NIGERIA MUST SURVIVE. CAN THE FORCED UNION CALLED NIGERIA TRANSFORM INTO A PROSPEROUS MUTUAL UNION Written by Sam. Ohiwerei The present forced union called Nigeria is battered with conflicts, political assassinations, bribery and corruption, bloodshed, poverty, lack of progressive leadership, looting and flight of our resources, intolerance among compatriots, and the related misrule of the people. From its inception to date, Nigeria and Nigerians, in practice, have been short-changed by the leadership who rape the citizenry blind instead of providing them with the desired and progressive governance that they really deserve. The country, with all its resources remains one of the most impoverished countries in the world because of the wickedness, greed, selfishness corruption and indifference of the looters in leadership. Also, the inherited foreign based partisan politics has succeeded more in driving the citizens apart instead of uniting them to live and work together in harmony for the overall progress of our dear country. Our type of politics has sandwiched Nigerians between the menace of dictatorial and high-handed powers of the president, and that of the governors, Local Government Authority chairpersons, senators, federal representatives, state assembly members, political parties members, etc.., which empower them to put aside due process, and thus command banks and other financial institutions to transfer public monies to cited domicile and foreign accounts. It is the desire of every true and loyal Nigerian to see the elimination of the cancer called looting/flight of the nation’s resources, total/near eradication of bribery/corruption via reduction of the excessive power of the president, governors, local government authority chairpersons, senate, federal representatives, state assembly members, political parties members, etc. this could be greatly curtailed by a close check on some core elements that perpetuate this state of affairs. Some of the elements include anti-good government diplomats, whose goal is solely to aid corruption and disunity. There should be in place, a proper check and control of diplomatic luggage, aircrafts, and other fixtures of passage and interaction at our exit points (ports), and also avenues which have been profiled as looting/flight and under-development thoroughfares which have impoverished and plunged Nigeria into wars, conflict, instability, and related harm. Another approach will be to review the process of sponsoring the passage of federal, state and legislative bills. This should be aimed at reducing the powers of the president, governors, Local Government chairpersons; senators, federal representatives, state assembly members; political parties members; etc. so that they should be made liable for any offence committed while still in office. The current laws give enlarged opportunity to them to loot public wealth and repatriate same into hidden or secret foreign financial institutions without the possibility of recovery because there are several immunities protecting them while in office. But If daily accountability is followed and avenue is available to the masses to question and get answers on their common wealth, with subsequent prosecution commenced while in office, looting will not be possible to the extent that president and others fear the wrath of law while in office. They are currently able to loot and repatriate over $100billion while in office and as soon as they leave office recovery of the loots become impossible and the loots are then shared by the allies who go on to plan to jail or kill them to seal the location of the loots and parties involved. A leader like the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo was able to make positive changes in the country because he surrounded himself with experts and people who could think. We still have people who can think today! Unfortunately they have been hounded out of the corridors of government because of corruption! It is time to get them back into positions of relevance. On the diversification and indigenization of the economies of Nigeria, the country should employ majority of able bodied or employable Nigerians, and a direct cooperation between education and industry should be introduced. This will inevitably produce loads of jobs because majority of the goods and services imported into Nigeria will be made in Nigeria. All graduates (high school, diploma, degree, etc) will become employed or self-employed via education and industry interactive entrepreneurship program. To stimulate development and growth, the government should design micro businesses and place graduates, professionals and other employees and then monitor their performance until they are able to takeover. Oil/gas and other natural resources should be institutionalized and elevated to become lenders to agriculture, education/training, science/technology, healthcare, etc. To improve security and enhance earnings for the government, new forms of regulation and compliance should be introduced to the police, army, navy, airforce, custom and excise, immigration, etc. To realize service with honour, integrity, pride, advancement, and the empowerment of officers and their families, there should be improved living standards at the barracks and the suffering and sub-standard living of the officers and their families abated. Also, living wages should be paid to our officers to eradicate their “beggar mentality”. The government should introduce proper management, sharing and investment of the common wealth of Nigeria to eliminate poverty, unemployment, homelessness, poor habitat, etc. The government should endeavour to cut down by about 70% the exorbitant costs of items that play very important part in our daily living. Among these are food items such as rice, beans, tomatoes, meat, onions. Also included are building materials, rents, motor vehicles, spare parts, power, communications, etc. These are no longer affordable for the lower and middle classes of Nigeria. The extent of the exodus of Nigerian experts and others across the Nigerian borders into foreign lands beggars belief! Outside our borders, trained professionals turn to menial, degrading and unsuitable jobs such as cab driving; indentured work and house help duties, etc. to put food on their tables. The right economic, human, social and a just environment will surely stimulate the reversal of the current exodus and see Nigerians building Nigeria to the highest heights. The present union can metamorphose into a new, progressive, self sustaining and fast developing giant. It is still possible to put down the prices of essential goods and services in a progressive Nigeria. if only our acidic leaders can shed their skins of corruption and insensitivity, and lead us into a new progress oriented federal republic of Nigeria, committed to sustainable education, employment, agriculture, water, healthcare, housing, electricity/energy, communication, transportation, research etc, our industries will go through the roof. Foreign countries have used Nigeria as a dumping ground for their industries, and in so doing have caused unemployment, poverty, human exodus, etc in Nigeria. This can be reversed!!!! A good government can and should work towards the reduction of the prices of our essential goods and services. A good government can and should use the common wealth of Nigerians for the citizens of Nigeria and not for the selected few. Our Nigeria has more than enough resources to turn the country into a paradise on earth, the envy of the world!! Our Nigeria has more than enough good and suitable citizens to lead us to the future of our dreams! THE RIGHT PEOPLE ARE AMONGST US! IT IS TIME TO GET TO WORK AND CREATE THE ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR THEM TO CREATE THE REAL NIGERIA. THE NIGERIA OF OUR DREAMS.
Posted on: Tue, 18 Jun 2013 00:21:17 +0000