The much anticipated interview discourse on governance and nation building is coming again with prominent experts on development issues opening up on how Nigeria can be rescued from collapse.
The discourse at Boiling Point Arena, a radio interview programme, promises to be a brainstorming session on Sunday September 8, 2024.
Especially coinciding with the sudden hike in petrol price nationwide which has sparked crisis and uncertainties in the country, an expert in the Petroleum industry, Prof. Wùnmi Iredare has asked President Bola Tinubu to immediately relinquish his hold on the Ministry of Petroleum and appoint a substantive Minister.
Iredare is a Professor Emeritus in Petroleum Economics and Policy Research at the Centre For Energy Studies, Louisiana and a one time President of the United States Association for Energy Economics with about 40 years practice experience in the oil and gas sector.
When asked what to expect at the upcoming discourse on the monthly current affairs programme, Prof Iredare lamented that there is too much lack of transparency within the oil sector in Nigeria.
Hear him: “Successive Nigerian Governments over the years have mismanaged our God-given natural endowment. The first thing to do is to ask President Tinubu to surrender his ministerial portfolio as the Minister overseeing the Petroleum Ministry.
“Tinubu by virtue of his office should be too busy to correctly superintend over that vital sector. What we have now are surrogates doing trial and error in the petroleum sector. It is absurd and ridiculous. It is just like saying Tinubu is the Finance Minister. He should relinquish that role so as to allow transparency in the industry and in particular for effectiveness.”
He continued: “Let the Federal Government take their hands off the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited(NNPCL). They should stop expending money outside the budgetary system. Let them govern by the principles of the Petroleum Industry Act.
“Government should stop looking at the NNPCL as their cashcrow. You cannot be disobeying the principles of economy and think it will not come after you. Things certainly can be done better if we must come out of this quagmire”.
Both Prof. Wunmi Iledare and Dr Oluwatoyin Jokosenumi, a former Director at the Central Bank of Nigeria, are to be on the podium as Discussants at the interactive interview discourse scheduled for Sunday night at 8pm.
The topic of discourse is: *”Nigeria in Socio-Political and Economic Quagmire: What Are The Rescue Options?”*
A special Independence Edition, the once-in-a-month interview discourse, the 23rd in the series, will hold for a two-hour duration via Zoom and will be transmitted live on a radio station, Sweet 107.1FM.
Boiling Point Arena, with an incredibly large online followership, is the brainchild of Convener, Dr Ayo Arowojolu, a media professional with 34 years multi-varied work career spanning the media, banking and education sectors.
As expected, a frontline traditional ruler, the Olowu of Owu Kingdom, Oba Prof Saka Matemilola is to deliver a keynote speech to herald the discourse, in his capacity as Chairman, Boiling Point Council of Royals and Elders.
