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Without being immodest, I believe it was my article in this column seven months ago, on February 20 that made President Muhammadu Buhari, come out with the establishment of his Economic Advisory Council (EAC) last week. With Buhari doing so, it means all the three presidents in office since December 19, 2007 when this column commenced have reacted to my articles. President Umaru Yar’Adua (May 29, 2007 – May 5, 2010) did so with my script published in June 2009 on his two years in office.
While President Goodluck Jonathan (May 6, 2010 – May 28, 2015) reacted to my column of September 14, 2011 on his weakness in handling the Boko Haram menace. But it is after this series when I will write on my 50 years in journalism, which began in September 1969, that I will go into the details of Yar’Adua and Jonathan’s reactions.
In my piece of February 20, 2019, I drew attention to the fact that the two times Nigeria had experienced recession since independence on October 1, 1960 had been under the leadership of Buhari. It happened 34 – 36 years ago when he was military Head of State (December 31 – 1983 – August 26, 1985) and again during his first term as an elected president (May 29, 2015 – May 28, 2019).
I explained that the experiences occurred because he is the only Head of Government or Head of State since independence that did not have a renowned economist of international status as Minister of Economic Development and who had no Chief Economic Adviser or known Economic Advisers.
The Economic Management Team he put in place in 2015 was headed by his deputy, Vice – President Yemi Osinbajo, a lawyer, who is not an economist while most of the members were laymen because they were also non – economists. I went down memory lane to review the situation since independence.
In the First Republic, I showed that Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa (October 1, 1960 – January 14, 1966) had Pius Okigbo as Chief Economic Adviser. He also served the first military government of General Thomas Aguiyi – Ironsi (January 15 – July 28, 1966). General Yakubu Gowon (July 29, 1966 – July 28, 1975) had Professor Adebayo Adedeji, while the twin – administrations of General Murtala Muhammed and General Olusegun Obasanjo (July 1975 – February 13, 1976 and February 14, 1976 – September 30, 1979 respectively) had Professor Akin Mabogunje.
The government of President Shehu Shagari (October 1, 1979 – December 30, 1983) had Professor Emmanuel Edozien as Chief Economic Adviser. That of General Ibrahim Babangida (August 27, 1985 – August 26, 1993) used Professor Ojetunji Aboyade who also served the administration of Chief Ernest Sonekan (August 27 – November 16, 1993). General Sani Abacha (November 17, 1993 – June 7, 1998) used Professor Samuel Adepoju Aluko. He also served his successor, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (June 8, 1998 – May 28, 1999) who also had Mr. Rasheed Gbadamosi, an economist, as Minister of National Development.
During his tenure as an elected Head of State, President Olusegun Obasanjo (May 29, 1999 – May 28, 2007) had Professor Charles Chukwuma Soludo as Chief Economic Adviser. While late President Umaru Yar’Adua (May 29, 2007 – May 4, 2010) and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan (May 5, 2010 – May 28, 2015) used Dr. Ngozi Okonjo – Iweala, a renowned world – class economist.
In my script of February 20, I also made the point that all the economic advisers other leaders had used were southern Christians. And that President Buhari who is comfortable working with northern Muslims (indeed Fulani) might not have had an economic adviser because he had been unable to find a suitable northern Muslim.
I further drew attention to the fact that not having an economic adviser was why Buhari’s Nigeria was late last year declared the poverty capital of the world and the reason why companies were closing down and relocating to other African countries. It was this situation that made unemployment which was seven millions when Buhari assumed office in 2015 to have gone up to 13 – 21 millions in 2018.
If President Buhari who had never worked with a team of sound economists has now chosen to do so after my article of February 20, it goes without saying that it was my piece that had salutary effect on his decision. I also take it that it was my article of February 20 that made him to have chosen for his economic advisory council four from the North and four from the South and four Christians and four Muslims.
From the South are Professor Adedoyin Rasaq Salami, the Chairman of the Council who is from Ijebu – Ode, Ogun State and who I was told was recommended by Senator Ibikunle Amosun, the immediate past Governor of Ogun State, Professor Charles Chukuma Soludo from the South – East, Mr. Bismarck Rewane from Delta State and Dr. (Mrs.) Iyabo Masha, who is likely to be from Lagos State. If she is not then it is the husband that is from Lagos State.
From the North are Professor Ode Ojowu from Benue State, Dr. Shehu Yahaya, Dr. Mohammed Sagagi and Dr. Salisu Mohammed. If Dr. Masha is a Muslim this means that there are five people of that religion and three Christians in the commission. A ratio that is not bad given President Buhari’s preference for having about 80 per cent or more Muslims in his non – cabinet appointments.
To be continued next Wednesday
Why God discusses the Bible with me (4)
In the eleven years that I have been writing on Biblical or religious matters in this 12 – year – old column, through the explanations the Heavenly Father made to me, I have provided correct information and better understanding on some issues in the Holy Book. Christianity came into Nigeria in 1842 (177 years ago) and since then nobody had known the number of years the ordeal of Job lasted.
But I through the grace of God had come to know this and made the information available to the readers of this column. It was 30 years and this was because his wife had ten children to replace the ten that perished during his calamities (Job 42: 7 – 16).
Another issue I had provided information on was why it was only those Jesus cured of skin diseases that he sent to the priests to carry out animal sacrifice as Moses prescribed (Matthew 8: 1 – 4 and Luke 17:11 – 19). He did not tell those he healed of other diseases or blind people whose sight he restored to do the same. And this was because it was only those who were cured of skin diseases that were required to perform animal sacrifice (Leviticus 14:1 – 31). You can go and read all the other 26 chapters in the Book of Leviticus to appreciate this.
For continuation next week
