A-look-at-an-angle-of-solution-to-our-national-problem-of-development-and-the-need-for-our-leaders-to-guarantee-tomorrow-s-future-for-the-youths-to-avoid-an-uprising
September 7, 2020 | News
A LOOK AT AN ANGLE OF SOLUTION TO OUR NATIONAL PROBLEM OF DEVELOPMENT, AND THE NEED FOR OUR LEADERS TO GUARANTEE TOMORROW’S FUTURE FOR THE YOUTHS TO AVOID AN UPRISING
I was intrigued by a well-circulated online video interview of Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams of Ghana, who is the General Overseer of the Christian Action Faith Ministries, as he tried to proffer solutions to the ever-present of underdevelopment in countries of West Africa, which includes his country Ghana and Nigeria. While he made some profound statements as to what needs to be done if we are to have a bright future to look up to, some of his suggestions, however, might not be that feasible and possible in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country like Nigeria.
In the words of the said Archbishop: “I believe, contrary to what anybody may say, that one of the things that will help the nations of Africa, is for us to have National Coalitions from all political parties. Get Traditional Rulers, Religious leaders, Labour, those in the Business community, the youths, even the military. Bring them all together, let us come together and come up with a National Agenda of what we want in this country. Of how to address the problems in all the various Sectors from education, health, electricity, water, etc. For instance, in Rwanda, it is a law that nobody sleeps in mud houses. You don’t build a mud house, or it will be pulled down. It’s against the law.
“So, let us have a National Agenda as a people. That we will work on. And let us agree that in the next 25 years, there will be no ‘every-four-years election. No election. But every five years, we should appoint a President from among the parties that form the National Coalition. In the first five years, it will be your party, in the next five years, it will be our party. No election, no rallies, no party politics for the next 25 years - our agenda will only be to follow, execute, and perform the National agenda, for the sake of the next generations. With what we are doing right now. We are not going anywhere. Those in the opposition are daily determined to circumvent the progress and activities of those in government as they try to sabotage them until they leave the office. And when the opposition eventually comes into office, those that were in office will try to do the same thing against them. So, we don’t wish you well, you don’t wish us well.
“At the end of the day, the nation is bleeding. And NO CONTINUITY because when one comes to government, he tries to condemn everything his predecessor has done just to start his own private agenda. And he also goes to the extent of making the predecessor look like a complete failure. And that they have come to fix it. But when they eventually come in and face the reality of what is on the ground, they will now realize that it is not easy to fix the problems. At that moment, the predecessor will also try to expose the new government, and let people know that they were circumvented, so that the new government will come in, and that they will also see to it that the new government does not survive. So that they too will come in again. So, the vindictiveness continues. The hatred continues, the bitterness continuous, and by so doing, they are dividing the people. Families are divided, religions are divided, all because of politics…” This clearly reminds me of the sort of politicking that has been the norm in Nigeria. The Edo State coming gubernatorial election, and all that has been happening towards the build-up to that election, is a very good example of what we are talking about here.
While explaining further on his idea, the Archbishop continued that: “We have to do this 25-year plan because there is a wind coming, and it will begin after 2020, 2021, 2022 and from then on. A situation like the Arab uprising is coming to West Africa if we don’t do something fast. Look all around us, you will see millions of youth, most of whom have graduated from higher schools with no jobs, always lurking and wandering around looking for every possible means to survive. Which obviously leads them to many vices. Some of them live in kiosks, opposite the houses of the wealthy areas. They know the families of those who have gone into politics and have suddenly become wealthy; driving the best cars, flying all over the places, living large in mansions, and they are there watching all of this. That is why I am going back to the schools to re-educate them. To engage them.
“The truth is, after a while, if the leaders don’t give these youths hope and a sense of direction. It will be a serious trouble. The most dangerous thing in life is to fight somebody who has nothing to lose. They don’t have cars, they don’t have children, they don’t have land, they have no hope and nothing to live for; they don’t mind dying. So, our kind of politics is treading on very dangerous grounds. It is all over Africa. I see it everywhere and it is very worrying. The 25 years plan will work if only our leaders, especially former Presidents can come together and say hey, let’s take hold of our country. let’s do something because this our mad politics, as much as it is a democracy, cannot work if we do it without the context of what works with our tradition… It will create an atmosphere where it will become impossible to govern the country. Look at Nigeria, look at the Democratic Republic of Congo, look at the wealth in those countries. But if you go there, it will break your hearts as you look at the level of poverty there, and you ask yourself why? It is because of the way our party politics is structured. This winner takes it all has to stop… When people become desperate, they can do anything. We are sitting on a time bomb, and even the national security cannot do anything when it blows up in our face…”
As scary as it may sound, what was said by the Archbishop, are some of the bitter truths I have been singing and crying out loud in past write-ups. Though, as I said earlier, it may be very difficult to get the suggestion of having a National Coalition/National Agenda that will span 25 years without any election to work in Nigeria. And this is simply due to many factors. With an estimated population of over 200 million people, and is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural diversity with about 520 languages, and over 1,150 dialects; Nigeria can be said to be one of the most controversial, complicated and complex countries in the world, for people to come together to form a National Coalition and work together toward achieving same. Even past attempts were made, through various National Conference to actualize this idea, but none of the reports of these Confabs saw the light of the day. Take the last 2014 National Conference as a good example, which was a convergence of various delegates representing the interest of its people to highlight and address a whole lot of issues that have been stunting the growth and development of the overall interest of the nation. At the reported cost of about ten billion naira, four and a half months of hard thinking, hard bargaining, lengthy, complex, often-times heated discussions, arguments and immense paperwork by 494 men and women, mostly of no mean stature; the said 2014 Conference produced over 10,000 pages of 22 reports and annexure. They made over 600 recommendations for the improvement of the political, economic, and social structures and the overall regeneration of the country. But all of that now belongs to dusty cabinet files compartments at the Federal Government Houses.
In other words, Nigeria and its political leaders have a lot of issues that will make such an idea never to work in the polity. But in the area of the leaders doing something fast to give some level of hope and prospects for the youths of the nation, it is something that should be pursued vigorously. For example, it is sad to note that about 99.9% (percent) of the locals in my home town of Iwhrekan Community in Ughelli South LGA of Delta State, are living in gross abject poverty that is pushing them to start doing the unimaginable. To the extent that the youths now demand different “illegal levies” just to earn a living.
Just before the Corona-virus era, I lost my elder female cousin who lived in the oil city of Warri almost throughout her adult life. But some of my family members demanded that her children must build a modern house before the burial of my said elder female cousin will be allowed in the community. I intervened and invited them to find out why? And they said that it is their mandate for now. But I warned them to stay away from such illicit demands because they are simply punishing her children, who are still struggling. After this, they still brought a list of demands by the Uvwie (youths) before we could bury my elder female cousin. And they insisted to be paid some illegal levy with drinks before they will allow our family to bury our elder cousin. It was not easy, but eventually, our elder cousin was buried.
All of these are just signs and attributes of the level of poverty, lack, and deprivation that are all around the major oil and gas producing communities in South-South areas of the Niger-Delta region. The same areas that produce the wealth of the nation, and is referred to as the Goose that lays the Golden Eggs for the nation’s economy to remain afloat.
Apparently, those in charge of the 13% Derivation in the state level, the NDDC and the Federal Ministry of Niger in all the years they have been existing, were never sincere and accountable as custodians of our collective wealth to develop the areas and uplift many out of poverty. If they were, all of these hostilities and vices exhibited by the youths of the South-South of the Niger-Delta region will practically disappear. As we speak, if you don't “settle the youths” in these oil and gas producing communities, you can't bring in any building material with any truck, or carry out any construction/development work. And by that action, these youths are also indirectly scaring prospective investors and private developers from their communities and even urban cities. That of course, further worsens the already impoverished situation in these areas. And yet, the Government of the day, and those in these Government established development-interventionist agencies, are looking and living affluent lives in the midst of poverty-stricken people.
The poverty situation is a major challenge in these areas, which is caused by our own politicians/elites from the South-South areas of the Niger-Delta. Even when the oil and gas companies also provide funds as part of their Social Responsibilities, like through the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU), with which the communities are expected to use for the development of their communities; this is often hijacked by the local Executives of the communities, who use the said funds in carrying out inflated community development projects that are never sustainable or beneficial to the locals in general.
The local Executives of the host communities also collude with some officials of the oil and gas companies not to disclose the amounts allocated/budgeted for projects/programmes, to the entire communities, so that they will have the room to do as they please with the funds. We can see that the level of corruption at the local level, which obviously has been induced/encouraged by the politicians/elites from the South-South areas of the Niger-Delta region, is a very severe and serious source of worry. My native Iwhrekan Community in Ughelli South LGA of Delta State is a major oil and gas producing Community, but the impact of this oil and gas wealth is not felt by the locals at all. Rather, it is being enjoyed and used by a few individuals who have hijacked the collective wealth of all through the execution of inflated GMoU projects and programs, as their own private funds. At the end of the day, the Politicians, the Community Executives, and even the Traditional Rulers are all part of the real problems responsible for the present level of underdevelopment, deprivation, and neglect of their own people. What a big shame! But they should be prepared, if they do not change from their evil ways, the uprising that will come will make them the first scapegoats.
Zik Gbemre.
August 11, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
I was intrigued by a well-circulated online video interview of Archbishop Nicholas Duncan-Williams of Ghana, who is the General Overseer of the Christian Action Faith Ministries, as he tried to proffer solutions to the ever-present of underdevelopment in countries of West Africa, which includes his country Ghana and Nigeria. While he made some profound statements as to what needs to be done if we are to have a bright future to look up to, some of his suggestions, however, might not be that feasible and possible in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country like Nigeria.
In the words of the said Archbishop: “I believe, contrary to what anybody may say, that one of the things that will help the nations of Africa, is for us to have National Coalitions from all political parties. Get Traditional Rulers, Religious leaders, Labour, those in the Business community, the youths, even the military. Bring them all together, let us come together and come up with a National Agenda of what we want in this country. Of how to address the problems in all the various Sectors from education, health, electricity, water, etc. For instance, in Rwanda, it is a law that nobody sleeps in mud houses. You don’t build a mud house, or it will be pulled down. It’s against the law.
“So, let us have a National Agenda as a people. That we will work on. And let us agree that in the next 25 years, there will be no ‘every-four-years election. No election. But every five years, we should appoint a President from among the parties that form the National Coalition. In the first five years, it will be your party, in the next five years, it will be our party. No election, no rallies, no party politics for the next 25 years - our agenda will only be to follow, execute, and perform the National agenda, for the sake of the next generations. With what we are doing right now. We are not going anywhere. Those in the opposition are daily determined to circumvent the progress and activities of those in government as they try to sabotage them until they leave the office. And when the opposition eventually comes into office, those that were in office will try to do the same thing against them. So, we don’t wish you well, you don’t wish us well.
“At the end of the day, the nation is bleeding. And NO CONTINUITY because when one comes to government, he tries to condemn everything his predecessor has done just to start his own private agenda. And he also goes to the extent of making the predecessor look like a complete failure. And that they have come to fix it. But when they eventually come in and face the reality of what is on the ground, they will now realize that it is not easy to fix the problems. At that moment, the predecessor will also try to expose the new government, and let people know that they were circumvented, so that the new government will come in, and that they will also see to it that the new government does not survive. So that they too will come in again. So, the vindictiveness continues. The hatred continues, the bitterness continuous, and by so doing, they are dividing the people. Families are divided, religions are divided, all because of politics…” This clearly reminds me of the sort of politicking that has been the norm in Nigeria. The Edo State coming gubernatorial election, and all that has been happening towards the build-up to that election, is a very good example of what we are talking about here.
While explaining further on his idea, the Archbishop continued that: “We have to do this 25-year plan because there is a wind coming, and it will begin after 2020, 2021, 2022 and from then on. A situation like the Arab uprising is coming to West Africa if we don’t do something fast. Look all around us, you will see millions of youth, most of whom have graduated from higher schools with no jobs, always lurking and wandering around looking for every possible means to survive. Which obviously leads them to many vices. Some of them live in kiosks, opposite the houses of the wealthy areas. They know the families of those who have gone into politics and have suddenly become wealthy; driving the best cars, flying all over the places, living large in mansions, and they are there watching all of this. That is why I am going back to the schools to re-educate them. To engage them.
“The truth is, after a while, if the leaders don’t give these youths hope and a sense of direction. It will be a serious trouble. The most dangerous thing in life is to fight somebody who has nothing to lose. They don’t have cars, they don’t have children, they don’t have land, they have no hope and nothing to live for; they don’t mind dying. So, our kind of politics is treading on very dangerous grounds. It is all over Africa. I see it everywhere and it is very worrying. The 25 years plan will work if only our leaders, especially former Presidents can come together and say hey, let’s take hold of our country. let’s do something because this our mad politics, as much as it is a democracy, cannot work if we do it without the context of what works with our tradition… It will create an atmosphere where it will become impossible to govern the country. Look at Nigeria, look at the Democratic Republic of Congo, look at the wealth in those countries. But if you go there, it will break your hearts as you look at the level of poverty there, and you ask yourself why? It is because of the way our party politics is structured. This winner takes it all has to stop… When people become desperate, they can do anything. We are sitting on a time bomb, and even the national security cannot do anything when it blows up in our face…”
As scary as it may sound, what was said by the Archbishop, are some of the bitter truths I have been singing and crying out loud in past write-ups. Though, as I said earlier, it may be very difficult to get the suggestion of having a National Coalition/National Agenda that will span 25 years without any election to work in Nigeria. And this is simply due to many factors. With an estimated population of over 200 million people, and is a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural diversity with about 520 languages, and over 1,150 dialects; Nigeria can be said to be one of the most controversial, complicated and complex countries in the world, for people to come together to form a National Coalition and work together toward achieving same. Even past attempts were made, through various National Conference to actualize this idea, but none of the reports of these Confabs saw the light of the day. Take the last 2014 National Conference as a good example, which was a convergence of various delegates representing the interest of its people to highlight and address a whole lot of issues that have been stunting the growth and development of the overall interest of the nation. At the reported cost of about ten billion naira, four and a half months of hard thinking, hard bargaining, lengthy, complex, often-times heated discussions, arguments and immense paperwork by 494 men and women, mostly of no mean stature; the said 2014 Conference produced over 10,000 pages of 22 reports and annexure. They made over 600 recommendations for the improvement of the political, economic, and social structures and the overall regeneration of the country. But all of that now belongs to dusty cabinet files compartments at the Federal Government Houses.
In other words, Nigeria and its political leaders have a lot of issues that will make such an idea never to work in the polity. But in the area of the leaders doing something fast to give some level of hope and prospects for the youths of the nation, it is something that should be pursued vigorously. For example, it is sad to note that about 99.9% (percent) of the locals in my home town of Iwhrekan Community in Ughelli South LGA of Delta State, are living in gross abject poverty that is pushing them to start doing the unimaginable. To the extent that the youths now demand different “illegal levies” just to earn a living.
Just before the Corona-virus era, I lost my elder female cousin who lived in the oil city of Warri almost throughout her adult life. But some of my family members demanded that her children must build a modern house before the burial of my said elder female cousin will be allowed in the community. I intervened and invited them to find out why? And they said that it is their mandate for now. But I warned them to stay away from such illicit demands because they are simply punishing her children, who are still struggling. After this, they still brought a list of demands by the Uvwie (youths) before we could bury my elder female cousin. And they insisted to be paid some illegal levy with drinks before they will allow our family to bury our elder cousin. It was not easy, but eventually, our elder cousin was buried.
All of these are just signs and attributes of the level of poverty, lack, and deprivation that are all around the major oil and gas producing communities in South-South areas of the Niger-Delta region. The same areas that produce the wealth of the nation, and is referred to as the Goose that lays the Golden Eggs for the nation’s economy to remain afloat.
Apparently, those in charge of the 13% Derivation in the state level, the NDDC and the Federal Ministry of Niger in all the years they have been existing, were never sincere and accountable as custodians of our collective wealth to develop the areas and uplift many out of poverty. If they were, all of these hostilities and vices exhibited by the youths of the South-South of the Niger-Delta region will practically disappear. As we speak, if you don't “settle the youths” in these oil and gas producing communities, you can't bring in any building material with any truck, or carry out any construction/development work. And by that action, these youths are also indirectly scaring prospective investors and private developers from their communities and even urban cities. That of course, further worsens the already impoverished situation in these areas. And yet, the Government of the day, and those in these Government established development-interventionist agencies, are looking and living affluent lives in the midst of poverty-stricken people.
The poverty situation is a major challenge in these areas, which is caused by our own politicians/elites from the South-South areas of the Niger-Delta. Even when the oil and gas companies also provide funds as part of their Social Responsibilities, like through the Global Memorandum of Understanding (GMoU), with which the communities are expected to use for the development of their communities; this is often hijacked by the local Executives of the communities, who use the said funds in carrying out inflated community development projects that are never sustainable or beneficial to the locals in general.
The local Executives of the host communities also collude with some officials of the oil and gas companies not to disclose the amounts allocated/budgeted for projects/programmes, to the entire communities, so that they will have the room to do as they please with the funds. We can see that the level of corruption at the local level, which obviously has been induced/encouraged by the politicians/elites from the South-South areas of the Niger-Delta region, is a very severe and serious source of worry. My native Iwhrekan Community in Ughelli South LGA of Delta State is a major oil and gas producing Community, but the impact of this oil and gas wealth is not felt by the locals at all. Rather, it is being enjoyed and used by a few individuals who have hijacked the collective wealth of all through the execution of inflated GMoU projects and programs, as their own private funds. At the end of the day, the Politicians, the Community Executives, and even the Traditional Rulers are all part of the real problems responsible for the present level of underdevelopment, deprivation, and neglect of their own people. What a big shame! But they should be prepared, if they do not change from their evil ways, the uprising that will come will make them the first scapegoats.
Zik Gbemre.
August 11, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes