DIRECTIONLESS POLICIES: AGANGA IN FIGHT WITH JONATHAN

Dear Editor,

DIRECTIONLESS POLICIES: AGANGA IN FIGHT WITH JONATHAN

Reading the Saturday NATION newspaper of March 26, 2011, Minister Aganga insisted that some items which President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan pronounced unbanned was directionless when he said:  “The position of government today is that all items that are produced locally remain banned. So African prints that are produced in this country remain banned, the furniture that we produce in this country remains banned,” and that “Government is committed to import substitution programme and is doing everything to promote local industry”. Between Jonathan and Aganga; who should we follow or believe?

Minister Aganga did not complete itemizing or spoke on other unbanned items like Bottled Water, Toothpick, 15-year old vehicles, etc. It should be realized and assumed that the President’s pronouncement has opened up death-traps against the citizenry by extending the life-span of importable vehicles from 10 to 15 years. By that directionless pronouncement, he meant that toxic items are invited into Nigeria because there many disused vehicles parked as scraps in various countries and selling at between $100 and $500, most of which were meant for the recycling plants. It should also be realized that many traders started to place orders for those items based on Mr. President’s pronouncement and probably some have started arriving Nigeria. What becomes of them, vis-à-vis the directionless pronouncements?  Sometime ago also there was denial by the Customs’ boss ever getting orders from the appropriate government organ concerning the reported pronouncements of the President on unbanned items.

Again last week in the media, President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was quoted as ordering the MDAs (Ministries, Departments and Agencies) to henceforth patronize only Nigeria assembled cars and people are now asking to know which Nigerian assembled cars are those that will satisfy the needs of the MDAs. Many people are concerned that Jonathan should accept mistakes inherent in those his pronouncements and reverse self as usual. No one would feel hurt but people need to hear from him.

Benedicta Apia, Ezikwo Road, Abakaliki, Ebonyi. benedictaapia@yahoo.com