A Presidents OK should stand for something!

Two days ago, the President of the federal republic asked the Central Bank of Nigeria to stay action on the proposed restructuring of the nations currency - the Naira. While his action may have put to rest, the widespread uproar in the polity fueled by what I can only describe as MIS informed "Ojuolegba" economist. Though I'm not a subject matter expert, I have listened to erudite economist on the same topic. Much so that the Presidents actions angered me... For a knew this policy was aimed at more gain than pain.

Aigboguns article "The Presidents OK should stand for something" caught my eyes in BusinessDay of the 21st Sept. Read on....

This is a very sad day for Nigeria. " President Goodluck Jonathan has collectively made every Nigerian look small by his capitulation. By withdrawing his approval to the Central Bank to introduce the N5000 notes, the president set a very dangerous precedent, regardless of the argument for or against the policy. And by this his singular act, he has unwittingly reduced the office he swore to protect and given the world cause to doubt if they can do business with his government.  

It is not for nothing that the state governors insist on using a red ink pen in their official communication. And it is also not for nothing that the president uses green to write. It is because of their exalted offices. It is because it is expected that the president's approval will stand for something.

Presidents must at all times listen to their people but a leader must also be able to make up his mind and be ready to defend his position. That is the covenant he has with those he has to lead. It will be unthinkable that the president's U-turn should meet with the approval of serious Nigerians.  

What should the world now think of us? That our president cannot sign a bilateral agreement with other leaders of the world and hope to keep the bargain? Who on earth will take Nigeria serious if this were to be the case?  

At the time of their choosing, the people will always have their say, and by the constitution' also have their way at least once every four years. Presumably, this president consults before coming to a decision, and one Just hope that he did just that before consenting to the apex bank's recommendation to proceed with the N5000 note.  

After this, the people can chose to have their say. And the president should not have to play to gallery all the time, especially because economic policies do not always have to be based on popular opinion. And it is why Spain, Greece and even the United Kingdom are all pursuing austerity policies today, to the chagrin of their people.  

This is so because governments and those privileged to lead them do not just have to think about what the people will say today. They must focus more on their place in history because what is public good can sometimes appear blurred in the midst of an unorganized debate. It is in this light that I held a different view on the petroleum subsidy withdrawal debate. Which is that any subsidy on consumption rather than production, any subsidy which exports jobs elsewhere is bad, no matter what it is called by.

It is also for this reason that I took exception to the opposition to the decision by President Obasanjo and Okonjo Iweala to invest $12bn or so in the landmark deal to end Nigeria's excruciating foreign debt. It is for this same reason in the early nineties when I was secretary of the Nigeria Guild of Editors, I sought to get my colleagues to dialogue with leaders of the private sector who were at the time canvassing a government policy permitting entry or participation of the private sector in Nigeria's telecommunications sector. Today editors who virulently opposed that policy are carrying one or two and in some cases three phones in their pockets.  

It is for this reason that I respect my mentor and bene¬factor Professor Pat Utomi who in the heat of that debate had maintained that if the only way to get the private sector in meant allowing Abacha to allocate all the GSM licenses to his family he will vote for it, knowing that as he rightly said, a time will come when Abacha's children or grandchildren will be forced to sell some or all the licenses to other Nigerian investors. It is also for this reason that I yet cannot find common ground with my friend Joe Ajaero who worked with me many years ago at the Vanguard but is now eading the electricity workers union to oppose the privatization of the moribund state ppwer company, PHCN.  

In Nigeria of 160 million people, everyone is a Central Bank Governor and every one seeks to have a view on government policy, regardless of how uninformed he or she might be. The road transport workers union leaders weighed in to be heard on the N5000 note issue. Even the okada riders also wanted to be heard. Unfortunately, many who should know, sought to side track the truth while the debate lasted just to be seen to oppose the policy simply wanted to be heard or because they have become, members of the opposition. Or perhaps as was the case of the legislators, it had to do with Sanusi who had the courage to say they did not have to bleed the national treasury dry by insatiable quest for higher pay in a nation where millions wallow in abject poverty.  

In all of the debate, one thing is clear. There is no respected body of opinion to suggest the view that the introduction of N5000 notes will bring' about the doom some said it was capable of causing. I am led by common sense, which teaches me that it is more cost effective to print one N5000 note instead of printing five NIOOO notes, as is the case today. It will also be cheaper to transport, store and use one N5000 instead of five N1000 notes. And what is more, I do not have to use or carry a N5000 note if it does not serve my purpose.  

Central banks around the world will not get into a debate of what currency notes to issue. They just go on to print it and announce its introduction when it is ready. Sanusi should have done exactly this and it is a pity he did not. After this, one must hope that we all accept that good leaders and those that Nigerians need, are not leaders who just pander to public opinion but those who are capable of reaching out with the clarity of their vision and the power of their thought to that future which the people may not yet see today' .    

Aigbogun is Publisher of BusinessDay and it is his second ever opinion piece submitted to a newspaper since entering journalism in 1982.   That our president cannot sign a bilateral agreement with other leaders of the world and hope to keep the bargain? Who on earth will take Nigeria serious if this were to be the case?  

How to Cold Cast a plastic Part in Your Kitchen

Part 1 – Making the Wax Mold

Have you every cried over throwing away a functional device or toy just because you lost or broke one small plastic part? 

I recently visited my mechanic to find out what was wrong with my AC, and in the process, they broke one of the plastic slide for the air vent. The knob is  a one off part, not something one can order a replacement part for – there are only two possible ways to find another – 1) Visit the local junk yard and hope to God that you will find a matching part from an accidented vehicle.  2) Make one. Yes make another one in my kitchen.

I know any wise guy would have chosen the easy way out, but trust me, I rather stay indoors and engage myself in a small DIY project than to venture out doors – with planes falling out of the skies, and Boko Haram incessant bombings, I have made the tough choice of making it myself. I took the one weekend out to make a replacement part for the AC vent and the account below is how I went about it.

What do you need for this project?

• Candles
• Paper Box
• Sticky Tape
• Large syringe
• Empty tin can
• Epoxy

            Steps

• Depending on size of the item to be replaced, find an appropriate box that will hold the mold
• Make sure the box is big enough to hold the item and still leave enough space on the edge. The space will ensure that the wax does not break off. The rule of thumb is making sure that the item will sit in about 50% of the space.
• Decide the part of to cast. From experience, it is better to cast in two parts – top and bottom, is a way that allows you to remove both molds without breaking the molds as such. It is often easy to make this choice by looking at the lines on the original piece to be cast – most plastic objects bear the tell tail sign of how they were cast – often in two parts. – we will call that line the “Cast Line”.
• Cut up the candles and put it in the tin can and set the can on low heat on the cooker.
• The following process might be very messy, so make sure you are wearing gloves and mask off the working area to prevent greasy stains.

• After the wax melts… pour the wax into the box and allow it to cool off.  From experience, I noticed that the very first time I poured wax into a box, the wax leaked out (of course, it is liquid). I found it quite handy to tape the entire corners of the box with cello tape (sticky tape) to prevent any leakages. 

• Wait until it is cool enough to leave your finger prints on. Not too hot, not too cold. After a few experiments you will know when the time is right. 
• With a steady hand push the part into the molten wax to get the first mold. Don’t be tempted to pull it out or jiggle it. Just let it sit deep, allow the wax to rise above the Cast Line where you would like the second mold to start from.

Post picture of the two replicas sitting in the molten wax

• Wait for the wax to solidify – To speed things up, I placed the mold in the freezer, and then the fridge, but it always resulted in cracks, as the wax cooled too fast. It is best to allow the mold to cool at room temperature.

• With the original piece still in place and using a sharp blade, carve out the Cast line – make the surface of the mold flat. Enough angle to ensure that the 1^st and second molds will meet on a some worth flat surface. Drill out holes to ensure that there will be no air pockets when both molds meet.

• Set the first mold aside and prepare the box for 2^nd mold – follow steps 1 – 4 above.
• When the second mold has reached the right temperature, slowly lower mold 1 into the second mold, press hard until wax is dripping out of the drilled holes in mold 1

• Leave it to harden overnight. Don’t be afraid that they will bind together, Wax is actually has its own oils, as long as two drops are not the same temperature, chances are that they will come apart with a minimal effort.
• Make sure to wait for the wax in the middle of the mold to set before continuing this procedure
• Make guide marks across the two sides of the mold – this will help you align the two parts properly. From experience, I put a scratch mark on all sides of the mold. Magic marker lines will eventually rub off so avoid them, unless you have already secured a masking tape.
• Pry the two parts apart, make sure you are gentle and avoid breaking the mold
• Slowly bring out the original part from the two molds. If the mold breaks, it is just a temporary setback, just cutup the wax and smelt it down again. From experience, some waxy residue remain on the original part after each attempt. Washing it off or cleaning it off did not work – The best way to get rid of the extra wax was dipping the part in Hot water (you risk melting the part if you dip it into Very hot water).
• Examine the two molds. You should notice every small detail; even part numbers will show up clearly in a good mold.
• If you successfully get to this part without any problems, Shout Hurray! – you are half way there.