Government, Media Must Unite To Move Nigeria Forward – VP Shettima

*** Charges editors to be watchdogs, allies in nation-building

By: Our Reporter

Vice President Kashim Shettima has called for a stronger collaboration between government and the media in carrying out their shared responsibility for Nigeria’s national development journey.

Describing media leaders as the crème de la crème and conscience of the nation, he made a strong case for a balanced partnership to drive national unity and economic growth.

Speaking on Tuesday when the leadership of the Nigerian Guild of Editors paid him a courtesy visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, the Vice President pledged government’s support to ensure the sustainability of the fourth estate of the realm.

Senator Shettima noted that the time has come to prioritise governance over political considerations, just as he called for partnership with the media.

He said, “Let us work together for the nation. What binds us together supersedes whatever divides us. We are now in the period of governance and not politics.”

The Vice President acknowledged the economic challenges confronting the media, pledging the government’s support to sustain quality journalism.

“My heart bleeds for the Nigerian media because of the dwindling economic fortunes they face. Be rest assured that we will do whatever it takes to support the media in continuing their work,” VP Shettima said.

Insisting on balance and objectivity in their reportage, VP Shettima urged the editors to maintain their role of a watchdog, while supporting national development.

“When we do good, please commend us. When we are going astray, guide us because we have to salvage this nation; not for our own sake but for the sake of our children and grandchildren,” he emphasised.

Responding, Mr. Eze Anaba, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors and Editor of Vanguard Newspaper, lauded the Vice President’s commitment to transparent governance, particularly in explaining government’s economic policies as Chairman of the National Economic Council (NEC).

“You have been prolific in talking about the state of the economy in your responsibility as the Chairman of the National Economic Council,” Anaba said.

He further emphasised the media’s readiness to partner with the government, while maintaining its independence.

The NGE President also announced that the 20th Edition of the All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) is scheduled for November 7 to 9 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.

Government, Media Must Unite To Move Nigeria Forward – VP Shettima

ActionAid Describes 2024 IMF/World Bank Meeting, A Damp Squib, Falling Short of Addressing Issuing for People Living in Poverty

By: Michael Mike

ActionAid has said the 2024 International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank Annual meetings in Washington, D.C., were a damp squib that fell short of addressing the bread-and-butter issues for people living in poverty.

The IMF’s forecasts of high debt and slow growth, especially among Global South countries, and its recommendations for even more fiscal adjustments, public sector wage rationalization,and the social acceptability of structural reform are testament to their continued failure and inability to show relevance for the global majority in the 21st century.

The Global Economic Justice Lead at ActionAid International, Roos Saalbrink, said: “We see once again how the IMF is not fit for purpose and unable to offer real solutions to the economic crises they helped to create. The decision to stick to old ways and pursue harmful policies, such as public sector wage cuts, is a blatant disregard for decades of evidence that has shown that this does not work and for rapidly growing inequality.”

He added that: “The IMF seems unable to see reality outside its econometric models. Sadly, the lack of meaningful action to arrest the debt crisis and put an end to austerity could spell doom for the global majority, whose voices demanding a break from the failures of the past are yet again ignored.”

On her part, the Policy Specialist at ActionAid UK, Jessica Mandanda, said:
“It has been 80 years, and we find ourselves, yet again, at odds with the International Financial Institutions, with consistent contradictions in what they say and what they do. What is crystal clear is that the IMF is completely out of touch and disconnected from the lived realities of billions across the world who are suffering because of austerity and bad policy advice.

“The calls for austerity, or fiscal adjustments or restrictions as the IMF is calling it, will increase the burden among vulnerable communities, especially women, who bear the brunt of cuts in spending on essential services such as health, education, and other support sectors.

“In so many ways, we have seen even more this past week that the IMF is willing to let people especially women be collateral in the pursuit of economic growth. After 80 years, we expected the IMF to take responsibility for their failed policies and be open to changing their ways of operating. Their decision to stick to business as usual will doubtlessly reverberate negatively on vulnerable and poor communities, in the Global South.”

ActionAid noted that metrics like Gross Domestic Product growth hide the real impacts of economic policies, as well as in whose interests this endless growth is pursued. It is a continuation of a colonial system enabling the extraction of wealth and resources into the hands of a few, fueling extreme inequality. The increased climate crisis stems from this unquestioned pursuit of GDP growth that is driving extractivism and has pushed the planet beyond its limits.

The Women’s Rights Programme and Policy Advisor for ActionAid International, Lina Moraa, said: “While the IMF preaches ‘reform’ it is clear that they have failed to deliver on this for the past 80 years. The fund is still deeply entrenched in neoliberalism and happy to perpetuate a system that fuels inequality and suffering. We demand a radical departure from this failed model and a new era of economic justice for all.”

She noted that the time is up for outdated economic policies, systems, and rules, that disproportionately impact women and girls. As part of international financial architecture reform, governments must take debt negotiations and sustainability assessments away from the IMF to a new UN democratic and representative debt workout mechanism to function at the Fourth UN Financing for Development conference in 2025 hand in hand with a UN Convention on International Tax Cooperation.

ActionAid insisted that there is an urgent need for a collective resolution to the global debt crisis anchored on debt cancellation, radical debt renegotiation, reparations, and bold action for progressive, gender-responsive, and climate-sensitive tax reforms to allow governments to invest in quality public services.

Global Lead on Economic Justice and Public Services at ActionAid International, Roos Saalbrink said: “The blatant unwillingness of global north governments to change the current governance structure of the IMF and World Bank is striking. The IMF itself also seems adamant to keep the system as it is, holding itself at the center of economic decisions continuing the endless cycles of debt, reforms, and cuts in government spending. Debt cancellation simply is not in the IMFs interest, it might put it out of business. So, we should see its outdated recommendations for what they are; a deliberate attempt to maintain its relevance and power.”

ActionAid Describes 2024 IMF/World Bank Meeting, A Damp Squib, Falling Short of Addressing Issuing for People Living in Poverty

Borno Flood: Satomi Gives Wheat to Affected Members of His Constituency

By: Michael Mike

Member representing Jere Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Ahmed Satomi has flagged off the distribution of 25 kilogrammes assorted bags of wheat to about 5,600 members of his constituency to ameliorate the devastating effect of recent flooding of Maiduguri and its environs.

About half of his Jere local government constituency was submerged by the recent flood which got over a million people displaced.

The gesture, according to him, is to assist in ameliorating the current hardship faced by beneficiaries who are victims of the recent flood disaster that ravaged Maiduguri and Jere local government area.

The lawmaker, who is the Chairman House Committee on Internal Security and Intelligence had personally donated N200 million to Borno State Government’s Relief and Disbursement Committee before now to ameliorate the suffering of the people of the state affected by the September 10 Flood, in
addition to cash distribution of N100 million to victims of his constituency with various interventions.

Unveiling the distribution of the bags of wheat which are mainly proceed from Satomi Integrated Farms Limited on Tuesday at Old Maiduguri Progressives House, the Lawmaker said, each of ‘Satomi Campaign Structures, consists of Ward Coordinators and Unit Structures who had played a great role in safeguarding/protecting votes during the last 2023 general elections and other supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC and hitherto victims of the flood disaster from all the 12 wards of Jere Federal Constituency would benefit from the gesture.”

He pointed out that, the exercise which kick-started with 1,051 beneficiaries from Maimusari and Mashamari wards, will cover all the remaining wards, as more of such gesture will be a continuous process, in line with Governor Babagana Zulum’s request for well-to-do individuals to complement efforts of the Government in it’s trying moment.

Satomi while admitting the current economic hardship faced by Nigerians is unbecoming, called on all and sundry to be patient with Government’s policies, as there is going to be a light at the end of the tunnel.

He said: “This is a trying moment for us, we are all living witness to what befell our communities in the last flood disaster. In Jere alone, apart from loss of many lives, more than 50,000 hectares of farmlands with crops near harvest were submerged. I personally lost 2,000 hectares of my rice field around the Jere Bowl. But I urge you to take it as an act of God Almighty.

“As your representative at the National Assembly, I will continue to give you my maximum support economically or otherwise.

“Today, each of ‘Satomi Campaign Structures’ which consists of my Ward Coordinators and Unit Structures who had played a significant role in safeguarding/protecting votes in the last 2023 general elections and other supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, hitherto victims of the flood disaster from all the 12 wards of Jere Federal Constituency would benefit from the gesture. This is inline with Governor Babagana Zulum’s request from well-to-do individuals to complement efforts of the Government in its trying moment.

“I admitted the current economic hardship faced by Nigerians, especially people of Jere, but let me call on all and sundry to be patient with Government’s harsh policies, as there is going to be a light at the end of the tunnel.”

In a vote of thanks on behalf of the beneficiaries, Member Representing Jere at the Borno State House of Assembly, Hon. Abba Kyari, noted that there have been about 27 various people-oriented interventions executed by Satomi in the last one year, noting that these interventions cut across distribution of vehicles, irrigation and water pump machines, skills acquisition kits, fertilizers, food and jon-food items, cash to constituents irrespective of political or ethnic consideration.

He thanked the federal lawmaker for always identifying with people of Jere, even as he urged the beneficiaries to continue to give their total support and loyalty to the APC- led government, which he noted, is determined to proffer lasting peace and development in the state.

Borno Flood: Satomi Gives Wheat to Affected Members of His Constituency