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Why We Wrote World Bank Over FG’s Proposed $800 Million Loan — Activist Reveals

Published

1 year ago

May 13, 2023

Editor

Mallam Hamzat Lawal, the Chief Executive Officer of Connected Development (CODE), has revealed why his organisation and another civic establishment, BudgIT, wrote the World Bank concerning the $ 800 million loan sought by the Nigerian government.

The Federal Government had in April announced its plan to secure the World Bank loan to be disbursed to about 50 million vulnerable Nigerians or 10 million households as part of its fuel

The move caused outrage in the country, considering the mounting debt profile of the Buhari administration.

Speaking on Hard Copy, an interview programme on Channels Television, Mallam Lawal noted that the government’s decision not to carry along other stakeholders was in bad taste.

”It was a shock. It was surprising that there was little dialogue between civil society, government, and even other partners on specifically what this money would be achieved with.

”It created that very toxic environment in the digital and mainstream media space, and that’s why, as civic organisations, we (CODE and BudgIT) jointly reached out to the World Bank just trying to understand what the money will be used for.

”I think the National Assembly must rise to the occasion because if they grant that approval today, the World Bank will disburse. The National Assembly should use its powers to call for a public hearing.

”It would also help to ensure that all the grey areas are answered and Nigerians can understand specifically what this money would be used for.
I don’t expect them to expedite action and approve this $800 million loan.”

Speaking on whether the loan is necessary, Mallam Lawal said: “Taking a loan is not a bad thing, but what do we do with this loan? People are poor. We also need to be clear that people that were in the middle class in 2019 are now poor.

”Because, when you look at the impact of COVID-19, recession, and even inflation that we are experiencing, so, yes, we need to support poor people, but my worry is how do we go about it so there are no leakages.

”We have poor people, it is not their doing that they are poor. And as a government, as people, we must care for these poor people.

”The Conditional Cash Transfer scheme was largely successful, and people benefitted from it because it actually increased enrollment in schools. But, when you talk about COVID, the government failed.

”Up till now, they cannot tell us what they did with the COVID money and who benefitted from it.

”That’s why for me, it is about closing these gaps and leakages beyond collecting $800 million. It is only $800 million that we know about, but there are other interventions, and loans that government would collect and have been collecting that are not in the public domain.

”So, it is how do we put in place mechanisms that curbs corruption and those leakages and these monies won’t end up in personal pockets.”

He advised that the Open Government Partnership platform can be explored to ensure transparency in government spending.

His words: ”We have the Open Government Partnership that brings together civil society, media, and government, and it is being co-chaired by government and civil society.

”It’s just for us to have this robust conversation and even for the government to agree, and then we set a timeline. This is not rocket science. This is public money given to you based on public trust.

”Today, most government data are not public, and most of the ones public, are not measurable. This must change, because, no how good a government policy is, if the Nigerian people don’t buy into it, it will never be successful.”

VANGUARD

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Catholic Monk Comes Out As Transgender, Urges Church To Embrace Trans Members

Published

23 mins ago

May 21, 2024

Editor

A Catholic monk came out as transgender this month, saying the church has “to deal with” trans Catholics.

On May 17, Brother Christian Matson, a Catholic monk in Kentucky, told Religion News Service, “This Sunday, Pentecost 2024 (May 19), I’m planning to come out publicly as transgender.”

“You’ve got to deal with us, because God has called us into this church. It’s not your church to kick us out of—this is God’s church, and God has called us and engrafted us into it,” Matson, who holds a doctorate in religious studies, told the Church regarding transgender Catholics.

Matson transitioned during college and converted to Catholicism four years later. He hopes his coming out will spark meaningful discussions about the inclusion of transgender individuals within the Catholic community.

His announcement comes just a month after the Vatican released “Infinite Dignity,” a 20-page document that criticizes gender theory, abortion, and surrogacy as attacks on humanity’s connection with God.

Matson expressed disappointment that the Vatican’s stance on trans issues lacks scientific engagement. He has written multiple letters to the Vatican, urging leaders to interact more with transgender individuals.

Matson sought advice from a canon lawyer when he felt called to serve in the Church. The lawyer suggested the role of a diocesan hermit, which does not distinguish based on sex or gender.

Despite this, Matson faced rejections from several communities before finding acceptance in Kentucky.

“People who knew me said, ‘You clearly have a religious vocation,’ and these were all people who knew my medical history,” Matson said.

However, those responsible for decision-making within communities often refused to meet with him.

Bishop John Stowe, a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ individuals in the Catholic Church, received a letter from Matson in 2020 and oversaw his vows in 2022.

Catholic monk comes out as transgender, urges Church to embrace trans members
Bishop Stowe gave Matson permission to come out as transgender

“My willingness to be open to him is because it’s a sincere person seeking a way to serve the church. Hermits are a rarely used form of religious life … but they can be either male or female,” Stowe told the RNS.

Matson spent his initial year almost entirely in prayer or working at a local theater and renewed his vows in 2023.

“I don’t have a hidden agenda, I just want to serve the church,” Matson said. “People can believe that or not.”

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JUST IN: One Dead, Many Injured As Deadly Turbulence Hit Singapore-bound Plane

Published

9 hours ago

May 21, 2024

Editor

One person died and multiple people were injured on a Singapore Airlines flight that experienced “severe turbulence” while heading from London to Singapore before it was diverted to Bangkok on Tuesday, the company said.

“We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. There were a total of 211 passengers and 18 crew on board,” the airline said on Facebook.

The PUNCH reports that the airline also on its X account, #SingaporeAir, confirmed the incident.

It posted, “Singapore Airlines flight #SQ321, operating from London (Heathrow) to Singapore on 20 May 2024, encountered severe turbulence en-route.

“The aircraft diverted to Bangkok and landed at 1545hrs local time on 21 May 2024. We can confirm that there are injuries and one fatality on board the Boeing 777-300ER. Singapore Airlines offers its deepest condolences to the family of the deceased.

“Our priority is to provide all possible assistance to all passengers and crew on board the aircraft. More details at https://bit.ly/4bLqfCF. Regular updates will be provided on our Facebook and X accounts.”

The airline added that it was working with Thai authorities to provide medical assistance to passengers, and was sending a team to Bangkok to provide any additional assistance needed.

Turbulence during a flight refers to the irregular or unpredictable movement of air that causes the aircraft to experience sudden, erratic motions.

It is a common occurrence and can range from mild bumps to severe jolts.

Details later

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Iran President Had ‘Lot Of Blood On His Hands’ – White House

Published

1 day ago

May 20, 2024

Editor

Iran President Ebrahim Raisi had a “lot of blood on his hands”, the White House said on Monday despite Washington offering condolences after his death in a helicopter crash.

“This was a man who had a lot of blood on his hands,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters, saying Raisi was responsible for “atrocious” rights abuses in Iran and had supported regional proxies including Hamas.

Kirby said, however, that “as in any other case, we certainly regret in general the loss of life and offered official condolences as appropriate.”

Earlier, Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, announced on Monday five days of mourning for President Ebrahim Raisi who died in a helicopter crash.

“I announce five days of public mourning and offer my condolences to the dear people of Iran,” said Khamenei in an official statement a day after the death of Raisi and other officials in the crash in East Azerbaijan province.