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.
Sunday, April 26, 2009
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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