President Goodluck Jonathan will this evening host a
televised media chat with some Nigerian journalists during which he is
expected to respond to questions on a number of topical national issues.
Aso
Rock spokesperson, Reuben Abati, said in a statement the presidential
media chat, to be aired live on major television and radio stations in
the country, would begin at 7 p.m. Nigerian time.
The presidency
promised in the past to entertain questions from Nigerians via
telephone, although the phone failed to work during those episodes of
the programme.
Critics believe the phones were programmed not to
work as a way of blocking citizens from asking the
president embarrassing questions.
So, in case you are able to
reach the president on the programme today, we suggest you put the
questions below to him, in addition to others you might have.
We also urge the editors, who will interview the president, to consider asking him some of the questions suggested below.
SEE QUESTIONS AFTER THE CUT
1. Why has your government proved incapable of addressing the fuel scarcity problem across the country?
2.
Why did you claim in your October 1 broadcast that Transparency
International had endorsed your
administration’s fight against
corruption when the contrary is the case? Why did you also refuse to
apologise to Nigerians after you realised you were wrong?
3. The
Malabu oil deal dredges the shame of a nation directly to the corridors
of the presidency. Why did you as President, without the National
Assembly’s approval, authorize the transfer of $1.1bn from a Federation
account into the account of Malabu Oil, a company with falsified
registration details, and owned by a man convicted in France for
money laundering?
4. Why has the President not ordered
anti-corruption agencies to probe the Malabu scandal and if found guilty
prosecute the persons that could have duped Nigeria?
5. What do
you say to those who say your leadership of the country has been at best
inept and ineffective, and that your administration has not been able
to tackle any of our national challenges? (Corruption, electricity,
broken infrastructure, unemployment etc).
6. You were severely
criticised by Nigerians after you said on June 24 that you don’t give a
damn whatever anyone thought about your refusal to publicly declare your
assets. Is that still your position on this important matter, or are
you reconsidering your stand?
7. As the leader of the PDP, which
dominates the two chambers of the National Assembly, why has the party
continued to allow lawmakers earn obscene but illegal allowances in the
guise of office running cost?
8. The National Human Rights
Commission has an important role to play in our country. But the work of
that Commission is being hampered by the refusal of your administration
to inaugurate the Board about a year after it was constituted. What is
responsible for the delay in inaugurating the Board? Why has your
administration reduced the commission to a toothless bulldog?
9.
You hinted a few days ago that the deregulation of the petroleum
industry is irreversible. It was suspended last January to enable
government put in place the necessary conditions that would make it
succeed. Does government think it has now done enough to contemplate the
speculated plan to remove fuel subsidy and hike the price of petrol?
10.
The Lagos-Ibadan federal highway has finally become one of our national
shames, and a lot of Nigerians are dying on that road every day. The
road was concessioned to Wale Babalakin’s Bi-Courtney three years ago
but has been unable to fix it. When will your administration do the
right thing and save the nation the daily carnage on that expressway?
11. Your administration has come under criticism for setting up
committees almost every week. Why does the government set up panels and
committees for tasks that can and should be performed by law
enforcement and other regulatory agencies, and when you know that the
reports of those committees won’t be implemented? We also like to know
how many reports of government committees in various sectors are
currently before the presidency and what the deadlines for their
implementation are.
12. What is the reason for your reversal of
the Transmission contract awarded to a Canadian firm, Manitoba. Was due
process not followed in the award? If not, has anyone been sanctioned
for violating due process?
13. Why have you insisted on retaining
the petroleum minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, despite her indictment
both by the House, Senate and even executive committees set up by your
administration?
14. Why did your government honour Mike Adenuga
with a GCON few weeks after the Finance Minister and Coordinating
Minister for the Economy, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, mentioned his company,
Conoil, as one of those guilty of fuel subsidy scam and responsible for
fuel scarcity in the country?
15. Several reports, including one
by the EFCC, indicted three former Presidents – Sani Abacha, Abdusalami
Abubakar and Olusegun Obasanjo for sharing in the Halliburton bribery
money along with some other top government officials. Abacha is dead and
some officials have been arraigned in court. When is your
administration arraigning Obasanjo , Abdulsalami and Gaius Obaseki, a
former NNPC GMD, who couriered part of the bribe money to some
beneficiaries?
Readers, do you agree with these questions?
Are there any more questions you would like to add? Let us know in the
comments section below
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