The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has condemned the rejection of a critical report on the Nigerian economy by the government of President Goodluck Jonathan.
Dismissing in its mid-term report the false growth profile of the Jonathan government, AfDB said, in reference to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, ‘Nigeria’s prospect of halving poverty by 2015 seems weak. The proportion of people living below the national poverty line has worsened from 65.5% in 1996 to 69.0% in 2010. Poverty is higher in rural area at 73.2% than in urban area at 61.8%’.
The report also said, ‘Malnutrition is widespread. Rural areas and disadvantaged groups are particularly vulnerable to chronic food shortage and unbalanced nutrition. Forty percent of Nigerian children are stunted, nine percent wasted or thin and 23% underweight’.
The quotes from the report are completely contradictory of the claims often made by top Jonathan government officials, especially Finance Minister and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala.
Quoting the AfDB’s report, CNPP expressed regret that the Jonathan administration has responded by dismissing it as devoid of truth and of containing bogus claims and disingenuous innuendos.
“[The government] claims that the figures used had been overtaken by events by the various intervention of the Jonathan regime and Nigeria is doing better than any other country of its size in the continent,” the conference sneered.
CNPP said it could not locate the political card the AfDB—a regional multilateral development bank engaged in promoting the economic and social progress of its member—could possibly be playing with Nigeria, which is one of its major shareholders.
It further wondered which country the government was referring to in Africa, in terms of Nigeria’s median age of population, mineral and human materials endowment, questioning if Nigeria is no longer interested in graduating into the ranks of the first 20 developed economies in 2020.
“CNPP has for the umpteenth time warned that the inchoate economic policy of food is ready and share the money, hence over reliance on the private sector since 1999, by the Peoples Democratic Party {PDP} led Federal Government can only lead to mass poverty, gross unemployment and grave inequality.
It stressed that the Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping, increased rate in armed robbery and other vices are located in the monumental corruption, and anti-people policies of the PDP in the past 14 years which have alienated a large segment of Nigerians.
“In sum, this is the poor and ugly mark of the AfDB, which the Jonathan regime instead of rating as a wake up call is condemning without facts,” it said.
Full text of the statement:
AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK REPORT: TRUTH IS BITTER
Conference of Nigerian Political Parties {CNPP} carefully reviewed the Marking Scheme of African Development Bank {AfDB} as per Nigeria, captured in 2013 African Ecomic Outlook and notes with regret President Goodluck Jonathan administration’s miserable response to the poor mark awarded to Nigeria. Truth is Bitter.
It was as if the AfDB was responding to the call of President Jonathan during his democracy day address that, ‘A number of comments about the performance of this administration are based on the heartbeat of the people. Those who want to write and assess should prepare their marking scheme and compare with previous government.’
AfDB in its candid report, descended heavily on the false growth report as contained in the Mid Term Report of the Jonathan administration, ‘Nigeria’s prospect of halving poverty by 2015 seems weak. The proportion of people living below the national poverty line has worsen from 65.5% in 1996 to 69.0% in 2010. Poverty is higher in rural area at 73.2% than in urban area at 61.8%’The report goes further to say that, ‘Malnutrition is widespread. Rural areas and disadvantaged groups are particularly vulnerable to chronic food shortage and unbalanced nutrition. Forty percent of Nigerian children are stunted, nine percent wasted or thin and 23% underweight’.
Regrettably the Jonathan administration in response dismiised the report as - devoid of truth and political, containing bogus claim and disingenuous innuendos. It claims that the figures used had been overtaken by events by the various intervention of the Jonathan regime and Nigeria is doing better than any other country of its size in the continent.CNPP is at a loss to locate the political card the AfDB, a regional multilateral development bank, engaged in promoting the economic and social progress of its members is palying with Nigeria, one of its major shareholders?
Which country is the government referring to in Africa, in terms of our favourable median age of polulation, mineral and human materials endowment? Or are we no more interested in graduating into the ranks of the first 20 developed economies in 2020?
CNPP has for the umpteenth time warned that the inchoate economic policy of food is ready and share the money, hence over reliance on the private sector since 1999, by the Peoples Democratic Party {PDP} led Federal Government; can only lead to mass poverty, gross unemployment and grave inequality.The Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping, increased rate in armed robbery and other vices more than anything is located at the monumental corruption, and anti-peoples policy of the PDP 14 years federal government; which have alienated a large segment of our dear countrymen.
In sum, this is the poor and ugly mark of the AfDB, which the Jonathan regime instead of rating as a wake up call is condemning without facts.
Mr Osita Okechukwu
National Publicty Secretary
CNPP
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