The economy may be in its boots throughout the world and the country in a big big mess (reading the ESRI report today is not for the queasy). However Bertie Ahern and his Office of the Iar Taoiseach are still finding invites to talk about the economic miracle that he (says he) was responsible for and the peace process. The Bertie Earner is back!

Last week Bertie was near the Niger Delta in Nigeria attending a South-South Economic Summit holding at the Tinapa Business and Resort Centre, Calabar.  He was invited there by politicians and media  to enrich discussions on two fronts –

sharing his experience of rapid economic development and job creation under his watch in Ireland as well as the peace process he negotiated along with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to bring about lasting solution to the Northern Ireland political crisis.

But Bertie was not resolved at merely remembering times past! Ah No!

The Prime Minister of Ireland from 1997 to 2008, Hon. Bertie Ahern has recommended the strategy used in resolving the three- decade long Northern Ireland conflict between the nationalist and unionist communities in the European country, for resolving the Niger Delta crisis.

Ahern made the suggestion at a luncheon sponsored by THISDAY Newspapers during the first South-South Regional Economic Summit which ended in Calabar, Cross River State yesterday.

But one of the Nigerian State Governors in attendance at the summit was not really on for the peace strategy outlined by Mr. Ahern –

He was busy outlining the death penalty he was going to organise for those militants captured….

…as Ahern was offering solutions to the Niger Delta crisis, Governor Akpabio vowed to kill all suspected militants in his state, stressing that they were mere criminals parading as militants in the state.

…”I have submitted a bill for the death sentence for anyone that carries a gun to terrorize another citizen. I am going to kill them. We have to put everything in place to safeguard the future of our children.

As for the economy well Bertie Ahern went into sean-nos mode remembering of the lore which is Irish fiscal rectitude!

“It’s a great achievement for our people that we went beyond what was probable to what was possible by taking our destiny in our hands.

The best way to maximise benefits in a society is to encourage people to produce more. Ireland’s competitiveness is underpinned by the fact there was consistent investment in infrastructure.”

Ahern stressed that it’s important for the government to allow the private sector take the lead in driving the economy.

No mention of pension and income levies or the hit he will take if his ministerial pension is removed while he remains a TD.

And like his last Bertie Earner, The Iar Taoiseach hightailed it back to Dublin in time for a special event which this time was the Fianna Fáil Commemoration at Arbour Hill and as Miriam Lord notes today he was voting in the Dáil last night.