4th March, 2022
An official of the Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria, GCSDN has raised unsettling posers for the Buhari government on the $8.5 million approved for the evacuation of Nigerians fleeing from the war in Ukraine.
Why are we greedy and make things so difficult and complicated for ourselves in Nigeria.
Please read this and let us all reason together.
Does the government think we are all fools?
President Muhammadu Buhari approves $8.5 million to evacuate 5,000 Nigerians from Ukraine.
They may be evacuated from neighbouring countries such as Romania (capital city of Bucharest), Hungary (Capital city of Budapest) or Poland (capital city of Warsaw)
The highest estimate of Nigerians in Ukraine is 4,000. Who keeps the money of the extra 1,000 persons?
Some persons have returned to Nigeria on their personal expenses.
Others are staying back in Hungary, Poland and Romania waiting for situation to normalize.
Some of the non-students are moving on to Austria and Germany and may not return. The budget for 5,000 is inexplicable.
At $8.5m for 5,000 persons, it means that the average cost of flight is $1,700 per passenger.
Qatar Airways’ round trip from Bucharest to Lagos is $688
Turkish Air, round trip from Budapest to Lagos is $637.
KLM round trip from Warsaw to Lagos is $680
Let us assume blindly that with miscellaneous expenses, a flight will cost an average of $750.
Let us also assume, even more blindly, that 4,000 compatriots will be evacuated. 4,000 X $750 = $3million.
$8.5m – $3m = $5.5m.
This explains why Nigeria is referred to as the poverty capital of the world.
Conclusion: The tension is less because many are already in safe countries.
Now, why is the cost of every project in Nigeria heavily inflated?
Why is every pain always turned into private gains for a few?
Will the differences be returned or pocketed?
Is this the country that is borrowing to finance her budgets with many families struggling to feed once a day?
The same country where ASUU is on strike and fuel scarcity is biting hard? The same country where at least 15 million children are on the streets?
Is this the same country where so much money had been budgeted and inflated for security, while our soldiers and civilians continue to die?
I wait for answers!
Meanwhile, I am sending my analysis on behalf of the Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria, GCSDN, to the Auditor-General of Nigeria, the very meticulous and patriotic Mr Adolphus Arhotomhenia Aghughu.