L-R: Reno Omokri , Otunba Dele Momodu
Controversial social media influencer Reno Omokri in his riposte to Dele Momodu’s assertion that Nigeria’s economy has collapsed said he will not de-market his country, just because his party is not in power.
Newsconnect reports that Reno had opined that Dele Momodu did not cite even one factual source, data, statistics or any evidentiary material to support his assertions that Nigeria’s economy has collapsed. In his words, he said; “And now in your latest response, you still have not done so”.
Below is the full text of Reno Omokri’s riposte.
Dear Egbon Dele,
Thank you for your response to my response to you. I will ignore any emotional argument accusing me of sophistry, and focus on the facts.
In your initial open letter, you did not cite even one factual source, data, statistics or any evidentiary material to support your assertions that Nigeria’s economy has collapsed. And now, in your latest response, you still have not done so.
Egbon, opinions are not facts. Assumptions are not data. Claims are not evidence. All I am saying is that you should substantiate your claims as I have done.
I gave you seven empirical and peer-reviewed data points to prove that Nigeria’s economy has not collapsed.
As a journalist, does it seem right to you to publish alarming statements about an alleged collapsed economy without providing substantiating data or evidence to support your claims?
Since my birth till today, GDP growth rate has been the only indicator of whether or not a country’s economy is growing. I have provided my readers with verifiable facts about our GDP growth from the International Monetary Fund and the National Bureau of Statistics, showing that Nigeria’s economy is growing at 3.1%. How can an expanding economy be said to be collapsing?
To the best of my knowledge, a nation’s balance of trade is the only statistic by which you can gauge if a country’s trade is improving. Again, I provided verifiable metrics from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and the NBS to show that our country’s trade surplus is at its strongest ever. For the last quarter for which records were provided (Q1 2024), we had a trade surplus of ₦6.52 trillion.
Finally, foreign reserves are the only measure by which you can gauge a country’s ability to service overseas obligations, and again, I provided data to show Nigeria’s strong position in that regard, with a reserve above $34 billion.
You say Tinubu is now my “idol”. But you are mistaken. I have no idol. However, I am committed to Nigeria, not Tinubu, and I will not speak negatively of my country, nor de-market her, just because my party is not in power.
My permanent interest in politics is Nigeria. Between the then All Progressives Congress Presidential candidate who is now President and his Peoples Democratic Party counterpart in the last election, there is little or no difference.
They both promised to remove subsidy, ensure the Naira was floated, provide student loans, and push for devolution of powers.
On the issue of devolution of power, President Tinubu has now achieved Local Government Autonomy through the courts. For the first time in Nigeria’s history, LG funds will be paid directly to them this month.
Under the current administration, the minimum wage has just been increased (pending the approval of the National Assembly) to ₦70,000. Even before that, Federal employees have been receiving a monthly wage support of ₦35,000 on top of their salaries.
Meanwhile, allocations to all states have been increased by at least 45% from what they were getting under Buhari. What are the Governors doing with the money? Abia state is not even paying the old minimum wage and is owing several months’ salary. Those are the people you, egbon Dele, should be writing letters to.
Dear Egbon Dele, please what are the verifiable facts behind your conclusions? At the risk of repeating myself, opinions are not facts. Please educate me. Counter the facts I have presented with verifiable facts and cite your authorities for those facts. That is how I was trained as a lawyer in Nigeria and the United Kingdom, and that is what I have done here.
Thanks again, and may God bless you.
Reno Omokri