WE CAN DO BETTER: A NATIONAL DISCUSS BY ELDER WOLE OYELESE: PART 1: MANAGING A NATION IN DEEP CRISIS
A NATIONAL DISCUSS BY ELDER WOLE OYELESE
PART 1
MANAGING A NATION IN DEEP CRISIS
It is disheartening to find men and women who have been
through the corridors of power and are experienced in matters of governance
being complacent in the present Nigerian situation.
At my age, it is irresponsible to keep quiet. Our
experience and knowledge gathered over the years will be wasted if they are nor
made available for the use of mankind.
Speaking out should albeit not be about just criticizing
policies and decisions. It should not be
all about seeing the things that are wrong. That is not enough.
Proffering solutions to the perceived problems and wrong
policies should be paramount. Many of us have garnered experience in handling
difficult situations in the past. We have had decisions that worked and the
ones that did not work. This puts us in position to prescribe solutions that
are germane in the present circumstances our nation is.
Nigeria is a peculiar nation. Her circumstances are not
the same as that of any other nation. The problems she faces are also therefore
peculiar requiring peculiar solutions.
A regular solution is not likely to work for an unusual
ailment.
To address the Nigerian problem, government must look
beyond the prescribed remedies and look outside the books.
When ominous clouds had approached in the past and
suddenly blew away, people did not bother to know what and who made it blow
away. Those clouds are billowing close now and it is assumed it will blow away.
Practical solutions must be sought rather than doing it by the books and not
getting results.
We can do better than we are doing now by seeking
peculiar solutions to our peculiar problems.
Playing it by the books recommend policies based on
theories propounded based on assumptions which are not relevant to the present
situations in Nigeria. These theories will not get us out of the doldrums.
Refusing to look for peculiar solution results in
government going in circles without achieving any results.
REORDERING PRIORITIES
The number one priority of government should be the
welfare and well-being of the citizens. Any policy or decision of government
that does not impact positively on the people is wrong.
Government policies must address based on the needs of
the people. They must aim to address things in the Short term, Medium term and
the Long term. When there is a crisis situation, it is important to douse the
tension by providing remedies that will assuage the nerves of the people. The
immediate concern of government should be the Short term measures that will
ameliorate the suffering of the citizens. It is when the situation has
normalized to an appreciable extent that Medium term policies can be engaged
in. Long term projects are out of place in a nation under pressure.
Infrastructural development such as roads, bridges, high
rise buildings and coastal highways should not be a priority at this period of
economic and financial crisis, and fiscal depression.
Government efforts should be geared at providing succor to the people. Empty stomachs are not good on good roads. There is barely a nation in the world today that does not subsidize food one way or the other. Government should as a matter of urgency do everything possible to make food available and affordable, even if it means making physical development the opportunity cost. The government may engage in massive importation of food and liberalizing conditions for importation by private sector businesses.
The recent school feeding program by the government has,
like most other programs, ended up a scam. The handlers of the program seized
the opportunity to siphon public funds with a disturbing sense of impunity.
Drugs and medications is another area the government
should look into. Health is a sector that needs to be liberalized too.
Pharmaceutical inputs and essential drugs should be duty free. Forex should
also be provided for this sector and be properly monitored. This will ensure
availability and access to healthcare for all at affordable cost.
Setting the priority right this way will diffuse the
tension in the land until things improve and Medium term programs can come into
effect.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION ON FOOD SECURITY
The simple basic economics principle of division of
labour and international diplomacy comes to bear in solving the immediate food
crisis. A neighboring country like Burkina Faso that specializes in production
of farm products such as rice and beans may be negotiated with for mass
production and supply to Nigeria at special prices. With the support of
Nigeria, they can be encouraged to produce far above their national needs and
we mop up the excess.
The issue of national pride should be jettisoned as there
is no pride for a nation that cannot feed her people. National pride makes no
sense until the people are comfortable and at peace.
POLITICAL WILL AND DETERMINATION
A President that intends to manage a depressed economy
like ours must be ready to step on toes. It is impossible to tackle the
problems facing the nation without facing the level of corruption foisted by
the so called cabals. They have enjoyed the lucre of their influence on
government policies for so long that only a determined head of government can
muster the will to wean them from the milk of National treasury.
The government must be ready to step on their toes,
whether friends or foes, not minding whose ox is gored. Immediate policy
changes must be put in place to address the needed changes. This requires a
strong political will.
As expected, corruption will fight back. The President
must beef up security and bring any erring persons or organizations to book no
matter how highly placed or influential. No person should be more powerful than
the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Nigeria. His will
to serve the people should supersede the interest of any individual or group of
individuals.
Important policy formulation and implementation positions
should not be used as political patronage but given to persons with the
requisite experience, competencies and expertise.
THE POLITICS OF
PETROLEUM
The President doubles as the Minister for Petroleum. So
an indictment on the managers of the petroleum is an indictment on the
President.
The NNPCL has been an unproductive sick baby gulping the
resources of the family and not getting well.
With all the refineries down, the NNPCL is not producing
anything. Much of the crude it is supposed to be selling has been concessioned
away in an oil-for-debt swap. So it is neither producing nor selling. One then
wonders the huge sum of money budgeted yearly for salaries and emoluments of
its staff.
With deregulation, NNPCL became a competitor in the oil
marketing sector. But NNPCL dictates the price at which their competitors will
sell.
As at today, the NNPCL is not near meeting its OPEC quota
for export. Nigeria should produce more crude for export and sell at convenient
price for her situation. If need be she may produce beyond the OPEC quota and
even sell at a price different from that fixed by the international body.
It is even permissible to opt out of the organization if
only temporarily until the period of crisis abates.
EXTERNAL INFLUENCE AND NEOCOLONIALISM
The legacy of colonialism continues to impact African
countries, with some leaders struggling to assert their independence and
autonomy. Neo-colonialism, a system of indirect control and influence, can limit
African leaders' ability to make decisions that benefit their own people.
This can be seen in various areas.:
1. Economic dependence: Many African countries rely heavily on foreign aid, trade, and investment from former colonial powers, limiting their economic sovereignty.
2. Political influence: External powers may exert
pressure on African leaders to adopt policies or support initiatives that serve
foreign interests rather than domestic needs.
3. Cultural assimilation: The legacy of colonialism can
lead to cultural erasure and assimilation, as African leaders may feel
pressured to adopt Western values and norms over their own cultural heritage.
The imposition of conditionalities by Bretton Woods organizations (IMF and World Bank) on African countries, often encouraged by Western powers, has been a contentious issue. These conditionalities can lead to:
1. Economic austerity measures, reducing social spending
and increasing poverty.
2. Trade liberalization, exposing local industries to
unfair competition.
3. Privatization of state-owned enterprises, benefiting
foreign corporations.
4. Debt dependency, perpetuating a cycle of borrowing and
interest payments.
These policies can indeed contribute to the continued impoverishment of African countries, undermining their economic sovereignty and perpetuating a form of modern-day slavery.
Critics argue that these conditionalities:
1. Serve the interests of Western powers and
multinational corporations.
2. Undermine African countries' ability to implement
policies tailored to their needs.
3. Perpetuate debt dependency, making it difficult for
countries to escape the debt trap.
In order to reverse the ugly trends occasioned by these external influences, the President of Nigeria must be able to look the powers that be in the face and reject their conditionalities. The government should be interested only in relationships that are beneficial to the macro-economic well being of the country as against dancing to the tune of her western masters.
At inception, this administration chose to float a weak
Naira against a strong dollar. Serious governments the world over are moving
away from trading their currencies against the American Dollar. Instead they
adopt the Chinese Yuan, a move that has proven worth the while. Nigeria will be
better off weaning her economy from the old masters and aligning with the Asian
giant.
However, to do these, the nation needs a leader/leaders
with the requisite political will and clean hands. Leaders with cupboards full
of skeleton may not be able to dare the devils. That leads us to our leadership
recruitment processes.
Leaders with questionable backgrounds and hanging
criminal cases would shy away from confronting the western shylocks for fear of
exposure.
In part 2 of this series we will be examining LEADERSHIP
RECRUITMENT AND QUALITY OF GOVERNANCE IN NIGERIA
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