Lagos, Nigeria - Former US President Bill Clinton's advice on mounting challenges, President Jonathan's 2015 political ambition, nation-wide vaccination against yellow fever, and Pope Benedict XVI's last moments were the main stories in Nigeria this week.
'Clinton lists Nigeria's challenges' was the headline in the VANGUARD on Wednesday, with the story saying that the former President of US, Bill Clinton, said Tuesday in Abeokuta, South West Ogun State capital, that the inability to manage the nation’s natural resources well was one of the three major challenges Nigeria was facing as a nation.
Clinton, who was speaking at the 18th Annual Awards of THISDAY newspaper, organised to celebrate Nigeria’s best teachers, further tasked Nigerian leaders to tackle unemployment, brain-drain and to maximise the potentials of the citizens.
The 42nd American President, who spoke in the presence of former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, said Nigerian leaders mismanaged the proceeds from oil, under-utilised technology and failed to retain its best brains.
Clinton said: “When I became President, my Secretary of Commerce did a lot of work in Africa before he was tragically killed in a plane crash in 1995.
“I said he should make a list of 10 most important countries in the world for the 21st century. Nigeria was in the list.
“Imagine the future of the entire continent if Nigeria fails or South Africa fails. So, you are a country of potential. I will say you have about three big challenges.-- Oil money, economic distribution and brain-drain'
According to the TRIBUNE, whose headline was 'Nigeria didn’t do well with oil money - Clinton, Lists 3 ways to make Nigeria great', Clinton Tuesday slammed Nigeria, saying that the West African nation could do better as a nation, if all its natural resources and potential are well managed by its leaders.
Clinton, who ruled America from 1993 to 2001, also urged the nation’s leaders to redistribute wealth among the haves and the have-nots, adding that sharing prosperity would bring about development.
He lamented the poverty level among Nigerians, saying such could result in uprisings like that of the Islamic sect, Boko Haram. Clinton said that the poverty level in the Northern part of the country was far greater than what it was in the Lagos area of the country, hence the need for its leaders to tackle the issue headlong.
He said, “Secondly, you have to somehow bring economic opportunity to the people who don’t have. This is not a problem specific for Nigeria,' adding that Nigerian leaders should also urgently address the challenge of braindrain syndrome in the country.
Other headlines on the story were THISDAY -- 'Clinton Proffers Solutions to Insecurity in Nigeria', the PUNCH -- 'Poverty fuelling Boko Haram insurgency – Clinton', NATION -- 'Clinton: poverty fuels North’s violence' and the GUARDIAN -- 'You haven’t done well with oil money, Clinton tells Nigeria'.
And in an apparent reaction to Clinton's verdict on Nigeria, the papers ran stories from government quarters, claiming that the Nigerian economy was doing 'very well'.
The PUNCH headline on the story was 'Nigerian economy not in danger – FG'. The paper quoted the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister for the economy, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, as saying that the economy was far from collapsing.
She Wednesday picked holes in some of the specific issues raised by critics regarding the composition of the external reserves and purported discrepancies in the account balances reported by the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The Opposition Action Congress of Nigeria had on Sunday also raised the alarm that the nation’s economy was gradually grinding to a halt.
It warned in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that if the trend was not urgently halted, the Federal Government might in the next few years be unable to pay its bills, including workers’ salaries.
But Okonjo-Iweala said rather than talk down on the economy, all efforts should be geared towards supporting the reform programmes of the government. She said, “First, the Nigerian economy is strong. Our economic performance is robust when viewed against a whole range of objective factors. Inflation is now down to single-digit at nine per cent in January 2013 compared with 12.6 per cent in January 2012. The exchange rate has been relatively stable and the fiscal deficit, at just under two per cent of Gross Domestic Product, is on a downward trajectory and below our threshold of three per cent of GDP.
“Our national debt is at a sustainable level at about 19.4 per cent of GDP. Overall, GDP growth for 2012 was 6.5 per cent and projected at 6.75 per cent for 2013, compared with the projected global growth of 3.5 per cent.”
The minister also said, “The above facts have been independently noted and validated by international ratings agencies such as Fitch, Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s, which have upgraded the country’s economic outlook, even as other countries are being downgraded.
“In addition, Nigeria’s bonds have recently been included in the Barclays and JP Morgan Emerging Market indices.”
While acknowledging the socio-economic challenges being faced by the country, Okonjo-Iweala said strategies had been put in place to cushion any economic threat.
'Presidency, Finance Ministry Insist Economy is Strong' was the headline of THISDAY on the story.
Also during the week, the papers went to town on President Jonathan's ambition come the 2015 presidential election.
The TRIBUNE with the headline 'Jonathan can contest in 2015 - Tukur', reported that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, has told journalists in Abuja that there was nothing wrong if President Goodluck Jonathan decides to run for a second term.
“Let me tell you: that is in order in politics. Jonathan is the President under our party and what is wrong if he decides to run again?
The pro-Opposition NATION newspaper also ran the story under a similar headline -- 'President can run in 2015, says PDP chairman Tukur'.
'FG to Vaccinate All Nigerians against Yellow Fever', said THISDAY on Tuesday with the story saying that the Federal Government is to vaccinate all Nigerians against yellow fever in May to prevent a possible disaster in the event of an outbreak of epidemic from a neighbouring country.
It quoted the Minister of Health, Prof. Onyebuchi Chukwu, as saying this Monday in Abuja while launching a new Yellow Card to replace the old one that had been adulterated, leading to a diplomatic face-off between South Africa and Nigeria, some months ago when Nigerians were deported from the country.
At the event, the Country Representative of the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr. Jason Rivers, said the global body was collaborating with the Federal Government to ensure that the certificate of the vaccination, also known as yellow card, was of international standard. He pledged WHO’s total support for the programme.
“We will have mass vaccination of all Nigerians by May this year so that people of Nigeria will be well protected. Nigeria is prepared to ensure people get vaccinated; obey international health regulations and that only those who should have access to the card do so,” Chukwu said.
This was so, he explained, because the new Yellow Card was highly regulated and had six security features that would make it difficult to forge.
Undoubtedly the biggest story of the week was Pope Benedict XVI's resignation as head of Catholic Church worldwide, becoming the first pope in nearly 600 years to do so. He announced his intention on 11 February, citing his deteriorating health and finally quit on 28 February. The last pope to resign was Gregory XII in 1415.
Following this development, the papers aptly reported the final moments of the 85-year-old as Pope. The VANGUARD, reporting his final moments on Thursday, captioned its story 'POPE EMERITUS: His last moments at the Vatican'.
The paper said at exactly 20.00 hours Vatican time Thursday, Pope Benedict XVI, now pope emeritus, amid cheers from thousands of Catholic faithful, left the palace of the Papacy for the last time as pontiff.
He headed for the helipad at the top of the hill in the Vatican gardens and flew for 15 minutes before riding in a motorcade to the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo South of Rome in a 30-minute journey to begin his retirement. He had led 1.2 billion Catholics for seven years, 10 months and nine days.
The 85-year-old Benedict, who became the first Pope in 598 years to step down as head of the Catholic Church, left the Vatican after greeting his staff for the final time. The ancient bell of the SenatorialPalace of the Capitol – Rome city hall – rang out as he left the papacy.
THISDAY with the headline 'Benedict XVI Promises Obedience to Successor' reported that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI made his final farewell to followers, telling them “he will become a simple pilgrim” as he appeared on the balcony of the papal summer home in Castel Gandolfo before he officially resigned Thursday
He told them “I will no longer be pope but a simple pilgrim who is starting out on the last part of his pilgrimage on this earth.'
He also urged his followers to put “Christ at the centre of your lives” in his final tweet from his Twitter handle @pontifex Thursday, three hours before his historic retirement.
“Thank you for your love and support. May you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ at the centre of your lives,” said the tweet, which went out just as a helicopter whisked the pope away from the Vatican to retirement.
He left the Vatican after pledging unconditional obedience to whoever succeeds him to guide the Roman Catholic Church at one of the most crisis-ridden periods in its 2,000-year history.
Pana 02/03/2013