The GDNN also recommends to Government that the Solid Minerals Mining Sector will benefit a lot from being exposed to the same model the Oil & Gas Sector was, and still is, subjected to in which sufficient Data on these minerals were generated and Mining Blocks in OPL and OML are charted all over the Country and either Auctioned or exposed to Joint Ventures, under Joint-Venture Cash Calls Model, with Host Communities as part owners and ultimate beneficiaries in knowledge, technology and the proceeds of the investments and through that we will bring sanity into the sector as against the hey-where situation it is left to.
The Wealth beneath our soil is beyond what can be quantified and only through an organized mining process we can harvest the tremendous benefits in the Mining Sector outside the Oil & Gas to the additional benefit of the Nigerian economy.
On the current role of the Humanitarian Ministry, the GDNN believes that the PTF model Solution of the late General Abacha had been more impactful on every citizen and sector in our history than what the “Humanitarian” Ministry had created since inception, that does nothing other than effectively “sharing” the same money to those administering. The PTF model remains the best option to address poverty and job creation. Investing these huge resources in cash handouts or food rations can never be as impactive as the late Gen. Abacha PTF Program did in creating several jobs opportunities for nearly every sector and skill. It provided direct and indirect jobs and suddenly restarted nearly all dead and unproductive industries from those in the pharmaceuticals to Paints, Transportation, Construction, Rehabilitation, etc.
Indeed, everyone was engaged, including the class the Humanitarian Ministry is designed to target and liberate. We strongly believe that this model is still relevant in our search for a solution to addressing poverty and unemployment and we accordingly are calling on Government to reconsider its strategy on addressing this very important issue. Gladly one of the Principal Partners of the Consultancy Firm that handled the Project implementation planning is still around and can be of tremendous assistance to Government in restarting it in the same manner but in an even more advanced mode driven by technology.
The GDNN followed with keen interest the subject of Visa restrictions to all Nigerians by the UAE Authorities which has lingered on for longer than necessary because of the misbehaviour of very few that come largely from only one Zone of the country and specifically one State of that Zone that hosts over 93% of these misbehaving persons.
As it appears to us at the GDNN that the Government can’t offer a way out solution to the difficulty thrown at our faces who are not only innocent, law abiding but whose fundamental rights continued to be infringed upon by the deliberate inaction of the Government of Nigeria, we recommend to the FGN to request the UAE Authorities to grant Visa-On-Arrival (VOA) to all Nigerian Citizens holding any of the following countries Multiple Entry Visa; The United States of America, Canada, Schengen Countries, United Kingdom, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia or any of the GCC Countries that has been used to enter any of the country’s first before arrival at the boarder of the UAE. We believe that this option will provide relief to genuine travellers into the UAE that have either genuine employments, or are prospective students, medical referrals, businesses, tourism or transit stop-overs.
The GDNN also views with great concern the way and manner “Public Hearings” are conducted by the two arms of the National Assembly (Senate and Federal House of Representatives) at which the Committees only sit in Abuja and at some instances Lagos or other select few capitals and conclude on what Laws to pass on behalf of the entire citizens of Nigeria. The GDNN feels that the only way and manner any Public Hearing can be said to be fair and transparent is by the process whereby each Member of the National Assembly from the two chambers takes the issues for public discourse to his Constituency and first educate the key leaders and stakeholders of such Constituency on the intent of the Laws to be passed for their understanding and opinions on same, a summary of which will be his/her position on the floor of the chamber when such a subject is discussed.
GDNN believes that through that process issues addressed would be set on a transparent process and course. Resulting from such untransparent handling of sensitive national issues by our Members of the National Assembly the GDNN noted with even deep concern the way and manner the VAT & other Taxes Bill was handled as completely contrary to any process that is transparent. The GDNN joins others in rejecting the entire process and in particular the subject of “Inheritance” that’s in conflict with the tenets of Islam and most probably.
Credit: Weekenders Magazine