By Professor Femi Ajayi Enquiries have emerged from some of our readers as to the need for the National DIALOGUE Committee, since President Jonathan announced the formation of the National Forum in his 53rd Nigeria Independence Anniversary speech. The Committee is free to choose name for itself and for the DIALOGUE, with free hand to select areas for discussion. Some of the opposing minds have queried the outcome of similar exercise by Obasanjo, Abacha, and Babangida administrations. They perceived that Jonathan devised a means of wasting the tax payers time and resources, mobilising forces, for his waning administration, and plummeting political party, PDP. The Chair of the National DIALOGUE Forum is Dr. Femi Okurounmu with Dr. Akilu Indabawa as its secretary. Other eleven members are Prof. George Obiozor, Sen. Khairat Gwadabe, Sen. Timothy Adudu, Col. Tony Nyiam (Rtd), Prof. Funke Adebayo, Mrs Mairo Ahmed Amshi, Dr. Abubakar Sadiq, Alh. Dauda Birma, Mallam Buhari Bello, Mr. Tony Uranta, and Prof. Ben Nwabueze, who opted out of the committee. The end product of the DIALOGUE is with Nigerians for its openness of the DIALOGUE by allowing citizens to decide the countrys destiny in this policy-making process. An average Nigerian, today (2013), bleeds from their leaders failure to meet up with their responsibilities. National DIALOGUE would work when Nigerians are ready to make it work, ending deceits, and the infinite complaints. Who partake and what areas Nigerians need to DIALOGUE should be the focal point. Most Nigerians develop cynicism each time Nigerian Government decides to embark on any program, which is usually associated with personal gains for the actors. Unfortunately, the government has not proved itself worthy of trust on some of its programs; as it has failed the country on several occasions, deviated from its promises, regardless how obvious the benefits of such programs were to the populace. A National DIALOGUE is pertinent now (2013) considering Nigeria state of affairs. The future of Nigeria is at a point of extinction as future leaders commit atrocities, burning their fellow youths for stealing mobile phones; stripping women naked publicly for shoplifting; kidnapping is on the rise, and the Nigeria film makers are not helping the situation by what they illustrate in their products. In the area of unemployment and productivity, the Ministry of Labor and Productivity, one of the oldest Ministry in Nigeria, does not have the statistics of the unemployment figures in Nigeria to measure its productivity level. Fake statistics and businesses, pitiable infrastructural facilities, low industrious economy; Nigeria is in an inert state as poverty is boldly written on the faces of an average Nigerian. All indicators have gone into wrong directions; power supply, education, health delivery, telecommunication, investment gone to other countries, the growth of aggressive consumers of foreign products; unfortunately Nigeria is missing from the fast tempo of African economy. According to the 2010, United Nations Human Development Report released in Abuja in 2011, Nigerias life expectancy at birth was at 48.4 years, a little rise from the 47.7 years recorded for the country in 2009. The 2010 report put Nigerias Human Development Index (HDI) at 0.423, which ranked the country 142 out of 169 countries with comparable data. In some other reports from Direct Relief, Over half of Nigeria lacks sustainable access to safe water supplies and sanitation. Life expectancy is very low and Nigerias infant mortality is high. A large percentage of women die in childbirth. Other key public health problems include HIV/AIDS, malaria, and respiratory infections. This type of anecdote has not been helping Nigeria and would not bring about any development either. Why shouldnt Nigerians get to the roundtable to DIALOGUE? Some of other concerns that necessitated the Country to sit round the table and DIALOGUE are; respect for Rule of Law; Epileptic unripe Democracy; and Religious intolerance. Ironically, the imported religion has become the big monster in the Nigerian society at the expense of the Countrys Rich Culture. What is it going to take for Nigerians to tolerate each others faith? Imported religions are becoming the bone of contention in Nigeria, challenging its unity. Religion has gone beyond Karl Maxs Opium of the People. There have been issues which seem to be escalating and refusing to go away. Definitely the friction level in Nigeria is sufficient to call for a roundtable discussion among various groups within the country, to DIALOGUE on the future of the country, in all ramifications. No nation reaches menopause of its existence, not thinking of growth, which, unfortunately, seems to be where Nigeria is today (October 2013). China strives well for its strong ties with its culture and tradition. Britain strives well for respecting its culture. America, the country of émigré, strives well because In God We Trust, as inscribed in its coins. Nigeria is still struggling in deciding what religion would help them out. Ironically, Nigerians are all over the world contributing to the growth of their habitation; why not in their country of birth. Nigerias population is expected to surpass that of the US by 2050, according to new UN projections. It predicts the country could be the worlds third most populous by the end of this century; with the world population at 7.2 billion, reaching 8.1 billion in 2025. By mid-century, the worlds population is expected to top 9.5 billion, reaching nearly 11 billion by 2100. More than half of the growth predicted between now and 2050 is expected in Africa, where the number of people is set to more than double, from 1.1 billion to 2.4 billion. Is Nigeria making some sense with this projection as the countrys population has been politicized, far away from reality? Nigerians have to talk. Nigeria, Africas most populous nation and one of the worlds largest oil producer has so much to contend with in order to achieve its developmental goals. Ironically, Nigeria, with its over 170 million-strong population, has been tagged as the most corrupt country around the world, August 2013, the 172nd worst among the 215 nations surveyed by the Transparency International, which monitors international financial corruption. Corruption, the unbridled looting of public funds, seems to be obdurate, regardless the efforts being made to minimize it. Ironically, Nigeria is sitting on crude oil reserves estimated at 35 billion barrels (enough to fuel the entire world for more than a year), not to mention 100 trillion cubic feet of natural gas being wasted. It also pays its Legislators the highest salaries in the world, with basic wages more than President of the United States of America. The huge flow of oil wealth means the government does not rely on taxpayers for its income, so does not have to answer to the people, a situation that fosters rampant corruption and economic sclerosis because there is no investment in infrastructure as the country leaders cream off its wealth. Nigeria is rot! Nigerians have to DIALOGUE. Nigeria Senator earns in a day what an average College Professor does not earn in a month. Hitherto 70 per cent of Nigerians live below the poverty line of $2.00 a day, struggling with failing infrastructure and chronic fuel challenges for lack of petrol refining capacity, even though Nigeria produces more crude oil than Texas in the United States. The oil industry is highly corrupt, with 136 million barrels of crude oil worth $11billion, illegally siphoned off in just two years from 2009 to 2011. In essence, 80 per cent of the countrys substantial oil revenues go to the government, which disburses cash to individual Governors and hundreds of their cronies, so effectively these huge sums remain in the hands of a mere one per cent of the Nigerian population. Nigerians need to sit round the table and talk about the future of the country. There are a total number of 84 legitimate and about 1,497 illegal routes through which people could come or go out of Nigeria. Most Nigerians are running out of patience with the manner things are going in the country especially the level of insecurity. New York-based Human Rights Watch said (2013) about 3,600 deaths has been recorded since a radical sect, Boko Haram, began violent operations in the Northern Nigeria in 2009. Sadly, Nigeria has been ranked as the 148th, out of the 162 countries evaluated, on the reduction of violence and insecurity, between 2012 and 2013 by the Global Peace Index. This rating earns Nigeria the 14th fewer peaceful country around the world, in the rank of countries like Chad, Yemen, Libya, Syria, and Pakistan, among other conflict ridden states. Nigeria ranked 117th out of 121 in 2007; 129th out of 140 in 2008; 129th out of 144 in 2009; 137th out of 149 in 2010; 142nd out of 153 in 2011; 146 out of 158 in 2012. The State of Health facilities and services in Nigeria is pathetic, if we could have a better word to describe it. Nigerian Doctors across the World are the best among their colleagues; while Nigeria has one of the worst health services. General Sani Abacha and former President Musa YarAdua and former Kwara State governor died due to lack of necessary medical facilities in the country. The imported Asian doctors made a mockery of Abachas management by pumping steroids into him. Late President YarAdua died from brain damage caused by severe asphyxia to ignorance and poor management. The former Military Governor of Kwara State died of pneumonia, and a Minister in the former President Olusegun Obasanjos administration died from asthmatic attacks; all due to lack of adequate medical facilities in the country. It is time for Nigerians to sit round the DIALOGUE table to prevent further damages to its citizens. If the Education system is faulty, where is the future of the country in the global village? At the 2013 UMTE scores, out of the 1,644,110 candidates, 1,629,102 applied to sit for the Paper and Pencil Test (PPT), while just a paltry of 15,008 decided to go for the Dual Based Test (DBT). In a country, where only 10 out of the 1,644,110 candidates, who sat for the examination, scored 300 and above; with 628 other candidates scoring between 270 and 299; Nigerians need to DIALOGUE.
Posted on: Fri, 25 Oct 2013 05:07:36 +0000
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