By Ishaya Ibrahim,
Ag News Editor
The Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has described those reading regional bias in the comment of his principal to World Bank President, Jim Yong Kim, as ignorant and mischievous.
The World Bank boss had said at a news conference on October 12 in Washington DC that Buhari asked the bank to concentrate its intervention efforts on northern Nigeria.
The presidential spokesman reacted angrily by calling those who hold such views names while deflecting the allegation with historical entreaties the President had made to world leaders at different international fora on the plight of the North East.
The loopholes
In the statement, Adesina said that Buhari requested the bank’s intervention efforts to be in the northern part of Nigeria, particularly in the North East.
But the World Bank chief did not mention the North East in his comment.
His words: “You know, in my very first meeting with President Buhari he said specifically that he would like us to shift our focus to the northern region of Nigeria and we have done that. Now, it has been very difficult. The work there has been very difficult.”
Analysts say Kim’s statement was like a lamentation because Buhari asked them to shift focus to the North, which they have complied. But that is making their work difficult.
The World Bank has many active projects in Nigeria, including a $200 million ‘Multi Sectoral Crisis Recovery Projects for North Eastern Nigeria.’
Other projects include:
1) National Social Safety Nets
Projects.
2) Agro-Processing, productivity enhancement and livelihood improvements support projects
3) Mineral Sector Supports for Economic diversification Projects
4) Better Education Service delivery and many others.
Analysts argue that Adesina’s statement did not really clarify what Buhari wanted from the World Bank.
“Was the Bank to suspend all other projects and first complete the $200 million ‘Multi Sectoral Crisis Recovery Projects for North Eastern Nigeria.
“Or was the Bank to implement all Northern phases of its projects first before taking on the south?”
The analysts say Asesina’s statement leaves many unanswered questions.