The Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, has called on all northern appointees to either support President Bola Tinubu or step down from their positions.

Matawalle’s call came after Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, who formerly served as the spokesperson for the Northern Elders Forum and currently holds the position of Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Presidency, expressed a differing opinion regarding the Minister’s defence of Tinubu’s administration.

On Saturday, the minister slammed the NEF for saying it regretted supporting Tinubu in the 2023 general election.

He described the action of the NEF as a political burden on the North.

This comment, however, did not sit well with Baba-Ahmed, who said Matawalle was ill-advised in his X post on Sunday, noting that a better defence could have been presented.

He wrote, “Scathing criticism of NEF by a junior minister of defence, Matawalle, is ill-advised. He could have done a better job for this admin if he identified the contributions of especially northern ministers and other appointees like me to improving security and reducing poverty in the North.”

However, in his defence, Matawalle in a statement on Monday, said as an appointee of the current administration, Baba-Ahmed needs to work towards its success and protect it from unwarranted criticism rooted in ethnic or narrow interests.

“Consequent to my position on the recent attack on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR by a spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum, it has come to my attention that Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed who once served as the Spokesperson of the group and currently a Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Presidency took to his page on it to express a different position.

“According to Dr Baba-Ahmed, my stand against the unjust and spurious attack against the new administration of President Tinubu which is working very hard to reposition our country and economy for the better is ‘ill-advised’. He suggested I could have done a better job in my defence of the administration where I have the rare honour of serving as a Minister.

“Dr. Baba-Ahmed’s relationship and affinity with the NEF is well-known. The fact now is that he is an appointee of the administration as Special Adviser and it is incumbent on him to work for the success of the government he is part of, protect and defend the government against unjust and vicious attacks from those who hide under ethnic and other primordial interests to heat the polity for myopic reasons

Matawalle emphasised that every appointee under Tinubu carries a significant responsibility to promote and highlight the government’s achievements across all sectors.

He stated, “It is pertinent to state that every appointee of President Tinubu including Dr. Baba-Ahmed owes the government a copious duty to promote, elucidate and advance the good works and commendable efforts of the government across all sectors.

“As appointees of the government from the North, we must all take a stand, be unequivocal and be counted in the roll of honours for our support and work for the success of the administration we are serving.”

The minister warned that this is not a time for silence or acquiescence in the face of intimidation or misrepresentation but rather an opportunity to demonstrate loyalty or make way for others who will.

“This is not the time to keep quiet in the face of intimidation and misrepresentation of the efforts and achievements of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR. We must stand up to be counted for being on the part of the government or take our exit,” he added

Cardinal James Omolaja Odunmbaku, the Celestial Church of Christ (CCC) cleric and political engineer, is one of a kind who stands in a unique class of his own.

His types don’t happen too commonly. Infact, in our clime, he is a rarity, to have one person clothed in celestial and terrestial robes so fittingly.

Only few of his peers can honestly say they don’t envy his sartorial elegance whenever he appears in his ecumenical garments. And when he sheds that, to adorn the political regalia, he’s also a people’s delight.

Few of his type readily come to mind anywhere – in Africa or in any continent. I think of Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa and, elegantly speaking, Archbishop Makarios of Cyprus who ruled from both the pulpit and the polity in his life time.

Odunmbaku, better known as “Baba Eto”, is a mortal, but given the extraordinary gift of the garb and demonstrable style that is uniquely his own, he’s fast assuming the status of an indispensable human specie.

His type acquire larger than life status that is bound to attract positivity and negativity.
Those who are enamoured of him present to the world a cult-like image of him. To them, he can do no wrong. One such person, before the satanic instinct in man, reared its ugly head in him, was so fanatical of the man, Eto, he registered some of his personal vehicles “Aremo”, for which he used to tell those who cared to know, that he was “heir-apparent” to Eto. Today, that person is singing new tunes, as if his new listeners cannot decipher sychophancy and crass opportunism in his new drumbeats.

Another was said to have appeared at a political interview panel where, when asked what credentials she had to seek a position, she matter-of-factly told the panelists “Eto”. And when repeatedly asked what qualifications did she have to think she was fit for the job, she retorted: ” Eto ! Eto !! Eto !!!

That secured the job for her !

Such a person is bound to attract envy, jealousy and disdain, dislike, or even hatred to himself. That is the fate of Baba Eto !

There must be something extra going for the “priestly-politico” that the talent-discoverer, otherwise known as Bola Ahmed Tinubu, identified him to drive his gubernatorial campaign in Lagos State; and has ever since held on to him so fanatically that he has solely led the campaign of other guber candidates like Babatunde Raji Fashola, Akunwunmi Ambode and Babajide Sanwoolu to roaring successes.

If beneficiaries of Baba Eto’s gifts turn round to paint scurrilous pictures of the man, such people can only be consigned to the dustbin in which immortal Chief Obafemi Awolowo put those he described as ingrates of his large-ness of heart. As the late sage declared: ” There’s no escape for those who deny benefits”

Let the person without any blemish come out and cast the first stone. If we put aside belly-aching, jealousy and such-like vices, you cannot encounter Odunmbaku, Baba Eto, on the pulpit or the political rostrum and not doff your hats for this quintessential orator, mobiliser and professor of political mobilisation.

If some see him negatively from the positive binoculars with which Tinubu and many more view Baba Eto, then such minority must be wearing blurry blinkers in their faces.

The International Monetary Fund has said that most industrial policies rely heavily on costly subsidies or tax breaks, which could be detrimental to productivity and welfare if not effectively targeted.

The multilateral lender stated this in a new report titled ‘Industrial Policy Is Not a Magic Cure for Slow Growth’.

According to the global lender, Industrial policy, in which governments support individual sectors, can drive innovation if done right.

It said striking the right balance was a crucial consideration, as history is full of cautionary tales of policy mistakes, high fiscal costs, and negative spillovers in other countries.

The report also noted that many countries were ramping up industrial policy to boost innovation in specific sectors in the hope of reigniting productivity and long-term growth amid security concerns.

The report read in part, “Most industrial policy relies heavily on costly subsidies or tax breaks, which can be detrimental for productivity and welfare if not effectively targeted.

“This is frequently the case, for example, when subsidies are misdirected toward politically connected sectors. In addition, discriminating against foreign firms can prove self-defeating, as such policies can trigger costly retaliation and most countries—even major advanced economies—rely on innovation done elsewhere.”

According to the report, the recent turn to industrial policy to support innovation in specific sectors and technologies is not a magic bullet.

“However, well-designed fiscal policies that support innovation and technology diffusion more broadly, with an emphasis on fundamental research that forms the basis of applied innovation, can lead to higher growth across countries and accelerate the transition to a greener and more digital economy,” it noted.

It advised governments deploying industrial policies to invest in technical capacity, recalibrate support as conditions change, and act in line with open and competitive markets.

It added, “In some cases, industrial policy can be justified, such as when it supports sectors that generate strong knowledge spillovers to the domestic economy (for example, in the semiconductor industry).

“Another important use case is driving green innovation—reaching net zero emissions will require technologies that do not yet exist. But subsidies to green innovation should be transparent, focused on environmental objectives, and complemented by robust carbon pricing to minimise fiscal costs.”

Since taking over the reins of power, the Bola Tinubu-led administration has embarked on widespread reforms premised on discontinuing subsidies that many analysts had blamed for Nigeria’s current economic woes

During his inauguration on May 29, 2023, President Bola Tinubu announced that the regime of fuel subsidy had come to an end for good.

Two weeks later, the Central Bank of Nigeria floated the local currency to allow it to find its true value.

The two major policy reforms, despite being met with criticism by some quarters of society, have received applause from international observers.

In an earlier report released in January, the IMF had commended Nigeria and three other countries for recent subsidy reforms that would create space for development spending.

It said, “Building resilience in the face of these trends requires countries to act. Some countries have made progress— for instance, Angola, The Gambia, Nigeria, and Zambia have taken steps to implement significant energy subsidy reforms to create space for development spending.”

It, however, expressed worry that many countries were lagging, especially in efforts to increase revenues, such as broadening the tax base, reducing tax exemptions, and increasing the efficiency of tax administration.