#CAMPAIGN FOR REFERENDUM AND NOT VIOLENT AGITATIONS! [NO.33]. –DR. DAVID OLUFON. 21st August, 2022.
NGN2.66 BILLION NAIRA BROADCAST LICENSE FEES CANNOT BAIL OUT BUHARI'S BROKE GOVERNMENT.
A gloomy picture of the worst kind of economic woes has suddenly evolved to confirm that the present APC government of Major General Muhammadu Buhari was broke, completely BROKE due to PRODIGALITY, INSTITUTIONAL CORRUPTION and WASTAGES in administrative processes – most-especially at the Executive and Legislative Arms!
The existing economic imbroglio has revealed that the 2022 Deficit Budget spending between January and April shot up with NGN3.09 trillion naira which source was shrouded in secrecy and whereas FG generated revenue was a paltry NGN1.63 trillion naira!
During the same period, external borrowings headed towards USD$40 billion dollars, according to official sources. Daily subsidy on PMS according to Finance Minister is NGN 1.8 billion; Debt-servicing took a big chunk of NGN1.94trillion naira, leaving virtually nothing to Capital Expenditure which got NGN773.63 billion in the four months of January to April!
In 2021, a total sum of N4.22 trillion naira was spent on debt servicing alone!
Total figure for 2022 Budget is NGN17.13trillion!
In the year 2020 the Executive President ordered the Finance Minister to RAID ALL DORMANT BANK ACCOUNTS (of both the Living and the Dead), and “BORROW” such monies found for utilization on CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURES - with a promise to refund such funds within a very short period!
In spite of global windfall for excess forex earnings created through the Russia-Ukraine Conflict, the Nigerian government of President Buhari has blame massive OIL THEFT AND PIPELINE VANDALIZATION for its diminishing fortunes!
Buhari’s Federal Government has claimed that they could not meet with OPEC'S international quota of 2.2 million barrels per day of crude oil export and barely pumped between 1.4-1.5 mbpd- which proceed is ploughed into feeding external debts!
IN DESPERATE BID FOR MORE FUNDS, FEDERAL GOVERNMENT REVOKES LICENSES OF RADIO AND TV STATIONS ACROSS NIGERIA!
The mass communication and media agency of the Federal Government national broadcasting commission NBC revoked the broadcast licenses of 52 broadcast stations for failure to renew their licenses amounting to NGN2 .66 billion naira between 2015 and 2022.
According to the Agency's portal, those broadcast institutions contravened the National Broadcasting Commission Act Cap N 11, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 particularly Section 10 (a) of the Third Schedule of the Act.
According to the Military- bequeathed 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Press or Mass Media was still guaranteed some measure of FREEDOM and RESPONSIBILITIES to act as the “Watch Dog” over government activities with a view of holding them accountable to the people to whom SOVEREIGNTY belongs!
While Section 22 of the constitution States the Press radio television and other agencies of mass media shall at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives contained in this chapter and uphold responsibility and accountability of the government to the people while Section 39 (1) of the same Constitution also states that every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression including the freedom to hold opinions and to receive an impact ideas and information without interference.
KILLING A GNAT WITH A SLEDGE HAMMER!
The Nigerian press and media operators have come a long way long before the Independence of the Nation of Nigeria to educate the citizens.
Herbert Macaulay and Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe were notable Nigerian journalist of pre-independence era who played pivotal roles to secure freedom from the British Colonial masters.
Majority of the media establishments which have been closed down by the BROKE BUHARI GOVERNMENT have been paying LICENSE FEES in over 20 years while performing vital duties in information dissemination - when incumbent government institutions derelicted!
For instance the NATIONAL ORIENTATION AGENCY (NOA), IS THE LAME DUCK of the APC Administration under the Watch of the old Army General. All money pumped into that agency in the last seven years had gone down the drain!
BUT for the Nigerian Press citizens would have been kept in perpetual darkness in respect of government institutional corruption and other pseudo activities!
The Press collects, and shares information regularly on all its portals and virtually transmits free to the masses, a responsibility which Government should deliver.
NBC action was rash, premature, infantile, irrational and purposeless! It is not in conformity with present day realities of the 21st Century in ICT dissemination of information through internet!
OUR VERDICT! All charges against broadcast and radio stations must be dropped and all phantom debts cancelled!
Both parties should negotiate and fix appropriate minimal fees that will not affect operational costs of the patriotic agencies!
Please join this campaign to establish a Populist Government of National Unity through the Parliamentary System that MUST take off from 29th May 2023 and embrace all citizens from the grassroots Representatives and Parliamentarians who at the Central level would pick a PRIME MINISTER from among themselves!
Also share on all internet platforms and save Nigeria from further bloodshed and, other national disasters!
I am, yours sincerely, Dr. David B.A. Olufon, 08130669886, 08080243066. G-mail-dvdolufon@gmail.
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