Emeka Chiakwelu

ideas have consequences

Emeka Chiakwelu

The founder and principal policy strategist is Mr. Emeka Chiakwelu

He can be contacted: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Governor Peter Obi and El Rufai: In Defense of Anambra Integrity

"Facts speak louder than statistics" - Mr. Justice Streatfield (1950) In the war of words, "the first casualty is the truth," for when the numbers are pliable and shaded to accomplish a specific purpose, then observers and stakeholders must not look to the other side. The recent article written by Nasir Ahmed El Rufai headlined: ANAMBRA'S BUDGET OF MISPLACED PRIORITIES, would have still made its point without conjuring half-baked statistics on Anambra State. But the writer could not hold back the temptation of justifying his point of view without hard numbers to make it credible and acceptable. The…

Obama, Clinton and Democratic Party - A House divided cannot stand

“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand." - Matthew 12:25 It is beginning to look like a child's game but this is a serious business. President Obama and his reelection team have a formidable fight in their hands as they put together the strategies to defeat presumed Republican Party candidate Mitt Romney. Obama campaign strategy is to first and foremost define who is Romney and then let American voters make the decision not to vote for Romney. But the efforts Obama’s people are making are being…

Nigeria Economic Activities: Inflation, Interest Rate and CBN Meeting

Inflation rate at 12.9%, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) retains interest rate at 12 percent. But economic activities are becoming unpredictable. The two-day meeting of Central Bank of Nigeria's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) ended with a lukewarm outlook, projection and pronouncement on the state of the economy by the Governor Sanusi, the head of the country's apex bank. Sanusi noted that national economic growth may encounter some hiccups in the absence of "structural reforms". The head of the country's Reserve institute buttresseed his comment by pointing to the slight reduction of the economic growth from 7.45 percent in 2011 to…

The Management of $1 Billion Nigeria’s Sovereign Wealth Fund

“Transparency for the management of $1 Billion Sovereign Wealth Fund” - Afripol At the on-going World Economic Forum at Addis Ababa, Ethiopia the Nigerian minister of finance, Dr. Okonjo-Iweala spoke to Wall Street Journal on the country’s sovereign wealth fund (SWF). She confirmed that $1 Billion was withdrawn from Excess Crude Account and was used as seed money to establish Nigeria’s sovereign wealth fund. The Excess Crude Account was also the source for funding of fuel subsidy. The government of President Jonathan made an attempt to completely remove fuel subsidy in order to replenish the account. The idea…

Eurozone Politicians are Rejecting Austerity Measures unlike African leaders

France, Greece are electing politicans that have rejected austerity policies which African leaders gladly accepted in 80s and 90s. "In all the capitals, beyond government leaders and state leaders, there are people who, thanks to us, are hoping, are looking to us, and want to put an end to austerity,” with these liberating words the newly elected president of France, Socialist François Hollande assured French people and the rest of debt-ridden Eurozone that the delving austerity measures are not welcomed in the economic landscape of Eurozone. With the defeat of pro-austerity President Nicolas Sarkozy, the newly elected president of…

President Obama Invites African Leaders to G8 Summit expect Nigeria

Nigeria was not invited to the month of May's G8 Gathering in United States Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania and Benin presidents were officially invited to the forthcoming G8 Summit later this month in the United States by U.S. President Barack Obama. United States will be hosting the next G8 summit and with the tradition of the event, the host nation can invite other world leaders that have issues that can enhanced the gathering. Nigeria, an oil rich nation with a powerful and recognized influence in Africa has always receive invitation to the august meeting. But this time around invitation card was not extended to her. According…

Nigeria: Inflation spikes, Naira recoils and T-bills sell continues

March Inflation Rate stands at 12.1 percent, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Retains Monetary Interest Rate at 12 percent The country’s inflation rate is not subsiding and with March's surging inflation rate at 12.1 percent, the partial removal of fuel subsidy has begun to clamp down on the economy. The inflation rate of February was at 11.9 percent, and the new number for March (12.1 percent) shows that inflationary trend is gaining momentum as expected. Food inflation rate increases from the February 9.7 percent to the 11.8 percent recorded for the month of March. The price of food stuff and…

South Sudan withdrawal from Heglig and the burden of history

As South Sudan withdrew from Heglig, the dispute is far from over The newly independent nation of South Sudan has officially withdrawn its determined but insufficiently equipped military contingent on the disputed Heglig oil field and the aggressive Khartoum government to the north, The Islamic Republic of Sudan has declared victory. The Heglig oil field or Panthou oil field as South Sudan called it, is situated in the southern Sudan but the Islamic Sudan has laid hold of it even before South Sudan got her political independent and divorce from Sudan government last year July. Heglig or Panthou…

Sanusi's CBN should extent its benevolence to Igbo victims

Sanusi's CBN should extent its benevolence to Igbo victims All Nigerians including Save Nigeria Group (SNG) and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) should call on Sanusi's Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to extend his corporate social responsibility to Igbo victims who suffered mightily as result of Boko Haram’s rampage in Northern Nigeria. Many of the Ndi-Igbo residents in the north lost their husbands, wives and children together with their sources of income. Many of these residents (not all) have since departed from Northern Nigeria and are back to their ancestral hamlets. It is there for the whole wide world…

Removal of fuel subsidy: Poor Timing and strategizing

The whole world is watching as Nigeria descended into chaos and uncertainty due to the removal of fuel subsidy. The social fabric of the society appears to be shifting and things are no longer at ease as protesters gathered steam and momentum. The brinkmanship between the presidency and labour is something to be given the deserving attention. Was the subsidy removal justified or ill-timed compounded with poor strategizing? It depends on who was answering the question, the government and the poor masses have different perspectives and justifications. Financial Times of London reported that, “Goodluck Jonathan, Nigeria’s president, faces a…