Editorial

The Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) decision to cut the Monetary Policy Rate (MPR) from 26.5 per cent to 23 per cent is a significant development for an economy that has endured an exceptionally tight monetary environment

The D-day was Independence Day, October I. The day arrived without any significant departure from the status quo. Now, between August 17 and October 1 is approximately one and a half months, probably too short a time to give the presidential directive any meaningful action.

The National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and Internally Displaced Persons said it has returned no fewer than 50,000 refugees into the country in the past three years. For the immigrants the Commission has participated in resettling, a notable case is the 1,400 Nigerians who were repatriated from xenophobic South Africa.

The death of 37 illegal miners in cloudy circumstances in Niger State has once again exposed the incompetence and poor conduct of relevant authorities in the execution of their briefs.

The recent report for the outgoing financial year by the Auditor-General of the Federation, Mr. Shaakaa Chira, has not only exposed the high level of impunity and audacity of ministries and agencies when it comes to financial corruption but also the apparent helplessness, if not complicity, by the government itself.

Across Nigeria, the nation’s major highways are increasingly becoming economic traps. Some highways are among the routes that have repeatedly subjected motorists, passengers and businesses to debilitating congestion, accidents and prolonged delays.

The prevailing normlessness in Nigeria, coupled with a justice system that enables criminals until they are proven guilty, was underlined recently by the revelation of a recovered N1.33 trillion in cash and assets by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

Former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s revelation that his wife took ill after eating fresh oranges that a laboratory test confirmed were not fit for consumption has further raised concerns about the source, handling, packaging and distribution of the produce that end up on the dining tables of millions of Nigerians.

The maltreatment of pensioners in Nigeria got to an abysmal level last week when policemen in Lagos tear-gassed senior citizens protesting unpaid pension increases, wage awards and other outstanding benefits.

It is becoming a fashion, albeit a depravity, among Nigerian Politicians during electioneering to make divisive statements and then claim they were misquoted or that rivals twisted their words to score cheap political points.