Category: ANEEJ

African Network for Environment and Economic Justice says the system of governance in Nigeria is designed against the people.

ANEEJ, one of the leading contributors to the recovery and repatriation of General Sani Abacha loot to Nigeria stated this on Wednesday in an event tagged #Endsars Watch Dialogue held via zoom.

It would be recalled OsazuwaAkonedo in a publication had earlier analyzed and reported the breakdown of the 2021 budget submitted by President Muhammadu Buhari as a governance system deviating from the normal.

The budget may create more hardship for many Nigerians while very few number of them will enrich themselves.

OsazuwaAkonedo did a comparative analysis of America 2021 Defence budget and Nigeria 2021 Defence budget.

It was observed that America with a military strength of 2.153 million active duty and reserved personnel will spend a total of $721.5 billion for Defence in 2021.

America will use $636.4 billion to pay salaries, wages, bonuses and other benefit for the large army.

This obviously makes the Military in America one of the very largest employer of labour and value added contributor to the tax payers dollar.

Military in Nigeria is excessively budgeted for; and it is the highest eater of tax payers naira.

But the money is hugely allocated to misplaced priority that add little or no value to security or tax payers naira.

Nigeria military of less than 500 thousands active duty and reserved personnel will spend N1.061 trillion on Defence in 2021.

Only less than N217 billion of the money will be spent on salaries and wages.

Over N555 billion will be used to enrich the pocket of few individuals in the military under the guise of allowance or special allowance instead of increasing its strength to becoming one of the largest employer of labour like America.

ANEEJ through its Executive Director, Rev. David Ugolor said public office holders must be ready to strengthen governance system in Nigeria and in doing that they must always listen to the people while formulating government policies and actions.

“The overall governance system in the country is skewed against the people. That’s why people don’t trust government” said ANEEJ.

ANEEJ noted that there is close relationship between trust and happiness. Stressing that Nigerians don’t trust their leaders.

“When citizens don’t trust their government, there would be no happiness in the land. Once there is no happiness, you can’t talk about peace. Once there is no peace, you can’t talk about development”, ANEEJ added.

ANEEJ also warned government against its plans to regulate the social media.

ANEEJ said more Nigerians are now actively contributing to good governance and strengthening governance system through the social media, adding that government plans to regulate the social media is worrisome.

ANEEJ thereafter called on all civil societies to invest more on human capital development to enable Nigerians drive home successfully their demand.

Also read

How America Finances Its Armed Forces…why Nigeria security challenge will remain worse

Full video of ANEEJ, Others Presentation At The Event