Ewolewoo!!

Emmanuel Kachikwu has been talking of late. He has been saying some nice things. The other day, he said he would make the NNPC very transparent. Infact he said transparency would be his watch-word. This is superb. This is grandiose. It is a breadth of fresh air to hear this from the NNPC GMD. However, I really sympathise with him. Seriously, I do. I am saying so because, apart from the coterie of his supporters and family members, he is speaking to a largely unimpressed and cynical public.

The public has known NNPC to be an opaque organization that operates opaque laws. No one can actually define the standard(s) on which the NNPC has been operating since inception. In the last 8 years the NNPC has grown so much that we all suspect, justifiably so in our own projections, that it is richer than the country it is serving. In the past 6 years the NNPC just turned itself to “an alternate government” with her own ways of collecting and distributing Nigeria’s crude oil and natural gas sales. Na NNPC sabi, Na NNPC dey give.  So this gist coming from Kachikwu is nice to hear at least.

The real matter is this Mr kachiukwu: We need to understand what NNPC has been up to in the last 6 years at least. We need to know how much was produced in terms of crude oil and natural gas and how much was sold in specific terms?  Nigerians need to know how many oil wells have been drilled in the last 6 years with their additional functional capacity? We need to be clear about the contracts NNPC has awarded in those years with whatever variations that have been involved in the said contracts. We need to be clear and specific about the activities of NPDC. What fields are they on and the capacity of the fields. We need to know the assets they have acquired and the ones that have been leased and to whom?

Nigerians want to know the true and clear specifics of the fuel subsidy. How much has been spent so far? We need to understand how an amount of about #250 billion appropriated for fuel subsidy  in 2011 budget got to about #1.3 trillion naira the following year. It has been increasing ever since to the extent that no one has the real figures anymore, not even the finance ministry.  We need answers and it should be fast.

We need to compare the details with his new “transparent figures”. We need know if we are on the upward scale or we are on the downward trend. In any transaction(s) there must be basis for judgement. The basis comes from mostly recent past dealings or transactions which would give the proper analysis of the present condition thereof.  Not knowing what happened earlier, cannot be termed as proper transparency. I know a lot of people would want to make things complicated by trying to say he just came in. That doesn’t make sense because government is a continuum. The contracts and sales are still there. If they are not, then let us know in the spirit of transparency.

While I applaud Mr Kachikwu for his initial candour, I just need to remind him that Nigerians want “specifics” like a former boss of mine always demanded on issues that touched his personal finances or well being.  We need such in our national dealings. Talk can be good, but the actions should be the main goal.

Once again, I hail my Oga kachikwu o!!! We remain totally loyal!! Nor mind bad belle people….Ewolewoo!!