That great year ironically also witnessed dwindling national economic fortunes.
The pillaging of the national treasury that began with the ancien regime was compounded by continued precipitous drop in oil prices. The undisputable evidence of this fall is that a barrel of oil which went for $140 in 2013 sold for $31.71 yesterday. There are even unsavoury prognosis that before long it might drop below $20.
The effect of this sharp reduction is that the distributable pool of the Federation Accounts that hit a zenith of N1.2 trillion in 2012 dropped to a new low of N369 billion in November allocations shared in December 2015.
The stark implication of this for the Nigeria governments at the federal, states and local levels is that revenue derivable from the Federation Accounts, as the basis for running government, has been reduced to little or nothing.
It means for us that the era of unearned revenue has come to an end. We are now entering into a new and special period where it is imperative for us to work for our own money before we can spend it. This period demands innovation, creativity,
productivity, industry and wealth creation.
I am therefore asking of you all, that whatever your vocation may be, you must work harder, be innovative and double your productivity from now on.
What ever your estate: traders, farmers, civil servants, artisans, transporters, workers, corporate executives and the self-employed, you need to do more than before.
Productivity is the key to tiding over and making the best of the special time we are in. It requires of especially the youth and school leavers to embrace the philosophy of hard work and innovation. This means finding engagement in farming and skill acquisition, instead of relying on general academic qualification in order to take advantage of this special period. No one must be idle again.
Every challenge brings its own opportunities. Fresh opportunities are waiting to be tapped in this special time. It only requires that we reach into our natural God-given ingenuity and endowments.
For us, we are already working in the areas of agriculture, solid mineral development, tourism and manufacturing.
For us, we are already working in the areas of agriculture, solid mineral development, tourism and manufacturing.
Tough times don’t last, but tough people do. When the going gets tough, the tough gets going. The history of development has taught us that humans are the primal agent of development.
Development begins with thinking and coming up with ideas; only humans do that. These ideas are given life with their incorporation into policies which are then implemented to form an unending cycle of enterprise and wealth creation.
Development in machinery and robotics notwithstanding, humans still drive work and put even machines and animals to any endeavour.
Humans also form markets. Where there are humans, there is something to be sold, a service to be rendered and a money to be made, of course legitimately. We only need an atmosphere of peace, mutual respect and tolerance, even if we lawfully compete against each other. As long as we remain a people, united and resourceful, no force on earth can halt our march of greatness.
Source: Osundefener
Post a Comment