvish the poor. The pressure became so insurmountable and intense that the president had no choice than to puncture Sanusi's balloon.

SEPTEMBER: In a twinkle of an eye, our amiable First Lady fizzled out into the thin air - precipitating conjectural speculations about her where about. Unfortunately and sardonically, she came back and compounded the whole saga. First, the presidency told (lied to) Nigerians that she is hale and hearty and that she sojourn to Germany for medical conditions. Only for her to return and start thanking Nigerians who prayed for her speedy recovery and those who stood by her during her trying times; while alleging that she's now back hale and hearty...

OCTOBER: The President shook the country when he announced that Nigeria has been ranked second in the index of countries that is waging serious war against corruption. A media house in Nigeria quickly mailed the acclaimed International Agency to confirm Mr. President's claims. Only for them to refute the claims and demystify his opinion. The response went viral all over the country and plunged analysts into confusion over whether to trust the words of the president or otherwise...

NOVEMBER: The penultimate month ushered in another opportunity for President GEJ to visit the National Assembly (ATM) to request for a supplementary fund for Fuel Subsidy. Its flabbergasting to note that we spent N881b to subsidize fuel for 49weeks only for us to need a supplementary budget of N161b to subsidize fuel for just 3weeks in December. Very controversial and befuddling, I must confess!

DECEMBER: Following unfortunate the deaths of a former National Security Adviser to the President and a serving governor in a Navy Helicopter crash, the question on the lips of every concerned Nigerian is, when did the Navy Chopper become a public means of transportation? Isn't it supposed to be an exclusive of the Navy officers and their official chores? Complicated issues of crosspollination!

Simeon Christian Chukwu
Ex Editor-In-Chief
Psychology Press Organization,
University of Ibadan
08025717782
[email protected]
 

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