Stop Blaming IMF, World Bank; Nigeria’s Economic Woes Are Self-Inflicted!

 By Olu Fasan

The International Monetary Fund, IMF, and the World Bank have long struck a raw nationalistic nerve in Nigerians. Romantic patriotism drives the nationalistic urge to reject any perceived IMF/World Bank ‘interference’.

*Tinubu

Several years ago, as a magazine publisher, I interviewed Dr Kalu Idika Kalu, then finance minister under General Ibrahim Babangida’s regime, when he stopped over in London on his way to the IMF/World Bank meeting in Washington. I asked him why Nigerians detested the multilaterals. “I think in Nigeria we’ve tended to be isolationist,” he said. Nigerians, he implied, loathed foreign institutions telling them what to do, even in the face of a self-inflicted crisis.

Nigerian Media Must Stand Firm Against Dictatorship

 By Dele Sobowale

“The jaws of power are always open to devour, and her arms are always stretched out, if possible, to destroy the freedom of thinking, speaking and writing [the truth] – John Adams,1735-1826, US President, 1797-1801.

The Nigerian media, print, electronic, main line and online, except the traitors in the industry, is under attack now as never before since the late General Sani Abacha. Now, as then, those whose principles have not been compromised by being now closer to the corridors of power must close ranks and wage this war against freedom to the end. The end, of course, means retaining our liberties to publish or broadcast the truth to the people of Nigeria – despite the ever-present wish of all governments that unfavourable reports be suppressed.