Article written by Dr. Perry Brimah of Ends.ng.
Read below...
The June 23rd ban on importation of cement and
39 other items contained in a letter by the
Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria has been
received with mixed feelings. The extensive list
does contain some necessary bans which will
help Nigeria's small scale industries, the number
one employer of labor in the staggering nation,
however, not unexpectedly, hidden within the list
of banned items are additional skews to secure
the stupendous wealth of Nigeria's known cabal
and ensure the continued crippling of the Nigerian
masses.
It is the nature of the world today where the
masses are naked and exposed to the greedy and
insatiable desires of the cabal elements with no
form of protection other than the wailing voices
of overburdened right advocates.
We Are Actually The Largest Employers Of Labor
In Nigeria, Not Dangote And Other Cabal
]There is a lie oft told, and as they say, if a lie is
told so many times it becomes truthy (that new
lingo dedicated to George Bush in his pursuit of
the war against Iraq). That lies is that Dangote
and Atiku are the biggest employers of labour in
Nigeria. It is a colossal lie. Whereas these two
cabal employ under 100,000 Nigerians combined,
we are actually the largest employers of labor...
yes, we the ordinary people, the several million
SMEs. SME stands for Small and Medium
Enterprises; not the large industry. The cottage
manufacturers and cottage service providers. It is
us who employ over 30 million Nigerians, the real
numbers that count, not the ever protected cabal
who employ only a handful of us yet are always
benefactors and influencers of government
policies while we are never invited to the meetings
and get no perks.
So while industries like toothpicks, glass wear,
textiles, meat products and others in the ban list,
that are the occupation of SMEs is a useful drive
that will actually protect the Naira and drive
employment, the ban of the importation of
cement added to the list, an absolute oligopoly
that Nigeria has criminally bestowed on Dangote
is a stab in the hope and future of Nigeria and
another gift of the earnings of the masses to our
billionaire, insatiable cabal.
It is a conspiracy to defraud the masses for the
government to protect and enforce the purchase
of a singular private, unregulated oligopoly. The
Central Bank is in this June 23rd decree engaging
in conspiracy to defraud Nigeria's poorest and
maintain unbearable hardship on Nigerian
property owners, property hopefuls, renters and
property investors. Indeed every Nigerian is being
robbed and punished by this CBN move.
It must be noted that manufacturing is never by
force as there are various types and other options
for economies; indeed manufacturing is no longer
synonymous with development as advanced
economies are now 'service' based and not
industry-based. And industry which leads to
environmental pollution and degradation is only
of value if it provides items at prices within
global competitive costs.
Nigeria Gave Dangote Cement Billions To Sell Us
Cement At Triple The Global Average
Through the years, Dangote cement has been
given numberless government perks and gifts. The
spoiled company has been given gas power, given
duty free import waivers to enable it import
needed and un-needed machinery and equipment,
literally running its own private and unregulated
sea port. Dangote as with other cabal, the
smallest employers of Nigeria as earlier
mentioned have been given bailouts -- gifts of
billions of dollars, an advantage we the largest
employers never benefit from. Dangote cement
has been literally dashed Nigeria's cement plants.
The company has benefited from policies that
frustrated its competitors and importers of
cement. And in return, this private company has
decided to cut up billions in quarterly profits to
its PDP, private bank (Zenith etc) and other
government parastatal shareholders via selling
cement at thrice the global average, rather than
offer Nigerians cement at a world lowest price to
show appreciation for the billions in concessions
we have given it.
When compared for instance, in the UAE, Etisalat
is majorly government owned, so when its
oligopoly is enforced this provides wealth to the
State, and wealth that has been used to build
world renowned and recognized infrastructure and
provide enviable benefits to its people. But in the
Nigerian case, like the masses are fools, the
government invests in private oligopolies and
forces the masses to patronize these exploitative
profiteers to no personal benefit... except hearing
the cabal owners' names listed in Forbes as the
world's top billionaires who made money from the
sucking dry and murder of the Nigerian masses.
The Dangote Oligopoly Has Crippled Nigerian
Construction And Foreign Investment
Not only have Nigerians been unable to build and
repair their homes because we are forced to buy
Dangote cement at twice and thrice the global
average cost, while watching the company divide
massive quarterly dividends; and not only have
we been forced to scrounge our cement,
which has led to our homes collapsing and people
dying; but also foreign companies have rejected
building in Nigeria and rather opted for South
Africa because of the cost of cement in our dear
nation.
So while Godwin's ban on products that will allow
healthy competition and opportunity for growth of
Nigeria's number 1 employers, us SMEs, the
deliberate inclusion of bans to further deflate the
masses and sure-up the exploitation by the cabal
oligopolies is another straw on this camel's back.
Perhaps the straw that will break its back.
On a final note, one has to ask: who is at these
Zenith bank's Godwin CBN meetings where he
comes up with these policies? Dangote, Jonathan,
Obasanjo and who? Is this how a democracy is
run? There is God.
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