Osinbajo slams former heads of state over failure to improve infrastructure

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has accused former Head of State Ibrahim Babangida; ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan of doing nothing to improve the country’s infrastructure despite the oil wealth the country recorded during their tenures.

Laolu Akande, spokesman of the Vice President, said in a statement that Osinbajo said this during a town hall meeting with Nigerians living in the United States.

“Under the IBB/Abacha administrations (1990 – 1998), Nigeria realised $199.8bn.

“Under the Obasanjo/Yar’Adua governments (1999-2009), the country got $401.1bn.

“During the Jonathan administration (2010-2014), Nigeria got $381.9bn from oil revenues.

“The question that we must all ask is that what exactly happened to resources? The question that I asked is that where is the infrastructure?

“When added together, the oil revenues that accrued to the country under IBB, Obasanjo, Yar’Adua and Jonathan amounted to $982.8bn

“One of the critical things that we must bear in mind and see is that this government, despite earning $94bn, up until 2017, we are spending more on infrastructure and capital than any previous government. So, we are spending N1.5trn on capital. That is the highest we have spent since 1990,” he said.

Osinbajo also told attendees that the matter of restructuring was not the major reason for the problems bedeviling the country. He said the problems are about effectively managing the country’s resources.

“The problem with our country is not a matter of restructuring and we must not allow ourselves to be drawn into the argument that our problems stem from some geographical restructuring. It is about managing resources properly and providing for the people properly, that is what it is all about.

“I served for eight years as Attorney General in Lagos State and one of the chief issues that we fought for in Lagos State was what you call fiscal federalism. We felt that there was a need for the states to be stronger, for states, to more or less, determine their fortunes.

“So, for example, we went to court to contest the idea that every state should control, to a certain extent, its own resources (the so-called resource control debate). We were in court at that time up to the Supreme Court and the court ruled that oil-producing states should continue to get 13 per cent derivation.

“While we were at the Supreme Court only the oil-producing states and Lagos were interested in resource control, everybody else was not interested in resource control for obvious reasons.

“Now, that is the way the argument has always gone. Those who have the resources want to take all of it, while those who do not have want to share from others.”

Credit: Newsbreak.NG