Horse’s Mouth News appreciates donations in support of good journalism and quality reportage. (Naira Account, Nigeria)
Account number: 6281917627
Account name: Horse’s Mouth News Media
Bank: Monie Point
OPINION: FG should consult more with Obaseki, give him listening ears — Monday Osaigbovo
Former governor of Edo State, Godwin Obaseki, has not eluded the public space since the completion of his tenure in November 2024. Considering the current course of the nation’s economic trajectory, his relevance in the sociopolitical space remains unmatched.
Recently, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, asked Nigerians to revisit Obaseki’s warning, which predicted a looming financial crisis due to poor fiscal planning by the previous administration.
Obaseki had in April 2021cautioned the Federal Government, raising alarm over CBN’s printing of N60bn to share among states and local governments due to a shortfall in government revenues, resulting from a drop in oil prices and failure of government’s fiscal policies.
Onanuga further urged Nigerians to acknowledge President Tinubu’s current effort to avert a potential economic catastrophe through his reforms, stressing that the President was trying to steer the country away from the dire outcome of Obaseki’s economic prognosis.
A man of foresight and insight, having worked with him as a two-time Commissioner, Obaseki has the intellectual requirements to navigate complex socio-economic dilemmas, a reason his pragmatic approach to financial management and predictions still ruminate the socio-economic space of Nigeria’s political landscape.
His experience and legacies in business, investments, finance and governance places him ahead of his peers. The Nigerian government must now make a deliberate choice to draw the ex-governor closer and seek his expert opinion on issues affecting the nation, especially those relating to the country’s fiscal system.
An investment banker, financial expert, and Visiting Scholar/Researcher at the African Studies Center, Boston University, United States, Obaseki is widely sought after by global corporations and governments who aim to pick his brains on fundamental issues of governance.
The Nigerian government must now do the same, consult more with him and give him listening ears. Eight years of buoyancy in Edo State during his tenure as Governor bear testament to his in-depth understanding of economic coordination and fiscal planning.
Hon. Monday E.O. Osaigbovo JP,
Former Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs,
Edo State
