Today marks a landmark achievement in the annals of history of our great country. Today the Federal Republic of Nigeria turns 49! Happy Birthday Nigeria! Coincidentally today, the Chinese communist party celebrates its 60th year in power. Though China can be described as a developing or an emerging economy, a “police state” with limited freedom (s), fraught with systemic corruption, yet a huge chasm divides these two countries in terms of development, as the Chinese economy has grown astronomically over the years while ours has tanked. But then again, a lot of us would wonder aloud what there is to celebrate about our status as a “failed state” A state that has failed its people in all respects! A state where corruption thrives! A state that has perpetually shut its ivory towers! A state that’s a paradox of democracy and freedom! A state that’s an anathema of class exploitation and oppression! An opulent state with most its citizens mired in poverty! October 1 in Nigeria is a day of joy or agony depending on whose views one sorts. It’s a time to sit down and ponder about the ills plaguing our society and also think about concrete steps needed to address them. Without further ado, this piece intends to briefly point out some of the challenges holding back our country from unleashing its full potential.
Nigeria gained her independence from the British precisely on October 1, 1960 through a bloodless transition of power. The Nigerian case is peculiar in some regard, because there was no cause to resort to violence to be emancipated from the claws of the colonialists. There were high hopes and optimism in the air as the country heralded this new dawn which can now be described as shattered or punctured. As expected in most birthday celebrations, people are happy, adorned in their best garments and ornaments, and exchanging pleasantries but the reverse seems to be the case in our country today as the vast majority of Nigerians are reeling from economic hardship(s), wearing long faces and adorned in sack clothes morning our dead and buried fatherland. Sometimes I wonder if our founding fathers were ill prepared to take on the challenge of leadership and nation building, or just wanted to join the band wagon of African “third world” countries clamoring for independence at that time. They (founding fathers) are best suited to furnish us with answers. However, I think most of them (Azikiwe, Awolowo, Balewa) were up to it given that they were mentored and groomed by the Brits and some of them studied in the West. Did the British know that Nigerians were incapable of governing themselves, and as a result of this gave in to the whims and caprices of Nigerians? I doubt if they had an inkling about this but they knew it was a tough job to administer a nation like Nigeria. Given this backdrop, it’s no surprise that our country continues to punch far below its weight and has failed to reach its full potential as envisioned by our founding fathers.
The sad reality is that we inherited a political structure that was partitioned along ethnic lines. This goes way back to the 19th century (scramble for Africa and Berlin Conference) when Africa was divided by the Europeans without recourse to our local culture, tradition and ethnic composition. This singular act was meant to serve the interest of the colonialists who were mostly interested (are still interested) in the natural resources that abounds in Africa. In Nigeria, this culminated into a nation of more than 200 ethnic groups and also a people who were robbed of their indigenous administrative structure and identity, and whose moral psyche was eroded. The after effect materialized after our independence in our political parties that were (are still not) based on ideologies but on ethnic allegiance. For instance, we had the Action Group (AG) which was predominantly a Yoruba party, the National Council of Nigerian Citizens (NCNC) an Igbo Party and the Northern Peoples Congress (NPC) which was controlled and run by the Hausas. It’s little wonder political parties in Nigeria today continue to toe this line.
Tracing our sojourn since independence would be rather incomplete without mentioning the role of the Nigerian military that has intervened intermittently through coups and counter coups. Their reason for intervention is no different from other military juntas who intervene to ‘right the wrong in the system’. However, they never kept to their words as most of them turned out to be kleptomaniacs. Why is our case different? Countries in Asia such as South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia and Indonesia (to some extent) began their ascent up the ladder of ‘economic’ development under military dictatorships. Perhaps there are other factors that could help explain why our country took a turn for the worse under the military. These factors might range from role of institutions, culture, and leadership e.t.c
Furthermore, Nigeria has failed to conduct credible, clean and fair elections for the greater part of its existence as an independent country. The only election that is believed to be close to being free was that of 1992 that was annulled. The recent 1999, 2003 and 2007 elections that ushered in the Obasanjo and Yaradua administrations elucidates the ‘selection’ (not election) process of public officials that’s often characterized by thuggery, intimidation, and ballot stuffing. Nigeria needs electoral reforms, no more, no less! This will ensure that the voices of our people who brave the weather (sunshine and rainfall) to cast their votes are heard and not relegated to the bottom. Steps towards electoral reforms can only be actualized if independent candidates are allowed to contest for public offices, creation of an ‘independent electoral commission’ whose boss is not appointed by the President, pegging donations by individuals to political parties and candidates to a certain amount, and automating the voting system to deliver election results in real time. (Can’t be done under present circumstances with constant power failure)
There is a wide range of issues that Nigerians continue to grapple with even as they ‘celebrate’ and ‘mourn’ for their country alike. The indefinite closure of our institutions of higher learning for over three months ensuing from the deadlock in negotiations between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the government over pay rise puts a serious dent on our image as a country that’s ‘rebranding’ its image at home and abroad. Epileptic and interrupted power outage which is a long dead and forgotten issue in poorer neighboring countries continues to hunt us endlessly like a ghost. It’s ironical that we are the source of power to our neighbors yet we can’t provide for our own people. The scarcity of petroleum products and the frequent long queues in gas stations is abominable for a country that is “supposedly” one of the largest oil producers in the world yet has no single functioning refinery to refine crude oil. Lastly, the sorry state of infrastructure and social services in the country is a “no go area” that I wouldn’t dwell much on because our people are now acclimatized to this nightmare.
I believe we can awaken the resounding spirit of our people that’s needed to beat these odds. The question of transformation of our country rests on the shoulders of You and I. Let’s join hands and awaken this sleeping giant called Nigeria.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
THE WORLD NEEDS MEN!
I find this very interesting and I think it's worth sharing with everyone...
who cannot be bought;
whose word is their bond;
who put character above wealth;
who possess opinions and a will;
who are larger than their vocations;
who do not hesitate to take chances;
who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;
who will be as honest in small things as in great things;
who will make no compromise with wrong;
whose ambitions are not conned to their own selfish desires;
who will not say they do it "because everybody else does it";
who are true to their friends through good reports and evil reports,
in adversity as well as in prosperity;
who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning and
hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;
who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;
who can say "no" with emphasis, although all the rest of the world says "yes".
Source: John Catoir "What a Day This Can Be"
who cannot be bought;
whose word is their bond;
who put character above wealth;
who possess opinions and a will;
who are larger than their vocations;
who do not hesitate to take chances;
who will not lose their individuality in a crowd;
who will be as honest in small things as in great things;
who will make no compromise with wrong;
whose ambitions are not conned to their own selfish desires;
who will not say they do it "because everybody else does it";
who are true to their friends through good reports and evil reports,
in adversity as well as in prosperity;
who do not believe that shrewdness, cunning and
hardheadedness are the best qualities for winning success;
who are not ashamed or afraid to stand for the truth when it is unpopular;
who can say "no" with emphasis, although all the rest of the world says "yes".
Source: John Catoir "What a Day This Can Be"
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Which Way Nigeria?
I’m deeply saddened by recent sorry stories emanating from Nigeria. These events from the bomb blasts in Lagos to the Muslim upheaval and blood let in the North to say the least has turned our dear country into an object of mockery and ridicule in the comity of nations. This has also earned us free airtime in several reputable western media circles and a lot of buzz over the internet. Despicable and pathetic as these events might be, they are not particularly alien to our polity. This is worrisome because Nigeria is a country at the forefront of several peace keeping missions within the sub-region and beyond. These recent horrendous events sheds light on some of the deep seated divisions and animosities that continues to bedevil our country. Why cant Nigeria with all its military might quell these insurgencies and uprisings springing up by the day? Who should be held accountable for all these? What’s fuelling these crises? Would restitution or retribution extinguish this fire? These questions are germane to understanding the underlying factors behind the wanton killings and loss of properties that’s pervasive in our contemporary society. This piece will look at a broad spectrum of issues tied to the mayhems in Nigeria while zeroing in on the crisis in the North. In my quest to unearth some of the flaws of the Nigerian political system, I’ll attempt to draw comparisons between Nigeria and other countries that are beleaguered with similar problems.
In weaving this story together, one cannot dissociate history from the recent happenings in the country. Federalism in Nigeria emerged from the crucibles of a long history of military dictatorship. Historically, our present day federal system was born out of wed lock. It’s a product of a mismatch between our past inept military junta and their unquenchable thirst to further their own personal agenda. The North is predominantly Muslim while the South is mostly comprised of Christians. The Nigerian federal system started off with the division of the country into three regions and eventually into twelve states. This has of course tripled as Nigeria is now made up of thirty six states excluding the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). There is nothing wrong with the creation of new states, if the intent of the government is to engender development and improve the lot of the masses. In Nigeria, this has never been the case since the “proliferation” and clamor for new states leads to the aggrandizement of wealth by the “folks” at the helm of affairs. It’s not my intention to bore you with all the nitty-gritties of federalism in Nigeria, however, understanding its fundamentals remains crucial for one to appreciate the root cause of these problems. In an ideal world, federalism entails power sharing between the center and the component units. The reality in Nigeria, however, is that so much power is vested in the central government which explains why most states are ticks that feed of the blood of the central government.
A lot of readers would wonder how this is linked to the crisis in Nigeria today. On the one hand, the uneven levels of development between the North, South and East is often perceived as a causative factor triggering ethnic tensions in the country. On the other hand, the tussle for power between the three main regions or ethnic groups (Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa) remains a recurring decimal that continues to rear its ugly head up in these squabbles. These two factors are the twin evils that Nigeria has been grappling with for so long. The South boasts of having a highly educated population while the North has a low level of education. This widely held view stems from the fact that Northerners are the least educated in terms of sheer numbers and not educational attainment (no figures to support this claim). Lack of education or illiteracy is often blamed as the primary cause of the rise in insurgency in the country. As I’ve said over and over gain in my previous posts, the importance of education to national development cannot be overemphasized. It increases peoples productivity and income, enables them to chart the course of their own lives and ultimately steer their own affairs. The self-styled Taliban group wrecking havoc in the North abhors western style education in lieu of madrasas (Islamic education). I’ll argue that the lack of education by most (some) Northerners is orchestrated by their leadership who for fear of being asked “hard questions” often turn a blind eye to the problem of illiteracy. This might be considered by some people as a sweeping generalization that doesn’t hold water. The non-prioritization of education is evident in most Northern states wherein the streets are dotted with beggars (Amajeris) Some states have made giant strides as well recently to reverse this trend. Most of these folks at a tender age are sent out on the streets to solicit for arms from passers-by by “mallams” who they must render an account to for their daily transactions. The leaders who are supposed to help fix things more often than not choose to offer hand-outs to most of their “illiterate” constituents as a sign of reciprocity and gratitude which further heightens this never ending cycle of illiteracy. As the saying goes “teach a child how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” I believe (this is just an assumption, I might be wrong) if these “self-styled Taliban militants” had due access to education or (I’ld rephrase) born into a society that adores education they wouldn’t pick up arms and kill their own people all in the name of “religion”.
The so-called “Nigerian-Taliban” has no known link to the “Afghan Taliban” led by Osama bin Laden. This group which has resorted to violence as a way to further their ulterior motives and cause has slain innocent men and women in the name of their “god”. Though this restive situation has been some what arrested, most security operatives remain on high alert to avoid further spillage into other Northern states. Is Nigeria degenerating into another Afghanistan or Iraq? Are we on the throes of anarchy? Evidence from Iraq and Afghanistan succinctly shows the dangers of sectarian violence. As we all know, the events that led up to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan differ from those in Northern Nigeria. However, one can draw a parallel between the latter and the former given the fact that three cases are by products of Islamic extremism. The Afghan and Iraqi case exemplifies that brute military force wouldn’t suffice to enthrone peace and democracy in a country. The afore-mentioned cases illustrates that violence only begets more violence and sustainable lasting solutions would never come by through the barrel of guns.
To be Continued..:-)
In weaving this story together, one cannot dissociate history from the recent happenings in the country. Federalism in Nigeria emerged from the crucibles of a long history of military dictatorship. Historically, our present day federal system was born out of wed lock. It’s a product of a mismatch between our past inept military junta and their unquenchable thirst to further their own personal agenda. The North is predominantly Muslim while the South is mostly comprised of Christians. The Nigerian federal system started off with the division of the country into three regions and eventually into twelve states. This has of course tripled as Nigeria is now made up of thirty six states excluding the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). There is nothing wrong with the creation of new states, if the intent of the government is to engender development and improve the lot of the masses. In Nigeria, this has never been the case since the “proliferation” and clamor for new states leads to the aggrandizement of wealth by the “folks” at the helm of affairs. It’s not my intention to bore you with all the nitty-gritties of federalism in Nigeria, however, understanding its fundamentals remains crucial for one to appreciate the root cause of these problems. In an ideal world, federalism entails power sharing between the center and the component units. The reality in Nigeria, however, is that so much power is vested in the central government which explains why most states are ticks that feed of the blood of the central government.
A lot of readers would wonder how this is linked to the crisis in Nigeria today. On the one hand, the uneven levels of development between the North, South and East is often perceived as a causative factor triggering ethnic tensions in the country. On the other hand, the tussle for power between the three main regions or ethnic groups (Yoruba, Igbo and Hausa) remains a recurring decimal that continues to rear its ugly head up in these squabbles. These two factors are the twin evils that Nigeria has been grappling with for so long. The South boasts of having a highly educated population while the North has a low level of education. This widely held view stems from the fact that Northerners are the least educated in terms of sheer numbers and not educational attainment (no figures to support this claim). Lack of education or illiteracy is often blamed as the primary cause of the rise in insurgency in the country. As I’ve said over and over gain in my previous posts, the importance of education to national development cannot be overemphasized. It increases peoples productivity and income, enables them to chart the course of their own lives and ultimately steer their own affairs. The self-styled Taliban group wrecking havoc in the North abhors western style education in lieu of madrasas (Islamic education). I’ll argue that the lack of education by most (some) Northerners is orchestrated by their leadership who for fear of being asked “hard questions” often turn a blind eye to the problem of illiteracy. This might be considered by some people as a sweeping generalization that doesn’t hold water. The non-prioritization of education is evident in most Northern states wherein the streets are dotted with beggars (Amajeris) Some states have made giant strides as well recently to reverse this trend. Most of these folks at a tender age are sent out on the streets to solicit for arms from passers-by by “mallams” who they must render an account to for their daily transactions. The leaders who are supposed to help fix things more often than not choose to offer hand-outs to most of their “illiterate” constituents as a sign of reciprocity and gratitude which further heightens this never ending cycle of illiteracy. As the saying goes “teach a child how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” I believe (this is just an assumption, I might be wrong) if these “self-styled Taliban militants” had due access to education or (I’ld rephrase) born into a society that adores education they wouldn’t pick up arms and kill their own people all in the name of “religion”.
The so-called “Nigerian-Taliban” has no known link to the “Afghan Taliban” led by Osama bin Laden. This group which has resorted to violence as a way to further their ulterior motives and cause has slain innocent men and women in the name of their “god”. Though this restive situation has been some what arrested, most security operatives remain on high alert to avoid further spillage into other Northern states. Is Nigeria degenerating into another Afghanistan or Iraq? Are we on the throes of anarchy? Evidence from Iraq and Afghanistan succinctly shows the dangers of sectarian violence. As we all know, the events that led up to the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan differ from those in Northern Nigeria. However, one can draw a parallel between the latter and the former given the fact that three cases are by products of Islamic extremism. The Afghan and Iraqi case exemplifies that brute military force wouldn’t suffice to enthrone peace and democracy in a country. The afore-mentioned cases illustrates that violence only begets more violence and sustainable lasting solutions would never come by through the barrel of guns.
To be Continued..:-)
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Why Are We Poor?
It’s a well known fact that Nigeria is Africa’s most populous and “powerful” state. This is not just because of the country’s huge mineral and oil deposits but also because of the abundance of its human resources. Some school of thoughts would argue that a country that has got a large population would be unable to cater for most its citizens. This theory stems from the Malthusian camp that argues that an increase in population will out strip food production in the long run which will lead to deaths. Malthus theory remains largely unfounded and unproven till date as it has never occurred in any country. A “bloated” population is only a problem in a country where the available resources wouldn’t suffice when spread around “equitably”. This definitely is not the case in Nigeria. I’d rather contend that the root cause of poverty in our dear country is orchestrated by lots of untapped and unharnessed potentials which continues to lie fallow all around us. Nigeria is immensely endowed with oil, gas, coal, tin, iron ore. e.t.c. The irony of this whole situation is that Nigeria and its leaders have failed to translate all of these resources that abounds in our country into tangible and quantifiable gains that would lead to the betterment of the lot of the vast majority of the citizenry. However, despite these resources Nigeria has not been able to cement its place in the sub-region or continent as an economic power house and a political heavy weight.
Poverty as we all know is a global phenomenon, in the sense that there is no nation that is devoid of it. The main difference is the intensity and prevalence of this malaise. For instance, what one might consider as the height of affluence in Nigeria could be described as poverty in Europe or North America. This goes to show that poverty takes on different dimensions and forms which varies from one place to another. Another bone of contention is the definition of poverty. It’s often seen as a deprivation of income. This view has been largely espoused by international agencies such as the World Bank and the UNDP. In as much as the $1 or $1.25 a day yardstick is helpful at least in cross country comparisons; it is flawed for the following reasons: it fails to take into consideration the purchasing power parity among and between countries, It’s also wanting because it doesn’t recognize specific realities and factors that are “country specific” such as socio-cultural political dynamics that largely influences poverty in a country. To cut a long story short, Africa is often seen as a continent of the poor or one that breeds poverty but this argument is in fact baseless and goes over the top. It’s mostly fueled by the “Western” media. Asia in fact far out numbers Africa in terms of number of people living in squalor and hopelessness. Though China and India have made gains in this respect because of the economic booms in these country’s, there’s still much ground to be covered given the current global financial turmoil and hundreds of millions of people still left out wallowing in abject poverty. I think a proper definition of poverty be it in Nigeria or elsewhere is one that first and foremost sees poverty as a multi dimensional phenomenon that goes beyond the lack or inadequacy of income to include other aspects of human deprivation that is not limited to lack of access to education, health care, infrastructure (roads, electricity, water e.t.c), food, participation, human rights
What are the root causes of poverty in the Nigerian state? There are several causes of poverty most of which are intertwined with each other. I’ll enumerate and expound on just a few of these causes that continue to dwarf and thwart development in Nigeria. First, is the conflict in various regions in the country all of which have left ethnic and tribal divisions imprinted in the peoples psyche. I wouldn’t blame this solely on Nigerians as some of the blame should also be apportioned to the British as well, who by omission or commission defined the boundaries of our country by proclaiming the Northern and Southern protectorates. Historically, there have been several fierce ethnic skirmishes and uprisings which got to the climax with the secession of Biafra from Nigeria and its aftermath the civil war that lasted for three long years from 1967 to 1970. Over the years the Nigerian polity has also seen numerous “blood baths” in the country which includes the killing of Southerners (Igbos) in the North and the consequent retaliation (s) by the Southerners. In recent times, the Niger Delta region has reached a boiling point. I see the Niger Delta problem as a ticking time bomb that would explode if not addressed swiftly. One out of the plethora of reasons for the mayhem that’s plaguing the region can be traced to ethnic bickering, inequity and several years of neglect by various regimes in the country. The “Niger Deltans” believe that the leaders of the country who mostly come from the North have short changed them by expropriating the oil wealth that comes from their land to the benefit of the Northerners and utter neglect of the “Niger Deltans”. This has tremendously fueled the insurgency and arms race between the various factions within the Niger Delta and the Joint Task Force (military) that’s charged with the responsibility of rooting out the insurgency. There is no doubt about the fact that the injustices and inequities that is pervasive in the region has lead several unemployed youths to pick up arms as the only viable alternative to eke out a living. The concomitant effect is that it has led to the loss of the meager properties in the region and lives of unsuspecting and innocent civilians who have no role in the conflict. Most importantly, this has also resulted into the high spate of kidnappings that has permeated other states around the region. The sabotage of the various oil facilities in the region by the “militants” has lead to the loss of the much needed oil revenues that accrues to the government that’s used in providing basic and social services to Nigerians. This will both in the short and long run affect the government’s anti-poverty efforts since it would have to drastically reduce or stop entirely some of its programs that are geared toward poverty reduction because of lack or insufficiency of funds. Also, the money that’s used in procurement of arms for the military would make a significant difference in the lives of the “Niger Deltans” in particular and Nigerians at large if it were more efficiently and prudently used in providing social services. The government as well as the leaders of the Niger Delta must realize that violence only begets violence and the only way to find a workable and lasting solution to the problem in the region is not through the barrel of guns but by urging all the belligerents to return to the negotiating table to iron out their differences through dialogue and negotiations.
The poor state of infrastructure in the country continues to exacerbate the already troubling poverty indices of the country. Infrastructure is the bed rock and launching pad on which other development gains can take off from. In Nigeria today the sorry state of infrastructure ranges from roads filled with “pot holes” or “death traps”, the intermittent and erratic power supply to lack of potable drinking water in most households. Let’s first examine the deplorable state of roads in the country which has sent most of fellow country men and loved ones to their untimely graves. I can say without mincing words that about seventy percent of the roads in the country especially in our express ways are not pliable anymore and therefore there is an urgent need for our government to declare a state of emergency on infrastructure in Nigeria. There are many reason for this, one could be the lack of maintenance culture which runs from the bottom to the top of our society, the unavailability of funds, negative bureaucratic activities (corruption) or sheer neglect by our leaders who don’t ply these roads because they often go by air. Whatever the case is, the role of infrastructure (roads) is very important in national development because it reduces poverty by creating jobs for the citizens, it could help in jump starting our already moribund manufacturing sector by attracting more investors and entrepreneurs (both locally and internationally), it could also lead to an increase in profits especially among those involved in the agricultural sector who would find it easier to transport their farm produce from one place to another. The second is the electricity sector where the last administration has spent billions of tax payer’s money all to no avail. Access to electricity would lead to an increase in enrollment and retention rates among school children who’ll now be able to devote more to time to their studies after school hours. It might boost job opportunities among individuals and families who are in remote areas of the country since some industries that deal with raw materials especially in the agricultural sector might set up shop in rural areas. On the contrary, their might also be a downside to this as some scholars argue, electricity would lead to larger families since couples would have more time to copulate which leads to more babies. Anyway, this fact cannot be generalized as I think it is context specific and still needs to be subjected to more research and studies. The last point here is about access and provision of potable water to families. This has enormous implications as it impact could spill into the health care sector. The inadequacy and lack of water “hardware” in both rural and urban centers in the country continues to impede the country’s anti-poverty initiatives as is evident in the countless water-borne diseases such as typhoid, cholera, dysentery e.t.c that inflicts most Nigerians. The provision of accessible and potable water infrastructure in the country will considerably aid the country’s fight against poverty by improving Nigeria’s health indices, save government revenues by reducing the number of patients that seek treatment in health facilities and further channel the saved revenues towards providing a better and more equitable health service for the populace.
Most Nigerians lack the requisite skills needed to lift themselves out of poverty. What I’m saying in essence here is that “illiteracy” is one of the root causes of poverty in Nigeria. Let me digress a little bit here and cite and empirical evidence to back up my claim. We all know that after the Second World War that Japan was in ruins but was able to pick itself back up in so short a time. It was simply because of education and other factors that are debatable. Though the allied forces succeeded in destroying the infrastructure of Japan, they were able to rebuild in less than a generation largely because of the intellectual ability and know how of the Japanese people. Why can’t Nigeria do the same? For our country to achieve this lofty goal of remerging as a giant once more through its vision “2020”, it must prioritize education. At the heart of this issue lies not just the leadership of the country but the citizens as well. Most of our youths in recent times have come to cherish and value material wealth more than education. This could possibly be explained by the neglect that our educational system has suffered over the years especially under the military junta and still in our present day “democrazy”. For us to sincerely curb poverty in Nigeria today, the educational sector especially at the tertiary level needs to the revamped and overhauled. It’s very unfortunate that Nigerian graduates that were once the choice of most employers and recruiters internationally are regarded as half baked in contemporary times. No Nigerian university is on the list of the top two thousand universities in any ranking anywhere. I want to be challenged on this! Where did go amiss? It’s only when we are able to retrace our footsteps and figure out the exact spot or location where we lost it, then and only then would we be able to fix this mess that we’ve gotten ourselves into. One of the implications of this on poverty in the country is that organizations of repute continue to higher fewer and fewer Nigerians which further triggers a cascading effect on the country’s unemployment figures.
Ever since the discovery of oil in Nigeria the agricultural sector has shrinked and continues to do so. Nigeria was one of the world’s major exporters of agricultural produce such as cocoa, groundnuts and palm oil till the late 1970’s but today is a net importer of food. Nigeria is blessed with a favorable climate needed for it to attain development and reduce poverty. What we’ve seen in our country today is that the agricultural sector which used to be primary engine of growth has taken a backstage. As students of history, we must learn from history. Most developed countries today started off from the agricultural sector before gradually shifting to industrialization. Nigeria and it leaders must realize this! We cannot continue to depend on oil as our primary source of revenue as our oil wells would go dry soon. What is needed to rekindle the ailing Nigerian agricultural sector are the following: Land reforms, micro-credits, incentives e.t.c. All of these would create more jobs for Nigerians and ultimately lead to poverty reduction.
There are no easy answers or solutions to the problem of poverty that’s facing individuals, families and households in the country. The brunt of responsibility for reducing poverty in Nigeria should be borne not just by the government alone but individuals and non-state actors. Lastly, the effect and impact of any anti-poverty initiative can only be gauged depending to the extent it correctly answers the following questions affirmatively. Who are the poor? Why are they poor? Where are the poor? What are the right solutions to their problems?
Poverty as we all know is a global phenomenon, in the sense that there is no nation that is devoid of it. The main difference is the intensity and prevalence of this malaise. For instance, what one might consider as the height of affluence in Nigeria could be described as poverty in Europe or North America. This goes to show that poverty takes on different dimensions and forms which varies from one place to another. Another bone of contention is the definition of poverty. It’s often seen as a deprivation of income. This view has been largely espoused by international agencies such as the World Bank and the UNDP. In as much as the $1 or $1.25 a day yardstick is helpful at least in cross country comparisons; it is flawed for the following reasons: it fails to take into consideration the purchasing power parity among and between countries, It’s also wanting because it doesn’t recognize specific realities and factors that are “country specific” such as socio-cultural political dynamics that largely influences poverty in a country. To cut a long story short, Africa is often seen as a continent of the poor or one that breeds poverty but this argument is in fact baseless and goes over the top. It’s mostly fueled by the “Western” media. Asia in fact far out numbers Africa in terms of number of people living in squalor and hopelessness. Though China and India have made gains in this respect because of the economic booms in these country’s, there’s still much ground to be covered given the current global financial turmoil and hundreds of millions of people still left out wallowing in abject poverty. I think a proper definition of poverty be it in Nigeria or elsewhere is one that first and foremost sees poverty as a multi dimensional phenomenon that goes beyond the lack or inadequacy of income to include other aspects of human deprivation that is not limited to lack of access to education, health care, infrastructure (roads, electricity, water e.t.c), food, participation, human rights
What are the root causes of poverty in the Nigerian state? There are several causes of poverty most of which are intertwined with each other. I’ll enumerate and expound on just a few of these causes that continue to dwarf and thwart development in Nigeria. First, is the conflict in various regions in the country all of which have left ethnic and tribal divisions imprinted in the peoples psyche. I wouldn’t blame this solely on Nigerians as some of the blame should also be apportioned to the British as well, who by omission or commission defined the boundaries of our country by proclaiming the Northern and Southern protectorates. Historically, there have been several fierce ethnic skirmishes and uprisings which got to the climax with the secession of Biafra from Nigeria and its aftermath the civil war that lasted for three long years from 1967 to 1970. Over the years the Nigerian polity has also seen numerous “blood baths” in the country which includes the killing of Southerners (Igbos) in the North and the consequent retaliation (s) by the Southerners. In recent times, the Niger Delta region has reached a boiling point. I see the Niger Delta problem as a ticking time bomb that would explode if not addressed swiftly. One out of the plethora of reasons for the mayhem that’s plaguing the region can be traced to ethnic bickering, inequity and several years of neglect by various regimes in the country. The “Niger Deltans” believe that the leaders of the country who mostly come from the North have short changed them by expropriating the oil wealth that comes from their land to the benefit of the Northerners and utter neglect of the “Niger Deltans”. This has tremendously fueled the insurgency and arms race between the various factions within the Niger Delta and the Joint Task Force (military) that’s charged with the responsibility of rooting out the insurgency. There is no doubt about the fact that the injustices and inequities that is pervasive in the region has lead several unemployed youths to pick up arms as the only viable alternative to eke out a living. The concomitant effect is that it has led to the loss of the meager properties in the region and lives of unsuspecting and innocent civilians who have no role in the conflict. Most importantly, this has also resulted into the high spate of kidnappings that has permeated other states around the region. The sabotage of the various oil facilities in the region by the “militants” has lead to the loss of the much needed oil revenues that accrues to the government that’s used in providing basic and social services to Nigerians. This will both in the short and long run affect the government’s anti-poverty efforts since it would have to drastically reduce or stop entirely some of its programs that are geared toward poverty reduction because of lack or insufficiency of funds. Also, the money that’s used in procurement of arms for the military would make a significant difference in the lives of the “Niger Deltans” in particular and Nigerians at large if it were more efficiently and prudently used in providing social services. The government as well as the leaders of the Niger Delta must realize that violence only begets violence and the only way to find a workable and lasting solution to the problem in the region is not through the barrel of guns but by urging all the belligerents to return to the negotiating table to iron out their differences through dialogue and negotiations.
The poor state of infrastructure in the country continues to exacerbate the already troubling poverty indices of the country. Infrastructure is the bed rock and launching pad on which other development gains can take off from. In Nigeria today the sorry state of infrastructure ranges from roads filled with “pot holes” or “death traps”, the intermittent and erratic power supply to lack of potable drinking water in most households. Let’s first examine the deplorable state of roads in the country which has sent most of fellow country men and loved ones to their untimely graves. I can say without mincing words that about seventy percent of the roads in the country especially in our express ways are not pliable anymore and therefore there is an urgent need for our government to declare a state of emergency on infrastructure in Nigeria. There are many reason for this, one could be the lack of maintenance culture which runs from the bottom to the top of our society, the unavailability of funds, negative bureaucratic activities (corruption) or sheer neglect by our leaders who don’t ply these roads because they often go by air. Whatever the case is, the role of infrastructure (roads) is very important in national development because it reduces poverty by creating jobs for the citizens, it could help in jump starting our already moribund manufacturing sector by attracting more investors and entrepreneurs (both locally and internationally), it could also lead to an increase in profits especially among those involved in the agricultural sector who would find it easier to transport their farm produce from one place to another. The second is the electricity sector where the last administration has spent billions of tax payer’s money all to no avail. Access to electricity would lead to an increase in enrollment and retention rates among school children who’ll now be able to devote more to time to their studies after school hours. It might boost job opportunities among individuals and families who are in remote areas of the country since some industries that deal with raw materials especially in the agricultural sector might set up shop in rural areas. On the contrary, their might also be a downside to this as some scholars argue, electricity would lead to larger families since couples would have more time to copulate which leads to more babies. Anyway, this fact cannot be generalized as I think it is context specific and still needs to be subjected to more research and studies. The last point here is about access and provision of potable water to families. This has enormous implications as it impact could spill into the health care sector. The inadequacy and lack of water “hardware” in both rural and urban centers in the country continues to impede the country’s anti-poverty initiatives as is evident in the countless water-borne diseases such as typhoid, cholera, dysentery e.t.c that inflicts most Nigerians. The provision of accessible and potable water infrastructure in the country will considerably aid the country’s fight against poverty by improving Nigeria’s health indices, save government revenues by reducing the number of patients that seek treatment in health facilities and further channel the saved revenues towards providing a better and more equitable health service for the populace.
Most Nigerians lack the requisite skills needed to lift themselves out of poverty. What I’m saying in essence here is that “illiteracy” is one of the root causes of poverty in Nigeria. Let me digress a little bit here and cite and empirical evidence to back up my claim. We all know that after the Second World War that Japan was in ruins but was able to pick itself back up in so short a time. It was simply because of education and other factors that are debatable. Though the allied forces succeeded in destroying the infrastructure of Japan, they were able to rebuild in less than a generation largely because of the intellectual ability and know how of the Japanese people. Why can’t Nigeria do the same? For our country to achieve this lofty goal of remerging as a giant once more through its vision “2020”, it must prioritize education. At the heart of this issue lies not just the leadership of the country but the citizens as well. Most of our youths in recent times have come to cherish and value material wealth more than education. This could possibly be explained by the neglect that our educational system has suffered over the years especially under the military junta and still in our present day “democrazy”. For us to sincerely curb poverty in Nigeria today, the educational sector especially at the tertiary level needs to the revamped and overhauled. It’s very unfortunate that Nigerian graduates that were once the choice of most employers and recruiters internationally are regarded as half baked in contemporary times. No Nigerian university is on the list of the top two thousand universities in any ranking anywhere. I want to be challenged on this! Where did go amiss? It’s only when we are able to retrace our footsteps and figure out the exact spot or location where we lost it, then and only then would we be able to fix this mess that we’ve gotten ourselves into. One of the implications of this on poverty in the country is that organizations of repute continue to higher fewer and fewer Nigerians which further triggers a cascading effect on the country’s unemployment figures.
Ever since the discovery of oil in Nigeria the agricultural sector has shrinked and continues to do so. Nigeria was one of the world’s major exporters of agricultural produce such as cocoa, groundnuts and palm oil till the late 1970’s but today is a net importer of food. Nigeria is blessed with a favorable climate needed for it to attain development and reduce poverty. What we’ve seen in our country today is that the agricultural sector which used to be primary engine of growth has taken a backstage. As students of history, we must learn from history. Most developed countries today started off from the agricultural sector before gradually shifting to industrialization. Nigeria and it leaders must realize this! We cannot continue to depend on oil as our primary source of revenue as our oil wells would go dry soon. What is needed to rekindle the ailing Nigerian agricultural sector are the following: Land reforms, micro-credits, incentives e.t.c. All of these would create more jobs for Nigerians and ultimately lead to poverty reduction.
There are no easy answers or solutions to the problem of poverty that’s facing individuals, families and households in the country. The brunt of responsibility for reducing poverty in Nigeria should be borne not just by the government alone but individuals and non-state actors. Lastly, the effect and impact of any anti-poverty initiative can only be gauged depending to the extent it correctly answers the following questions affirmatively. Who are the poor? Why are they poor? Where are the poor? What are the right solutions to their problems?
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Voices of the Voiceless
The architects and masterminds of this botched coup attempt against us have resorted to guerrilla warfare tactics. They’ve threatened fire and brimstone. They’ve threatened to cut us to size. They’ve sworn to erase the smiles on our faces. They’ve vowed to uproot the joys and laughter that adorns our wearied but yet glamorous faces. They are armed to the teeth with the best guns that anyone can think of in their arsenal of weapons. They are beating their bare chests and sounding drums of war. They’ve got huge sums of money stacked in their vaults. They’ve imposed on us an ambiance that’s saturated with bitterness and rancor. They’ve dragged us to a community where abuse and violation flows like a stream. They’ve superimposed anger as the currency of the day. Silver or gold have we not but an imperturbable spirit and conscience that’s as clear as the bright stars in the summer nights.
This has been a battle between our intuitions and consciences. We’ve become prisoners of our very own consciences for so long. It’s been a battle between our hearts and souls. We are unabashedly unashamed to be who we are. We’ve consciously chosen to thread this narrow path filled with thorns with the conviction that a glimmer of light awaits us at the finish line. This path treacherous and murky as it might appear will definitely lead us to this dream land where milk and honey abounds. We believe these words to be true. We’ve decided against the counsel and advice of our loved ones to engage them. The consequences of this very decision would be grave but we take solace in the words our creator knowing fully well that they can consume our flesh but our spirits will always remain rock solid and entrenched in our core values.
It’s been an ongoing and protracted battle for the hearts and minds of both the believers and unbelievers as well. We’ve chosen to remain silent for so long not because we cannot right this wrong forcefully but because we believe the light that radiates in our hearts will someday tilt the balance of power in our favor. We’ve come to the conclusion that the only way to address our fears is by facing them squarely. We’ve endured and borne this for so long that our patience wears thinner and thinner as the day goes by. However, we’ll forever remain grateful to those whose words of inspiration and encouragement has been our beacons of hope in this entire sojourn to this unknown destination. They’ve unknowningly but yet gradually sowed in us seeds of perseverance and endurance that’s still flourishing and blossoming even when the chips are down. They’ve instilled in us the virtues of hard work, diligence, steadfastness and commitment that reverberates in all our deeds.
We consider this in no way to be an affront to our masters but a resistance to their draconian laws that has dwarfed our existence as human beings.
We refuse to be petrified by their callous and unruly behavior which continues to threaten the very essence of our existence as human beings with rights. We promise never to go down without putting up a fight. We are ready to take on these people with our bare fists. This is not about us, it’s about our quest to secure justice for the downtrodden and oppressed amongst us. The time has come for us to put a final full stop to these injustices meted out against us. The outcome of this bout remains meaningless to us. Conventional human wisdom doesn’t appeal to us anymore. We believe that wisdom with sound reasoning, judgment, and logic has failed humanity for the greater part of our history. The time has come for us to open handedly embrace the unconventional approach of doing things.
In the deepest part of our hearts, we have this soft spot that would forever be yearning for a new dawn. We are not looking forward to a day that would be devoid of these oppressions and injustices but a day where all of these will be considerably whittled down. We however take comfort in the fact that while things seem to be getting out of hand presently, the tomorrow of our dreams continues to lie fallow in us.
This has been a battle between our intuitions and consciences. We’ve become prisoners of our very own consciences for so long. It’s been a battle between our hearts and souls. We are unabashedly unashamed to be who we are. We’ve consciously chosen to thread this narrow path filled with thorns with the conviction that a glimmer of light awaits us at the finish line. This path treacherous and murky as it might appear will definitely lead us to this dream land where milk and honey abounds. We believe these words to be true. We’ve decided against the counsel and advice of our loved ones to engage them. The consequences of this very decision would be grave but we take solace in the words our creator knowing fully well that they can consume our flesh but our spirits will always remain rock solid and entrenched in our core values.
It’s been an ongoing and protracted battle for the hearts and minds of both the believers and unbelievers as well. We’ve chosen to remain silent for so long not because we cannot right this wrong forcefully but because we believe the light that radiates in our hearts will someday tilt the balance of power in our favor. We’ve come to the conclusion that the only way to address our fears is by facing them squarely. We’ve endured and borne this for so long that our patience wears thinner and thinner as the day goes by. However, we’ll forever remain grateful to those whose words of inspiration and encouragement has been our beacons of hope in this entire sojourn to this unknown destination. They’ve unknowningly but yet gradually sowed in us seeds of perseverance and endurance that’s still flourishing and blossoming even when the chips are down. They’ve instilled in us the virtues of hard work, diligence, steadfastness and commitment that reverberates in all our deeds.
We consider this in no way to be an affront to our masters but a resistance to their draconian laws that has dwarfed our existence as human beings.
We refuse to be petrified by their callous and unruly behavior which continues to threaten the very essence of our existence as human beings with rights. We promise never to go down without putting up a fight. We are ready to take on these people with our bare fists. This is not about us, it’s about our quest to secure justice for the downtrodden and oppressed amongst us. The time has come for us to put a final full stop to these injustices meted out against us. The outcome of this bout remains meaningless to us. Conventional human wisdom doesn’t appeal to us anymore. We believe that wisdom with sound reasoning, judgment, and logic has failed humanity for the greater part of our history. The time has come for us to open handedly embrace the unconventional approach of doing things.
In the deepest part of our hearts, we have this soft spot that would forever be yearning for a new dawn. We are not looking forward to a day that would be devoid of these oppressions and injustices but a day where all of these will be considerably whittled down. We however take comfort in the fact that while things seem to be getting out of hand presently, the tomorrow of our dreams continues to lie fallow in us.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
HIV/AIDS and Development in Nigeria
I’m no expert on this issue but just a concerned citizen trying to seek answers to this growing problem facing our country. I’ll attempt to look at the pernicious effects of this dreaded disease (HIV/AIDS) on the growth and development of Africa’s most populous nation. I’ve heard (and also seen first hand) so much about this pandemic over the radio, television, internet and bill boards. It beats my imagination why any one in his right senses would want to indulge in any act that would endanger his life or even lead to the contraction of this much talked about disease. I’ll like to reiterate that this piece of article is simply an attempt to shed light on this problem and is in no way an expert analysis but simply my humble contribution to further steer a healthy debate, argument (s) as well as some solutions. What then are the implications of HIV/AIDS on growth & development in Nigeria? What solutions are needed to nip this problem in the bud before it degenerates into a full blown crisis (if it hasn’t done so already). There might be several factors fueling the spread of this disease some of which are: peer pressure, dearth of morals, inadequate (lack) of sex education at the family level. In Nigeria, there seems to be so much awareness about this deadly disease yet people still get infected in droves. Who’s to blame for this and why?
There’s a lot of stigma associated with being an HIV/AIDS patient in our contemporary African society. As a result of this most people who are already infected prefer to hide in their closets or keep mute instead of helping in creating awareness about the disease. There are several ways by which the virus can be transmitted from one person to another, mostly through a cut by sharp objects, blood transfusion, mother to child transmission during pregnancy and child birth, and of course through unprotected (protected) sexual intercourse. A lot of research and studies has been conducted about this topic but it still remains a hotly contested issue that is fraught with a lot claims and counter claims amongst scientists, scholars, policy makers and religious groups. Some groups (Churches) have called for abstinence while some researchers/scholars have argued that the use of condoms and other contraceptives is (not) perfectly (100%) safe. There’s also been several “false and misleading claims” by individuals who claim to have found a cure for the disease but all (most) of these claims have been erroneous and have not been medically proven to be true till date. I’ll prefer to sit on the fence on some of these issues that I’ll talk about here and not jump into premature conclusions. It’s left for us to follow our hearts and make decisions and judgments based on what our beliefs and philosophies are.
The Nigerian government realizing the scale and magnitude of this disease especially among the youth has set up an agency called the National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA), as well as a massive information campaign to create awareness about this disease. I’m still yet to read up on what the role of this agency is but I’ll like to make an “intelligent” guess here. I’ll guess that the agency is saddled with the responsibility of coordinating the efforts of all the stakeholders (government, private sector, NGO’s and International donors) One can’t say for sure if the campaign over the mass media has yielded any dividends or translated into any tangible results since data/statistics from the concerned agency (ies) aren’t readily available or limited.
International donor agencies and Western governments have also pledged and given huge sums of money to combat this pandemic. Some of these resources are lost to some NGO’s set up by unscrupulous individuals and groups with the sole intent of siphoning donor funds into their pockets. I suppose these lucrative donor funds also accounts for the multitude of HIV/AIDS NGO’s that are springing up on a daily basis. It therefore becomes imperative to establish the right monitoring, evaluation and targeting schemes to ensure that HIV/AIDS patients are well taken of.
Government spending on HIV/AIDS would put more strain on the meager resources available in its coffers. Given the plethora of responsibilities that lies on the shoulders of the government, spending on HIV/AIDS programs might lead to a reduction in government’s spending on other social services desperately needed by the citizens. More often than not, the government spends on the importation of Anti-retroviral (ARV) medications which are often subsidized for HIV/AIDS patients. However, we can also put forward the argument that fighting this disease to a stand still by the government will boost government revenues in the long run. As the saying goes “a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.”
Moreso, the big pharmaceutical companies that have got the patent for these expensive medications aren’t also helping matters here. These companies would often use their clout to quench any attempt to provide the generic versions of the ARV medications at cheaper rates to the beneficiaries in developing countries (including Nigeria). In this regard, I’ll like to say that while Western governments have donated billions of dollars to fight this menace they short change us through the huge profits their pharmaceutical companies send back to their home countries. This simply amounts to a situation where an individual is filling up a leaking bowl or jar with water knowing fully well the exact spot of leakage yet he/she keeps filling it. I consider this to be very unfair!
The rapid spread of HIV/AIDS has a direct impact on the country’s human capital base. The importance and benefit of education to a country’s development is non-negotiable and cannot be over-emphasized. Any nation that is sincere about ascending the ladder of economic, social and political development ought to place primary importance to the well being of its citizenry. Here education should be seen as the engine that’s needed to propel a country to development and lift its people out of poverty. Without it other aspects of development that are tied to it would disintegrate and collapse. Loss of human lives, no doubt would lead to a depletion of a country’s human capital base. It might also affect growth of the economy since the productive members of the society are lost to the disease. Empirical evidence shows that most people that are infected fall between the ages of 16 to 44 which is largely the productive work force of the population.
It might also exacerbate poverty especially among young dependents of HIV/AIDS patients who’ll be left to fend for themselves. It’s an uncontestable but yet debatable fact that children (orphans) whose parents (bread winners) die from HIV/AIDS complications are hit hard by poverty. Since it’s believed that the vast majority of Nigerians are living below the poverty line (if the figures are to be believed), families with infected members will have to spend the little money at their disposal on ARV which otherwise would have been used to put food on the table.
Sex education or topics between parents and their children are off-limits (“no-no”) in most traditional and even modern Nigerian homes. This in my opinion is wrong because if our youths are armed with the necessary information at the right age, it might also help in reducing the prevalence of this pandemic. What’s the right age for parents to discuss this issue with their children? I think it would be totally up to the parents to decide when to discuss such issues with their wards. Some folks might argue that this would worsen the problem since some kids would attempt to experiment with sex. This is true on one hand and false on the other. This is left for us to judge for ourselves and is largely situation specific and dependent on so many other variables.
The scourge of HIV/AIDS can also lead to an increase in social vices and crime wave. If the individuals who lost one/both parents to the disease can’t find productive ventures to engage themselves in, they’ll be left with little or no choice but to resort to stealing and armed robbery.
Curbing (eradication isn't impossible) this pandemic will require waging a war against it on several fronts by all the concerned stakeholders. Also, policies should be crafted to stop the discrimination of people living with this virus as long as it doesn’t constitute a danger to public health or safety. Religious institutions and families also have the daunting task of values formation especially among our youths. Lastly people should go get tested, since I suppose the awareness is already there.
There’s a lot of stigma associated with being an HIV/AIDS patient in our contemporary African society. As a result of this most people who are already infected prefer to hide in their closets or keep mute instead of helping in creating awareness about the disease. There are several ways by which the virus can be transmitted from one person to another, mostly through a cut by sharp objects, blood transfusion, mother to child transmission during pregnancy and child birth, and of course through unprotected (protected) sexual intercourse. A lot of research and studies has been conducted about this topic but it still remains a hotly contested issue that is fraught with a lot claims and counter claims amongst scientists, scholars, policy makers and religious groups. Some groups (Churches) have called for abstinence while some researchers/scholars have argued that the use of condoms and other contraceptives is (not) perfectly (100%) safe. There’s also been several “false and misleading claims” by individuals who claim to have found a cure for the disease but all (most) of these claims have been erroneous and have not been medically proven to be true till date. I’ll prefer to sit on the fence on some of these issues that I’ll talk about here and not jump into premature conclusions. It’s left for us to follow our hearts and make decisions and judgments based on what our beliefs and philosophies are.
The Nigerian government realizing the scale and magnitude of this disease especially among the youth has set up an agency called the National Agency for the Control of Aids (NACA), as well as a massive information campaign to create awareness about this disease. I’m still yet to read up on what the role of this agency is but I’ll like to make an “intelligent” guess here. I’ll guess that the agency is saddled with the responsibility of coordinating the efforts of all the stakeholders (government, private sector, NGO’s and International donors) One can’t say for sure if the campaign over the mass media has yielded any dividends or translated into any tangible results since data/statistics from the concerned agency (ies) aren’t readily available or limited.
International donor agencies and Western governments have also pledged and given huge sums of money to combat this pandemic. Some of these resources are lost to some NGO’s set up by unscrupulous individuals and groups with the sole intent of siphoning donor funds into their pockets. I suppose these lucrative donor funds also accounts for the multitude of HIV/AIDS NGO’s that are springing up on a daily basis. It therefore becomes imperative to establish the right monitoring, evaluation and targeting schemes to ensure that HIV/AIDS patients are well taken of.
Government spending on HIV/AIDS would put more strain on the meager resources available in its coffers. Given the plethora of responsibilities that lies on the shoulders of the government, spending on HIV/AIDS programs might lead to a reduction in government’s spending on other social services desperately needed by the citizens. More often than not, the government spends on the importation of Anti-retroviral (ARV) medications which are often subsidized for HIV/AIDS patients. However, we can also put forward the argument that fighting this disease to a stand still by the government will boost government revenues in the long run. As the saying goes “a healthy nation is a wealthy nation.”
Moreso, the big pharmaceutical companies that have got the patent for these expensive medications aren’t also helping matters here. These companies would often use their clout to quench any attempt to provide the generic versions of the ARV medications at cheaper rates to the beneficiaries in developing countries (including Nigeria). In this regard, I’ll like to say that while Western governments have donated billions of dollars to fight this menace they short change us through the huge profits their pharmaceutical companies send back to their home countries. This simply amounts to a situation where an individual is filling up a leaking bowl or jar with water knowing fully well the exact spot of leakage yet he/she keeps filling it. I consider this to be very unfair!
The rapid spread of HIV/AIDS has a direct impact on the country’s human capital base. The importance and benefit of education to a country’s development is non-negotiable and cannot be over-emphasized. Any nation that is sincere about ascending the ladder of economic, social and political development ought to place primary importance to the well being of its citizenry. Here education should be seen as the engine that’s needed to propel a country to development and lift its people out of poverty. Without it other aspects of development that are tied to it would disintegrate and collapse. Loss of human lives, no doubt would lead to a depletion of a country’s human capital base. It might also affect growth of the economy since the productive members of the society are lost to the disease. Empirical evidence shows that most people that are infected fall between the ages of 16 to 44 which is largely the productive work force of the population.
It might also exacerbate poverty especially among young dependents of HIV/AIDS patients who’ll be left to fend for themselves. It’s an uncontestable but yet debatable fact that children (orphans) whose parents (bread winners) die from HIV/AIDS complications are hit hard by poverty. Since it’s believed that the vast majority of Nigerians are living below the poverty line (if the figures are to be believed), families with infected members will have to spend the little money at their disposal on ARV which otherwise would have been used to put food on the table.
Sex education or topics between parents and their children are off-limits (“no-no”) in most traditional and even modern Nigerian homes. This in my opinion is wrong because if our youths are armed with the necessary information at the right age, it might also help in reducing the prevalence of this pandemic. What’s the right age for parents to discuss this issue with their children? I think it would be totally up to the parents to decide when to discuss such issues with their wards. Some folks might argue that this would worsen the problem since some kids would attempt to experiment with sex. This is true on one hand and false on the other. This is left for us to judge for ourselves and is largely situation specific and dependent on so many other variables.
The scourge of HIV/AIDS can also lead to an increase in social vices and crime wave. If the individuals who lost one/both parents to the disease can’t find productive ventures to engage themselves in, they’ll be left with little or no choice but to resort to stealing and armed robbery.
Curbing (eradication isn't impossible) this pandemic will require waging a war against it on several fronts by all the concerned stakeholders. Also, policies should be crafted to stop the discrimination of people living with this virus as long as it doesn’t constitute a danger to public health or safety. Religious institutions and families also have the daunting task of values formation especially among our youths. Lastly people should go get tested, since I suppose the awareness is already there.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
"Democrazy" in Nigeria
Democracy has become a buzzword in most “third world” countries except in Nigeria. In the words of Abraham Lincoln as I was thought in high school (secondary school) “democracy means government of the people, by the people and for the people” Democracy means different things to different people. To most people in the West it means respect for the principle of rule of law, respect for basic human rights, but none of this exists in our own lexicon in Nigeria. Our own democracy has been “high jacked” by a few. One does not have to be a rocket-scientist to figure out what a true democracy should look like: respect for the principle of rule of law, free and fair elections, free press and free and independent judiciary. I wouldn’t dwell so much on describing or defining democracy from the “text book” perspective but I’ll focus more on it’s dynamics in Nigeria. I’ll also discuss this from the perspective of an individual who’s seen and continues to hear the pathetic stories emanating from our country.
In principle we’ve got democracy but in practice it’s “democrazy” where everyone is running amok. The polity seems to be “polluted” and stenching with foul odor. We made the transition back to our current fledging “democrazy” in 1999 under the former President Olusegun Obasanjo (a retired military general) after so many years of draconian military rule with high hopes which so far has been dashed by our so-called leaders. In the course of Obasanjo’s presidency, he became power drunk and infected with the same “sit tight” syndrome that’s prevalent among so many African leaders today. Thank goodness Nigerian’s were saved from his botched attempt to amend the constitution and vie for a third term in office while the constitution stipulates clearly a two-term limit of four years for public office holders.
I’ll always go back home to what I perceive to be the main problem that continues to threaten our “democrazy”, which is the dreaded big “C” (Corruption) since it is the root cause of all our problems and everything seems to revolve around it. Here I’ll use our former president to exemplify how this syndrome runs like wild fire in our society. It’s a well known fact that he (Obasanjo) was almost on the verge of bankruptcy when he ascended the highest office in the land but today would arguably qualify as one of the richest people in Nigeria and could possibly make the Forbes list of 20 richest people in the world. It would be pointless to ask how he amassed all this wealth since the answer is glaring like sun light. I always thought that leadership was all about service to the people but our leaders have chosen to serve themselves and their acquaintances.
Our electoral process over the years has been marred by vote buying, rigging and thuggery so much so that Nigerians have coined the word “selection” as what transpires in the Nigerian political terrain. Since our recent transition to “democrazy” in 1999 (10 years ago), I’ll not fail to point out that the Obasanjo and the current Yaradua regimes have made spirited efforts at reforming the system. I’ll use the word “they” hear because we’ve been shackled and manacled by “them” that we are in no position to verify the veracity of their purported claims. First, they claim that our foreign reserves went up because of the cancellation of our foreign debt as result of their negotiations with the Paris Club e.t.c. Yet these same people dip hands into our foreign reserves without due consultation to the people. Second, they also claim to be the “messiahs” that introduced mobile telecommunications (GSM) sometime between the year 2000 and 2001. No doubt about that! This has led to an increase in profits for businesses and also saved people from risking life and limb since they don’t have to travel for trivial issues that they can discuss over the phone. However, I consider these claims to be misconstrued and erroneous, because with or without “them” we would have still had the “GSM thing” since most of poorer neighboring countries had it way before us. Third, they also created the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which has undoubtedly helped to curb corruption (minimally) but is largely used as a tool to “witch-hunt” the opposition.
The epileptic power supply that is crippling most businesses, industries and homes nation wide is the big masquerade that they (the crooks and con men we call leaders) have failed to contain so far. Having lived in Nigeria over the past twenty years, I’ll like to assert that our leaders don’t seem to be keen on addressing this problem since some (if not all) of them are making a buck out of it. Nigeria is a country where electricity is a “luxury” and children (even adults) rejoice at the sight of seeing power which in some places lasts for only a few hours per week. Only a few families that are well-off that can afford to buy the scarce diesel (gasoline) for their generators enjoy electricity. With due respect to the Iraqis (because this is not in any way a slight at their country), they might even have better power supply in their war ravaged country than in Nigeria a nation at peace yet at war with its own people. Our leaders can take a cue from a country like the Philippines that fixed its incessant power outages in the early 1990’s. If the Philippines could do it, we can even do better. This leads me to issue of scarcity of petroleum products which ironically is in abundance in Nigeria. If I’m not mistaken, Nigeria is (was) the 6th or 8th largest oil producer in the world. It’s incomprehensible why our people have to queue sometimes for days just to buy petroleum products. This is sheer wickedness and the height of man’s inhumanity to man!
A country where the voices of dissent are silenced is not a democracy. A country where opposition is stifled is not a democracy. A country where the leaders are “selected” and not elected is not a democracy. A country where the leaders take delight in the sufferings of the people is not a democracy. A country where the leaders brazenly trample on the fundamental human rights of its citizens is not a democracy. A country where the leaders “rape” the constitution with uttermost neglect in broad day light is still far from being a true democracy any time soon. This is a far cry from the Nigeria that our fathers (leaders) envisioned when we gained our independence from British through a bloodless revolution. This is the land of the Ziks (Nnamdi Azikiwe), Awolowos (Obafemi Awolowo), Balewas (Tafawa Balewa) who were men of timber and caliber. They would all be rolling in their graves because of the current state of disarray that’s plaguing our present day Nigeria.
The vast majority of Nigerians are fed up with the system and have given up on our so-called democracy. During elections people don’t even bother anymore to cast their votes because they know for a fact that it wouldn’t count. They would rather sit in doors either to avoid being maimed, scarred for life or even killed during elections.
This country belongs to us and not to the “bunch of thugs” that we call our leaders. Nigeria is ours, and the only way electoral violence can be purged from our system is for Nigerians to match in oneness and unison, put their feet’s down and tell our leaders that enough is enough. They can only harm us physically but our spirits will never be broken! As is written in the Holy bible “as I walk through the shadow of death I shall fear no evil for you are with me, your rod and your staff; they comfort me” If we believe this biblical injunction we must therefore face our problems (leaders) head on and claim our rights to paternity back from them.
I’ll therefore say that finding the essence of true democracy in Nigeria would almost be as difficult as solving a jig-saw puzzle but I believe it is do-able. The examples discussed above shows that weak institutions and poor leadership remains the Achilles heels of democracy in Nigeria today. As the saying goes “everyone wants to go to heaven but no one wants to die.” We all know that it’s practically impossible for one to see “God” without dying. We have to face these people swinging and throwing all we’ve got at them with the belief that someday light will overshadow darkness and good will overtake evil. I’ll always remain an unflinching optimist; because we can still emerge from the doldrums if only we believe.
In principle we’ve got democracy but in practice it’s “democrazy” where everyone is running amok. The polity seems to be “polluted” and stenching with foul odor. We made the transition back to our current fledging “democrazy” in 1999 under the former President Olusegun Obasanjo (a retired military general) after so many years of draconian military rule with high hopes which so far has been dashed by our so-called leaders. In the course of Obasanjo’s presidency, he became power drunk and infected with the same “sit tight” syndrome that’s prevalent among so many African leaders today. Thank goodness Nigerian’s were saved from his botched attempt to amend the constitution and vie for a third term in office while the constitution stipulates clearly a two-term limit of four years for public office holders.
I’ll always go back home to what I perceive to be the main problem that continues to threaten our “democrazy”, which is the dreaded big “C” (Corruption) since it is the root cause of all our problems and everything seems to revolve around it. Here I’ll use our former president to exemplify how this syndrome runs like wild fire in our society. It’s a well known fact that he (Obasanjo) was almost on the verge of bankruptcy when he ascended the highest office in the land but today would arguably qualify as one of the richest people in Nigeria and could possibly make the Forbes list of 20 richest people in the world. It would be pointless to ask how he amassed all this wealth since the answer is glaring like sun light. I always thought that leadership was all about service to the people but our leaders have chosen to serve themselves and their acquaintances.
Our electoral process over the years has been marred by vote buying, rigging and thuggery so much so that Nigerians have coined the word “selection” as what transpires in the Nigerian political terrain. Since our recent transition to “democrazy” in 1999 (10 years ago), I’ll not fail to point out that the Obasanjo and the current Yaradua regimes have made spirited efforts at reforming the system. I’ll use the word “they” hear because we’ve been shackled and manacled by “them” that we are in no position to verify the veracity of their purported claims. First, they claim that our foreign reserves went up because of the cancellation of our foreign debt as result of their negotiations with the Paris Club e.t.c. Yet these same people dip hands into our foreign reserves without due consultation to the people. Second, they also claim to be the “messiahs” that introduced mobile telecommunications (GSM) sometime between the year 2000 and 2001. No doubt about that! This has led to an increase in profits for businesses and also saved people from risking life and limb since they don’t have to travel for trivial issues that they can discuss over the phone. However, I consider these claims to be misconstrued and erroneous, because with or without “them” we would have still had the “GSM thing” since most of poorer neighboring countries had it way before us. Third, they also created the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) which has undoubtedly helped to curb corruption (minimally) but is largely used as a tool to “witch-hunt” the opposition.
The epileptic power supply that is crippling most businesses, industries and homes nation wide is the big masquerade that they (the crooks and con men we call leaders) have failed to contain so far. Having lived in Nigeria over the past twenty years, I’ll like to assert that our leaders don’t seem to be keen on addressing this problem since some (if not all) of them are making a buck out of it. Nigeria is a country where electricity is a “luxury” and children (even adults) rejoice at the sight of seeing power which in some places lasts for only a few hours per week. Only a few families that are well-off that can afford to buy the scarce diesel (gasoline) for their generators enjoy electricity. With due respect to the Iraqis (because this is not in any way a slight at their country), they might even have better power supply in their war ravaged country than in Nigeria a nation at peace yet at war with its own people. Our leaders can take a cue from a country like the Philippines that fixed its incessant power outages in the early 1990’s. If the Philippines could do it, we can even do better. This leads me to issue of scarcity of petroleum products which ironically is in abundance in Nigeria. If I’m not mistaken, Nigeria is (was) the 6th or 8th largest oil producer in the world. It’s incomprehensible why our people have to queue sometimes for days just to buy petroleum products. This is sheer wickedness and the height of man’s inhumanity to man!
A country where the voices of dissent are silenced is not a democracy. A country where opposition is stifled is not a democracy. A country where the leaders are “selected” and not elected is not a democracy. A country where the leaders take delight in the sufferings of the people is not a democracy. A country where the leaders brazenly trample on the fundamental human rights of its citizens is not a democracy. A country where the leaders “rape” the constitution with uttermost neglect in broad day light is still far from being a true democracy any time soon. This is a far cry from the Nigeria that our fathers (leaders) envisioned when we gained our independence from British through a bloodless revolution. This is the land of the Ziks (Nnamdi Azikiwe), Awolowos (Obafemi Awolowo), Balewas (Tafawa Balewa) who were men of timber and caliber. They would all be rolling in their graves because of the current state of disarray that’s plaguing our present day Nigeria.
The vast majority of Nigerians are fed up with the system and have given up on our so-called democracy. During elections people don’t even bother anymore to cast their votes because they know for a fact that it wouldn’t count. They would rather sit in doors either to avoid being maimed, scarred for life or even killed during elections.
This country belongs to us and not to the “bunch of thugs” that we call our leaders. Nigeria is ours, and the only way electoral violence can be purged from our system is for Nigerians to match in oneness and unison, put their feet’s down and tell our leaders that enough is enough. They can only harm us physically but our spirits will never be broken! As is written in the Holy bible “as I walk through the shadow of death I shall fear no evil for you are with me, your rod and your staff; they comfort me” If we believe this biblical injunction we must therefore face our problems (leaders) head on and claim our rights to paternity back from them.
I’ll therefore say that finding the essence of true democracy in Nigeria would almost be as difficult as solving a jig-saw puzzle but I believe it is do-able. The examples discussed above shows that weak institutions and poor leadership remains the Achilles heels of democracy in Nigeria today. As the saying goes “everyone wants to go to heaven but no one wants to die.” We all know that it’s practically impossible for one to see “God” without dying. We have to face these people swinging and throwing all we’ve got at them with the belief that someday light will overshadow darkness and good will overtake evil. I’ll always remain an unflinching optimist; because we can still emerge from the doldrums if only we believe.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Thoughts on the "rebranding" Nigeria Project
The current effort to “rebrand” Nigeria is causing a lot of fuss in the media, intellectual, and political landscapes. This issue has boggled my mind for some time now and I decided to share with you my take on the issue. I know a lot of you might have heard about the ongoing effort of the current minister of information Prof. Dora Akunyili to put a new face on Nigeria’s soiled image abroad. Hence, the slogan “Good People, Great Nation” It’s a well known fact that Prof. Akunyili is an erudite scholar, dogged-fighter, reformer, smart lady going by her pedigree and achievements at The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC). But I think there’s more that meets the eye than this since any “right thinking” Nigerian knows that this cannot be actualized in one-fell swoop or the click of a button. I’ll try to the best of my ability in this article to build a case why the current “rebranding” effort might hit a dead end. I’m not trying to sound pessimistic or skeptical. I’m incredibly passionate about my country and willing to do anything for “her” but I just think this “rebranding thing” shouldn’t just be a “pen and paper” issue, it must start in the heart of every Nigerian. This is not a problem that can be addressed by putting up bill boards in every nook and cranny of the country; neither can it be solved alone by our honorable minister’s intellectual prowess.
I’ll first of all like to commend her for being brave enough and even attempting to undertake this project of mammoth proportions. I also understand in the 60’s and 70’s when we were still the giants of Africa, that Nigerians were well respected internationally and needed no visas to travel to the U.K and the likes . In recent times, most Nigerians would jump at any opportunity to travel abroad and take up citizenships elsewhere. The “bad eggs” would rather take up passports and nationalities of other more impoverished African countries to perpetuate their nefarious activities, so as not to be associated with the negativity of being a Nigerian. I was also told that our currency had more value than the dollar and we were really a force to be reckoned with globally. Today, none of this can be said to be true as the country appears to be a shadow of it’s former self. The heart wrenching question that should be on every Nigerian’s lips should be, “where did we go amiss”?, “who are the people that got us here”, Most importantly, Nigerians deserve some answers from their leaders because if we can’t identify the source of our problem (s), for sure it will be impossible to find a workable solution as well.
I’m proud to be Nigerian and we all should also be proud as well. We are immensely blessed and endowed with natural resources, favorable climate, and human resources e.t.c. The vast majority of Nigerians all over world are hardworking decent people making a difference in their various fields of endeavor; it’s only an insignificant (negligible) percentage of the population that does this damage to the good name of our country. Nigeria is a country that has produced world-class scholars, such as (Chinua Achebe), Nobel Laureates (Wole Soyinka), scientists (Dr. Philip Emeagwali), technocrats (Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala), musicians (Fela Kuti), sports superstars (Hakeem Olajuwon) e.t.c All we need to do is to channel our diverse and unique talents into productive avenues that will be of collective benefit to all and sundry.
In as much as this effort to “rebrand” Nigeria is an onerous task that requires a combination of efforts on all fronts, I very much disagree with the manner in which the government has chosen to pursue it. “Rebranding” Nigeria, requires a multi dimensional approach from all stakeholders, the government (central, state, local), private sector, civil society and the citizens. Our country cannot be “rebranded” by some individuals (elites) in Abuja alone who have lost touch with the reality in the country. First, the various levels of government have to take the bull by horns and provide the enabling environment for this to take root. Second, the private sector which is the engine of growth in any society should also be involved. Third, the civil society who’s role it is to call the attention of the general public to the excesses of the government must also be included in this our “rebranding” effort. Lastly, the citizens who are at the center of this quest to “rebrand” Nigeria have to be part and parcel of the process every step of the way.
People participation remains one of the hallmarks of true democracy. Any sincere effort to change Nigeria’s image abroad must involve the common Nigerian man. From all indications, I believe if we take a survey, more than 60% of Nigerians would say that they’ve never heard about the “rebranding” campaign of Prof. Akunyili. People must remain at the heart of this discourse to “rebrand” Nigeria for it to see the day light because the success or failure of this project can only be gauged by the people and if these people are “intelligently” excluded from the process by omission or commission, the project is bound to fail.
This might also lead to wastage of tax-payers money that otherwise would have been spent more prudently in providing jobs, social services, infrastructure e.t.c. Given the current global financial turmoil that’s ravaging all countries (powerful, non-powerful), the government cannot afford to splash tax-payers money on this “white-elephant” project but should rather address more pressing needs first.
It might also further exacerbate corruption in the polity. Corruption is the bane of our society and for Nigeria to be “rebranded”; we must “exorcise” the twin evils of corruption and graft. There is no gainsaying the fact that corruption has permeated all aspects of our society. This will definitely put money into the pockets of the elites and their cronies who will seize this opportunity to junky for the ‘rebranding” Nigeria lucrative government contracts. This is not a time for us to point fingers at each other but for us to do some soul searching in order to figure out where our country is heading to.
If we are really sincere about “rebranding Nigeria” families should be at the forefront of this effort. The family is the first basic (primary) unit where a child learns how talk, walk, and eat and if parents can inculcate in their wards the ability to discern between right and wrong, it would also go along way in addressing the rot and decay in the system today.
A course (s) on ethics should be introduced in our schools from the primary to the tertiary level. The average Nigerian child today perceives wealth as the ultimate measure of manhood in the society and therefore would strive to be rich at all cost. Why do we have such a dearth in our system? Our children need role models, they need people who can inspire them, and we need to instill in them the virtues of hard work and dedication. As John F. Kennedy once said “think of what you’ll do for your country and not what your country would do for you.” There is a need to teach the kids love of country. Some might argue that one can only love a country that loves him/her back and not a country that kills and thwarts ambitions.
Religious institutions can also help out in shaping the values of the citizens. Nigerians are deeply religious people since one can almost find a church lining the street of most neighborhoods. It’s really very disturbing that “churches” are being used as tools of self aggrandizement by some “so called” men of “god” to further their own selfish interests.
Therefore, this project requires a concerted effort on the part of every Nigerian for this elusive but yet achievable dream of ours to be actualized. We must also, learn to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps collectively as a nation to realize our “rebranding” dream.
I’ll first of all like to commend her for being brave enough and even attempting to undertake this project of mammoth proportions. I also understand in the 60’s and 70’s when we were still the giants of Africa, that Nigerians were well respected internationally and needed no visas to travel to the U.K and the likes . In recent times, most Nigerians would jump at any opportunity to travel abroad and take up citizenships elsewhere. The “bad eggs” would rather take up passports and nationalities of other more impoverished African countries to perpetuate their nefarious activities, so as not to be associated with the negativity of being a Nigerian. I was also told that our currency had more value than the dollar and we were really a force to be reckoned with globally. Today, none of this can be said to be true as the country appears to be a shadow of it’s former self. The heart wrenching question that should be on every Nigerian’s lips should be, “where did we go amiss”?, “who are the people that got us here”, Most importantly, Nigerians deserve some answers from their leaders because if we can’t identify the source of our problem (s), for sure it will be impossible to find a workable solution as well.
I’m proud to be Nigerian and we all should also be proud as well. We are immensely blessed and endowed with natural resources, favorable climate, and human resources e.t.c. The vast majority of Nigerians all over world are hardworking decent people making a difference in their various fields of endeavor; it’s only an insignificant (negligible) percentage of the population that does this damage to the good name of our country. Nigeria is a country that has produced world-class scholars, such as (Chinua Achebe), Nobel Laureates (Wole Soyinka), scientists (Dr. Philip Emeagwali), technocrats (Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala), musicians (Fela Kuti), sports superstars (Hakeem Olajuwon) e.t.c All we need to do is to channel our diverse and unique talents into productive avenues that will be of collective benefit to all and sundry.
In as much as this effort to “rebrand” Nigeria is an onerous task that requires a combination of efforts on all fronts, I very much disagree with the manner in which the government has chosen to pursue it. “Rebranding” Nigeria, requires a multi dimensional approach from all stakeholders, the government (central, state, local), private sector, civil society and the citizens. Our country cannot be “rebranded” by some individuals (elites) in Abuja alone who have lost touch with the reality in the country. First, the various levels of government have to take the bull by horns and provide the enabling environment for this to take root. Second, the private sector which is the engine of growth in any society should also be involved. Third, the civil society who’s role it is to call the attention of the general public to the excesses of the government must also be included in this our “rebranding” effort. Lastly, the citizens who are at the center of this quest to “rebrand” Nigeria have to be part and parcel of the process every step of the way.
People participation remains one of the hallmarks of true democracy. Any sincere effort to change Nigeria’s image abroad must involve the common Nigerian man. From all indications, I believe if we take a survey, more than 60% of Nigerians would say that they’ve never heard about the “rebranding” campaign of Prof. Akunyili. People must remain at the heart of this discourse to “rebrand” Nigeria for it to see the day light because the success or failure of this project can only be gauged by the people and if these people are “intelligently” excluded from the process by omission or commission, the project is bound to fail.
This might also lead to wastage of tax-payers money that otherwise would have been spent more prudently in providing jobs, social services, infrastructure e.t.c. Given the current global financial turmoil that’s ravaging all countries (powerful, non-powerful), the government cannot afford to splash tax-payers money on this “white-elephant” project but should rather address more pressing needs first.
It might also further exacerbate corruption in the polity. Corruption is the bane of our society and for Nigeria to be “rebranded”; we must “exorcise” the twin evils of corruption and graft. There is no gainsaying the fact that corruption has permeated all aspects of our society. This will definitely put money into the pockets of the elites and their cronies who will seize this opportunity to junky for the ‘rebranding” Nigeria lucrative government contracts. This is not a time for us to point fingers at each other but for us to do some soul searching in order to figure out where our country is heading to.
If we are really sincere about “rebranding Nigeria” families should be at the forefront of this effort. The family is the first basic (primary) unit where a child learns how talk, walk, and eat and if parents can inculcate in their wards the ability to discern between right and wrong, it would also go along way in addressing the rot and decay in the system today.
A course (s) on ethics should be introduced in our schools from the primary to the tertiary level. The average Nigerian child today perceives wealth as the ultimate measure of manhood in the society and therefore would strive to be rich at all cost. Why do we have such a dearth in our system? Our children need role models, they need people who can inspire them, and we need to instill in them the virtues of hard work and dedication. As John F. Kennedy once said “think of what you’ll do for your country and not what your country would do for you.” There is a need to teach the kids love of country. Some might argue that one can only love a country that loves him/her back and not a country that kills and thwarts ambitions.
Religious institutions can also help out in shaping the values of the citizens. Nigerians are deeply religious people since one can almost find a church lining the street of most neighborhoods. It’s really very disturbing that “churches” are being used as tools of self aggrandizement by some “so called” men of “god” to further their own selfish interests.
Therefore, this project requires a concerted effort on the part of every Nigerian for this elusive but yet achievable dream of ours to be actualized. We must also, learn to pull ourselves up by our bootstraps collectively as a nation to realize our “rebranding” dream.
Nigeria: A Giant Indeed
This might seem as a futile effort but hey, wait a minute; I’ve never been so optimistic about the happenings in my country than ever before. Nigeria is a paradox of sorts because it’s a well known fact that the vast majority of Nigerians are wallowing in abject poverty or destitution while a relatively insignificant minority are living in affluence. This has earned the country such sobriquets as a “basket case” or “toothless bulldog” This article is not an attempt to rubbish the reform efforts of the current administration but rather to point out were we’ve been lagging behind as well as our strong points (if any). I therefore accept the fact that frantic efforts have been made over the years to wake up this sleeping giant from its deep slumber, but these have been few and far between or too little too late. However, there are no easy answers or one size fits all solution to these challenges since most (all) of these problems are intricately linked with each other. This article will largely center on a few of the development challenges militating against growth and development in Nigeria. These are leadership, bribery, corruption, red tape, nepotism just to mention but a few. (leadership & corruption)
Corruption is often defined as “the abuse of public office for private gains”. This definition is universally acceptable in all countries of the world except Nigeria where corruption is defined as “conversion of public office into personal office.” it’s among the few countries in the world where corrupt leaders flaunt their ill gotten wealth with impunity and the anti-corruption agency (ies) dishes out “selective justice” on political opponents. Corruption is so pervasive (endemic and systemic) and ingrained not just in the highest echelons of power but also at the bottom rungs of the society. The fact that corruption siphons off our meager resources that should be put into the provision of infrastructure and social services in Nigeria, is a no brainer! I’ve always wondered why this is so, does our genetics, nutrition or culture have something to do with this. This might sound a little absurd but in reality these factors might also help in explaining why this cankerworm has not only eaten deep into the fabrics of our society but has sucked us “dry”. Maybe our fore fathers or ancestors were so corrupt but this doesn’t seem to be the case. An examination of the traditional leadership in Nigeria prior to the advent of the British points to the contrary. In the case of the Igbos (one of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria) they had a well organized leadership structure which was largely decentralized from the village to the family level that frowned at as well as punished squarely corrupt individuals. (thieves) The severity of the punishment (which was considered as discipline) meted out to erring members of the society depended on the magnitude of the offence and could range from public shaming, excommunication to ostracification. I’ll also like to contend that the colonialists (the British) sowed the seed of corruption in Nigeria through their shady business deals (the Royal Niger Company) and appointment of Nigerians who were mere puppets to the then British government. All of this was done by the British without due recourse to the local administrative system existing in the country. The era of the military junta definitely exacerbated the problem because it was fraught with gross mismanagement, violation of fundamental human rights, miscarriage of justice e.t.c. These “vampire regimes” especially under the military almost brought the country to the brink of collapse because of their cronyism. I chose to describe the various administrations as “vampire regimes” because they’ve sucked up the remaining vitality that was left in the country when it gained its independence. I think the country needs a second independence this time from our fellow country men because those we entrusted with power have failed us from all ramifications. Lets not play the blame game here; we’ve got to put our house in order before it collapses on our heads. The Transparency International and Freedom House indices on Nigeria corroborates the above mentioned facts and shows some dismal statistics that would be difficult for any “true Nigerian” to stomach. (You can visit: www.freedomhouse.org ; www.transparency.org )
Of course, some would argue that Nigeria is a young country. C’mon, for how long are we going to remain a baby, we gained our independence in 1960 and for crying out loud Nigeria will turn 49 on the 1st of October. This is no longer a valid argument for pundits who are toying with the destiny of our “dear country” can capitalize on. As the saying goes “a fool at 40 is a fool for life” If Nigeria were a baby that was born in 1960, went through the rigors of education from primary to the tertiary level, landed a job, got married, had kids it could possibly qualify for a grandfather today. So no excuses!
In recent times when we talk about leadership, “good governance” which has become a mantra of sorts comes to mind. According to this paradigm as espoused by some international agencies such as UNDP and the World Bank, “good leadership” ought to be participatory, accountable, transparent, predictable, equitable and also uphold the principle of rule of law e.t.c. It’s pretty obvious that our (all) leaders have grossly failed the citizens in every way, shape or form. I therefore, challenge every reader of this article to mention only three good leaders that have emerged in Nigeria in the past four decades. Nigeria is in dire need of proactive leadership and not reactive leadership at this tipping point in its history. The current scheme of things calls for ordinary people who are passionate, motivated, committed, daring and willing to call a spade a spade just like the proverbial Moses. As Collin Powell said “Effective leaders are made not born”, they learn from trials and error, and from experience. First what’s important here is that good leaders don’t emerge from the blues, it requires individuals with the right sense of direction and investments in education and the inculcation of values, ethics and morals.
Our politics is rife and bedeviled with elite, ethnic and tribal politics which continues to tear us apart and could possibly grind the country to a screeching halt if not addressed urgently. We should envision the Nigeria of our dreams; we should all be the architects that would chart a new course for this nation. To my mind the issue of leadership in Nigeria has been a case of the blind leading the clueless over the years. I know a lot of people would be furious and as well as utterly disagree with this assertion. Without any shred of doubt I’ll say that Nigerians are one of the most educated people on the continent (inclusive of Nigerians in the Diaspora) but this has not been able to translate into “good or effective leadership”. Leaders should not just talk the talk but also walk the walk. In as much as we’ll know that leadership at the top remains very crucial to propel this nation into the 21st century because we still live in the 18th century from all indications. There’s a leader in you and I and I believe those innate leadership qualities that thrives in each and every one of us could possibly take us to the Promised Land. Leadership should be self driven as recently exemplified in the U.S elections where ordinary people summoned or embraced the “Yes We Can” spirit that saw the first African American into the White House. From the outset, a lot of folks tagged his sojourn to the White House “Mission Impossible” This goes to show that ordinary people can do phenomenal things that might seem to be an uphill (impossible) task when viewed from conventional human wisdom. But I’ll rather strongly suggest that Nigerians embrace the “Yes I can Spirit” in stead of the “Yes We Can”. This might seem to be a little over the top but It’s definitely not so. It’s simply all about tapping into the diverse but unique qualities of each and every citizen and harnessing these qualities into a force that would radiate a glimmer of hope in the society.
In the face of these odds and challenges, I seem very confident, upbeat and optimistic that this new generation of Nigerians will some how resurrect this nation of ours that’s currently at a crossroads or limbo. As written in the Holy Bible, Nigerians must surely overcome because we are a holy people, chosen tribe, a royal priesthood and a peculiar people.
Corruption is often defined as “the abuse of public office for private gains”. This definition is universally acceptable in all countries of the world except Nigeria where corruption is defined as “conversion of public office into personal office.” it’s among the few countries in the world where corrupt leaders flaunt their ill gotten wealth with impunity and the anti-corruption agency (ies) dishes out “selective justice” on political opponents. Corruption is so pervasive (endemic and systemic) and ingrained not just in the highest echelons of power but also at the bottom rungs of the society. The fact that corruption siphons off our meager resources that should be put into the provision of infrastructure and social services in Nigeria, is a no brainer! I’ve always wondered why this is so, does our genetics, nutrition or culture have something to do with this. This might sound a little absurd but in reality these factors might also help in explaining why this cankerworm has not only eaten deep into the fabrics of our society but has sucked us “dry”. Maybe our fore fathers or ancestors were so corrupt but this doesn’t seem to be the case. An examination of the traditional leadership in Nigeria prior to the advent of the British points to the contrary. In the case of the Igbos (one of the three major ethnic groups in Nigeria) they had a well organized leadership structure which was largely decentralized from the village to the family level that frowned at as well as punished squarely corrupt individuals. (thieves) The severity of the punishment (which was considered as discipline) meted out to erring members of the society depended on the magnitude of the offence and could range from public shaming, excommunication to ostracification. I’ll also like to contend that the colonialists (the British) sowed the seed of corruption in Nigeria through their shady business deals (the Royal Niger Company) and appointment of Nigerians who were mere puppets to the then British government. All of this was done by the British without due recourse to the local administrative system existing in the country. The era of the military junta definitely exacerbated the problem because it was fraught with gross mismanagement, violation of fundamental human rights, miscarriage of justice e.t.c. These “vampire regimes” especially under the military almost brought the country to the brink of collapse because of their cronyism. I chose to describe the various administrations as “vampire regimes” because they’ve sucked up the remaining vitality that was left in the country when it gained its independence. I think the country needs a second independence this time from our fellow country men because those we entrusted with power have failed us from all ramifications. Lets not play the blame game here; we’ve got to put our house in order before it collapses on our heads. The Transparency International and Freedom House indices on Nigeria corroborates the above mentioned facts and shows some dismal statistics that would be difficult for any “true Nigerian” to stomach. (You can visit: www.freedomhouse.org ; www.transparency.org )
Of course, some would argue that Nigeria is a young country. C’mon, for how long are we going to remain a baby, we gained our independence in 1960 and for crying out loud Nigeria will turn 49 on the 1st of October. This is no longer a valid argument for pundits who are toying with the destiny of our “dear country” can capitalize on. As the saying goes “a fool at 40 is a fool for life” If Nigeria were a baby that was born in 1960, went through the rigors of education from primary to the tertiary level, landed a job, got married, had kids it could possibly qualify for a grandfather today. So no excuses!
In recent times when we talk about leadership, “good governance” which has become a mantra of sorts comes to mind. According to this paradigm as espoused by some international agencies such as UNDP and the World Bank, “good leadership” ought to be participatory, accountable, transparent, predictable, equitable and also uphold the principle of rule of law e.t.c. It’s pretty obvious that our (all) leaders have grossly failed the citizens in every way, shape or form. I therefore, challenge every reader of this article to mention only three good leaders that have emerged in Nigeria in the past four decades. Nigeria is in dire need of proactive leadership and not reactive leadership at this tipping point in its history. The current scheme of things calls for ordinary people who are passionate, motivated, committed, daring and willing to call a spade a spade just like the proverbial Moses. As Collin Powell said “Effective leaders are made not born”, they learn from trials and error, and from experience. First what’s important here is that good leaders don’t emerge from the blues, it requires individuals with the right sense of direction and investments in education and the inculcation of values, ethics and morals.
Our politics is rife and bedeviled with elite, ethnic and tribal politics which continues to tear us apart and could possibly grind the country to a screeching halt if not addressed urgently. We should envision the Nigeria of our dreams; we should all be the architects that would chart a new course for this nation. To my mind the issue of leadership in Nigeria has been a case of the blind leading the clueless over the years. I know a lot of people would be furious and as well as utterly disagree with this assertion. Without any shred of doubt I’ll say that Nigerians are one of the most educated people on the continent (inclusive of Nigerians in the Diaspora) but this has not been able to translate into “good or effective leadership”. Leaders should not just talk the talk but also walk the walk. In as much as we’ll know that leadership at the top remains very crucial to propel this nation into the 21st century because we still live in the 18th century from all indications. There’s a leader in you and I and I believe those innate leadership qualities that thrives in each and every one of us could possibly take us to the Promised Land. Leadership should be self driven as recently exemplified in the U.S elections where ordinary people summoned or embraced the “Yes We Can” spirit that saw the first African American into the White House. From the outset, a lot of folks tagged his sojourn to the White House “Mission Impossible” This goes to show that ordinary people can do phenomenal things that might seem to be an uphill (impossible) task when viewed from conventional human wisdom. But I’ll rather strongly suggest that Nigerians embrace the “Yes I can Spirit” in stead of the “Yes We Can”. This might seem to be a little over the top but It’s definitely not so. It’s simply all about tapping into the diverse but unique qualities of each and every citizen and harnessing these qualities into a force that would radiate a glimmer of hope in the society.
In the face of these odds and challenges, I seem very confident, upbeat and optimistic that this new generation of Nigerians will some how resurrect this nation of ours that’s currently at a crossroads or limbo. As written in the Holy Bible, Nigerians must surely overcome because we are a holy people, chosen tribe, a royal priesthood and a peculiar people.
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