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“Palliatives” or “Bailout” the Nigerian way!


The subsidy reinvestment empowerment progamme

“Palliatives” or  “Bailout” the Nigerian way!
James Hardley Chase  remains one  of the most thrilling novels ever written.  One of them, “so what happens to me”, comes to mind vividly, as a masterly narration of an amateur crook who was used to swindle some corporate clients only for him to end up being duped!  The same is the story of some political leaders in Nigeria!  No opportunity ever passes without crooked schemes being introduced – especially in programmes affecting the masses.  Take 2012, for example, when some parts of the nation experienced massive flooding, and the issue of “palliatives” was mooted. It turned out later that N100 million was “released” to the affected States through their State Governors; what happened? The money vanished into private pockets! Next was SURE-P –another laudable project; but the same fate befell this programme! It became a conduit for siphoning almost the entire funds.  Still on “palliatives”, in the closing days of ex-president Jonathan, Governors, shouted, cajoled and got him to share the savings from “sovereign funds accounts’  Now, the talk is “Bailout funds” with all the money being routed through the same 'governors"!

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