50 questions: As Okonjo-Iweala replies, Reps to hold public hearing
Just as the Coordinating Minister for the Economy, Dr Ngozi OkonjoIweala, Wednesday provided a 102page documented response to the 50 questions posed by the House of Representatives Committee on Finance, the legislature has said it will hold a public hearing on the answers she gave.
The finance committee disclosed yesterday that it would soon begin a series of public hearings over the responses of the finance minister.
The minister was given the 50 questions by the House committee on December 19, after she complained of being ill when she appeared before it, alongside the Accountant General Federation, Jonah Ogunniyi Otunla.
She was given two weeks to furnish the committee with answers, as they relate to the issues arising from the country’s economy as well as the allegations about financial infractions in the Nigerian economy.
The response of the minister came 10 days after the expiration of the lawmakers’ two-week deadline.
In her response, the minister stressed that in spite of many challenges which government has acknowledged, the Nigerian economy is showing real and measurable progress in many areas.
“This can be seen in the fact that more jobs are being created; roads, rail and other infrastructure are being improved; the country is saving for the future and planning better for the present. The Jonathan administration, contrary to the impression given by some critics, is making impact in the areas that Nigerians are most passionate about,” she said.
For instance, on job creation which is a central focus of the administration, a total of 1.6 million jobs were created last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) of which 250,000 were seasonal jobs created in dry season farming in 10 northern states. In manufacturing, the Onne Oil and Gas Free zone created an estimated 30,000 direct and indirect jobs. The government special intervention programme YouWin supported young entrepreneurs, creating over 18,000 jobs, while the SURE-P community services programme has also created 120,000 job opportunities.
The minister also said the improvement in federal highways has been confirmed by many Nigerians who travelled over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Key highways which have witnessed significant progress include Kano-Maiduguri road, Abuja-Lokoja road, ApapaOshodi road, Onitsha-Enugu-PortHarcourt road and the Benin-OreShagamu road, while preliminary work has commenced on the Lagos-Ibadan road and the Second Niger Bridge.
“The Railway Modernization Programme involving the construction of standard gauge lines is underway. The 1,124km Western line linking Lagos and Kano is now functional, while work on the Eastern line linking Port Harcourt to Maiduguri is about 36% complete,” she said.