On-the-retrogressive-factor-hindering-nigeria-s-development
September 7, 2020 | News
ON THE RETROGRESSIVE FACTOR HINDERING NIGERIA’S DEVELOPMENT
One of the published words of wisdom by Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, which struck the cord that adequately explains the major reason for Nigeria’s retrogressive and backward movement on development, is when he noted that: “If you are emotionally attached to your tribe, religion or political leaning to the point that Truth and Justice become secondary considerations, your education is useless. Your exposure is useless. If you cannot reason beyond petty sentiments, you are a liability to mankind.” Dr. Chuba Okadigbo was the Political Adviser and a strategist to the then President Shehu Shagari in the second republic, and was also a Former Senate President.
Truth be told, I strongly believe that one of the major factors that have always gone against us as a people, in the entrenchment of credible political office holders who would bring about Good Governance that will be in the overall interest of all and sundry; is the fact that majority of Nigerian politicians/elites and even the people, are blinded by their ‘Emotional attachment to their tribe, religion or political leaning’ as noted by Okadigbo. It is the bare and sad reality on ground in Nigeria’s political space. People are appointed and elected in top sensitive portfolios/positions on the basis of these sentiments, and not based on their capabilities, expertise and capacities to deliver to the general public without any bias. This is basically the reason why Nigeria is still backward, and majority of its populace are still impoverished, despite the abundance of wealth and natural resources.
Agreed that, with an estimated population of over 185 million people, and being a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural diversity with about 520 languages, and over 1150 dialects; Nigeria can be said to be one of the most complicated and complex countries in the world. And with this, we would therefore understand why it will not be easy for anyone to successfully rule or govern the country. Mind you, I did not say that it is not possible to successfully rule or govern the country as it ought to be governed, I only said that it will not be an easy task. It is not for the faint-hearted. But it is no gain saying that the boundary of this former British colony called Nigeria was drawn to serve commercial interests, largely without regard for the territorial differences, uniqueness and claims of the ‘diverse indigenous’ people. As a result, we now have before us a country whose unity has been consistently come under siege. In fact, there have been eight attempts at secession that has threatened national unity between 1914 and 1977. The epic of which is the Nigerian civil war. Yet, the ‘potentiality’ in the country’s diversity as a nation, has made it still an envy by many.
Perhaps, this diversity and complexities of the make-up of Nigeria, explains the reason why the issue of nepotism, favouritism, ethnicitism, religion and political affiliations have been the attributing factors that have made the nation not to have political leaders that ought to be elected/appointed on merit to effectively and efficiently lead the country to great heights. These issues, have ‘blinded’ both the government and the governed from making sound and good judgements in the appropriation of public resources for the good of all and sundry by those in authorities, and in demanding such when they are not getting it right by those being governed. In other words, it is as if our ‘multi-everything’ bearing has over the years, made us to be more self-serving/self-centered and not trusting one another when it comes to governance and the appropriation of our collective wealth as a people in the entity called Nigeria. This often times makes us wonder: will Nigeria ever become a great and admirable nation? Will Nigeria ever be able to overcome its diversity and complexity and become a ‘united front’ in global affairs to reckon with? Or has Nigeria gone beyond being redeemed?
In a country where every tribe and language has its own culture and internal custom, and where every Nigerian no matter his/her profession and status – be it a Police Officer, INEC Official, Medical Doctor, Engineer, Scientist, Academician, Lawyer, Judge, Activist, Politicians or what have you; all have one (often self-centered) vested interest or the other, and as such, policies and laws, no matter how good they are, are tailored not to work for the good of all. Apart from the major tribes of Hausa/fulani, Yoruba and Ibo, the minority tribes don't even agree with each other. Even the major tribes have their own internal wrangling and conflicts of interest. Every tribe feel they are superior to the other. Every village, town and city are different in nature from one another. No trust between themselves. In fact, within every State, there are a lot of differences in the tribes, languages and the people themselves. Perhaps, we can attribute all the unhealthy and anti-development prevailing circumstances around the polity to the root factor of our diversity and multiplicity of cultures, ethnicity, languages and religious backgrounds.
Regardless of our differences however, Nigeria really do not have any excuse to be where it is today as a nation that is so blessed beyond measure. The problem is, we have allowed our ethnicity, religion and political bearings to be the deciding factors of our actions as a people, instead of focusing on getting results that would benefit all. I am even more disturbed every time I consider the fact that Nigeria, despite having similar factors, human and natural resourcefulness, difficulties and experiences as a nation, like other developed nations like China, India, Singapore, South-Korea, Canada, US, have had and yet came out victoriously; the nation is still tagged a Third-World and ‘developing’ country where the space between the rich and poor, the Government and the Governed, the haves and the have-nots, and the Public Masters and the Public (Common masses) – are increasing daily. All of which has made Nigeria to being pushed to the verge of becoming a tragedy as a nation, or as a failed state so to speak.
Other countries are known for one good thing or the other, which they manufacture/produce and contribute to the world and humanity. Even India has ascended in the ranks of breakthroughs on the health sector and communication technology, China is known for producing practically everything you can imagine at any quality level, grade and commercial quantity you want it. Dubai is amongst the top leading world tourist destinations for the rich and mighty, with over 20 million tourists visit every year. Now we see why Dubai and its citizens can never experience any element of poverty. And they did all of this by having a vision, and by using their God-given resources of oil and gas first, then the Sun, Sand and Sea. Which are the same natural resources Nigeria is blessed in abundance with. Even in Africa, other so-called less endowed countries (when compared to Nigeria), like Kenya, is already planning to launch its own locally-built line of mobile phones production. Botswana, whose economy is dominated by mining, cattle, and tourism, can boast of a GDP per capita of about $18,825 per year as of 2015, which is one of the highest in Africa. Its high gross national income (by some estimates the fourth-largest in Africa) gives the country a modest standard of living and the highest Human Development Index (HDI) of continental Sub-Saharan Africa.
The sad fact is that, after independence, in order to build a great nation, each country went to work. But in Nigeria, after independence in 1960, our people gradually become more sentimentally attached to their religion, ethnicity and political affiliations. So, while we were engrossed with our sentimental attachments, Malaysia came here and took our palm seedlings and built a great factory of it; Singapore went into investment in technology; India went into ICT (Information Computer Technology); China went into massive industrialization; United Arab Emirates (UAE) went into massive infrastructural development and tourism; Japan went into technological development; Denmark went into Education of her citizens, and so on.
In other words, the sentimental attachments of Nigerian political leaders and elites, and even majority of the people, have taken the place of the entrenchment of technology, infrastructure, education, etc., for the overall interest of the country. The bottom line is that we do not have any excuse to be where we are as a nation because we can list many countries, which got independence almost at the same time with Nigeria, but today, have overtaken and left Nigeria far behind in the area of development. The truth is that Nigeria’s dependence on the export of cash crops and crude oil/natural gas, with no invention, no manufacturing, but trading companies with coupling or assembly plants in the name of manufacturing – has to be urgently turned around if we are to become significant in global economic affairs in years to come.
Zik Gbemre.
August 29, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes
One of the published words of wisdom by Dr. Chuba Okadigbo, which struck the cord that adequately explains the major reason for Nigeria’s retrogressive and backward movement on development, is when he noted that: “If you are emotionally attached to your tribe, religion or political leaning to the point that Truth and Justice become secondary considerations, your education is useless. Your exposure is useless. If you cannot reason beyond petty sentiments, you are a liability to mankind.” Dr. Chuba Okadigbo was the Political Adviser and a strategist to the then President Shehu Shagari in the second republic, and was also a Former Senate President.
Truth be told, I strongly believe that one of the major factors that have always gone against us as a people, in the entrenchment of credible political office holders who would bring about Good Governance that will be in the overall interest of all and sundry; is the fact that majority of Nigerian politicians/elites and even the people, are blinded by their ‘Emotional attachment to their tribe, religion or political leaning’ as noted by Okadigbo. It is the bare and sad reality on ground in Nigeria’s political space. People are appointed and elected in top sensitive portfolios/positions on the basis of these sentiments, and not based on their capabilities, expertise and capacities to deliver to the general public without any bias. This is basically the reason why Nigeria is still backward, and majority of its populace are still impoverished, despite the abundance of wealth and natural resources.
Agreed that, with an estimated population of over 185 million people, and being a multi-ethnic, multi-religious, multi-cultural diversity with about 520 languages, and over 1150 dialects; Nigeria can be said to be one of the most complicated and complex countries in the world. And with this, we would therefore understand why it will not be easy for anyone to successfully rule or govern the country. Mind you, I did not say that it is not possible to successfully rule or govern the country as it ought to be governed, I only said that it will not be an easy task. It is not for the faint-hearted. But it is no gain saying that the boundary of this former British colony called Nigeria was drawn to serve commercial interests, largely without regard for the territorial differences, uniqueness and claims of the ‘diverse indigenous’ people. As a result, we now have before us a country whose unity has been consistently come under siege. In fact, there have been eight attempts at secession that has threatened national unity between 1914 and 1977. The epic of which is the Nigerian civil war. Yet, the ‘potentiality’ in the country’s diversity as a nation, has made it still an envy by many.
Perhaps, this diversity and complexities of the make-up of Nigeria, explains the reason why the issue of nepotism, favouritism, ethnicitism, religion and political affiliations have been the attributing factors that have made the nation not to have political leaders that ought to be elected/appointed on merit to effectively and efficiently lead the country to great heights. These issues, have ‘blinded’ both the government and the governed from making sound and good judgements in the appropriation of public resources for the good of all and sundry by those in authorities, and in demanding such when they are not getting it right by those being governed. In other words, it is as if our ‘multi-everything’ bearing has over the years, made us to be more self-serving/self-centered and not trusting one another when it comes to governance and the appropriation of our collective wealth as a people in the entity called Nigeria. This often times makes us wonder: will Nigeria ever become a great and admirable nation? Will Nigeria ever be able to overcome its diversity and complexity and become a ‘united front’ in global affairs to reckon with? Or has Nigeria gone beyond being redeemed?
In a country where every tribe and language has its own culture and internal custom, and where every Nigerian no matter his/her profession and status – be it a Police Officer, INEC Official, Medical Doctor, Engineer, Scientist, Academician, Lawyer, Judge, Activist, Politicians or what have you; all have one (often self-centered) vested interest or the other, and as such, policies and laws, no matter how good they are, are tailored not to work for the good of all. Apart from the major tribes of Hausa/fulani, Yoruba and Ibo, the minority tribes don't even agree with each other. Even the major tribes have their own internal wrangling and conflicts of interest. Every tribe feel they are superior to the other. Every village, town and city are different in nature from one another. No trust between themselves. In fact, within every State, there are a lot of differences in the tribes, languages and the people themselves. Perhaps, we can attribute all the unhealthy and anti-development prevailing circumstances around the polity to the root factor of our diversity and multiplicity of cultures, ethnicity, languages and religious backgrounds.
Regardless of our differences however, Nigeria really do not have any excuse to be where it is today as a nation that is so blessed beyond measure. The problem is, we have allowed our ethnicity, religion and political bearings to be the deciding factors of our actions as a people, instead of focusing on getting results that would benefit all. I am even more disturbed every time I consider the fact that Nigeria, despite having similar factors, human and natural resourcefulness, difficulties and experiences as a nation, like other developed nations like China, India, Singapore, South-Korea, Canada, US, have had and yet came out victoriously; the nation is still tagged a Third-World and ‘developing’ country where the space between the rich and poor, the Government and the Governed, the haves and the have-nots, and the Public Masters and the Public (Common masses) – are increasing daily. All of which has made Nigeria to being pushed to the verge of becoming a tragedy as a nation, or as a failed state so to speak.
Other countries are known for one good thing or the other, which they manufacture/produce and contribute to the world and humanity. Even India has ascended in the ranks of breakthroughs on the health sector and communication technology, China is known for producing practically everything you can imagine at any quality level, grade and commercial quantity you want it. Dubai is amongst the top leading world tourist destinations for the rich and mighty, with over 20 million tourists visit every year. Now we see why Dubai and its citizens can never experience any element of poverty. And they did all of this by having a vision, and by using their God-given resources of oil and gas first, then the Sun, Sand and Sea. Which are the same natural resources Nigeria is blessed in abundance with. Even in Africa, other so-called less endowed countries (when compared to Nigeria), like Kenya, is already planning to launch its own locally-built line of mobile phones production. Botswana, whose economy is dominated by mining, cattle, and tourism, can boast of a GDP per capita of about $18,825 per year as of 2015, which is one of the highest in Africa. Its high gross national income (by some estimates the fourth-largest in Africa) gives the country a modest standard of living and the highest Human Development Index (HDI) of continental Sub-Saharan Africa.
The sad fact is that, after independence, in order to build a great nation, each country went to work. But in Nigeria, after independence in 1960, our people gradually become more sentimentally attached to their religion, ethnicity and political affiliations. So, while we were engrossed with our sentimental attachments, Malaysia came here and took our palm seedlings and built a great factory of it; Singapore went into investment in technology; India went into ICT (Information Computer Technology); China went into massive industrialization; United Arab Emirates (UAE) went into massive infrastructural development and tourism; Japan went into technological development; Denmark went into Education of her citizens, and so on.
In other words, the sentimental attachments of Nigerian political leaders and elites, and even majority of the people, have taken the place of the entrenchment of technology, infrastructure, education, etc., for the overall interest of the country. The bottom line is that we do not have any excuse to be where we are as a nation because we can list many countries, which got independence almost at the same time with Nigeria, but today, have overtaken and left Nigeria far behind in the area of development. The truth is that Nigeria’s dependence on the export of cash crops and crude oil/natural gas, with no invention, no manufacturing, but trading companies with coupling or assembly plants in the name of manufacturing – has to be urgently turned around if we are to become significant in global economic affairs in years to come.
Zik Gbemre.
August 29, 2020.
We Mobilize Others To Fight For Individual Causes As If Those Were Our Causes