Keep The Visa. Give Us Broadband!
I have been denied many visas. The UK embassy started the trend in 2002 with a transit visa denial; and as we say here, the other flies came calling while I was on the no-visa-for-you dunghill. The US embassy followed suit, even though I had spent the night before my visa interview dreaming of which hotel to stay in New York. So did the French. Did I also get a no from the South African, Spanish and Swiss embassies? I almost did… but the story has since changed. However, many other young people are still sweating it out on the queues – or at the mercy of mercenaries who have promised them escape from this complex environment.
Please take a quick trip back in time, with me, to 1991: two young Indians who had applied for US visas had to spend the entire day occupying their time and mind with various activities while awaiting what they thought – at that time – was the final verdict on their future (what am I saying here, their destiny actually)! And the “decider†was of course the consular officer. Please come back with me to 2006 and consider how tough it is for today’s Indian youth to get a US visa. But can the same be said of Nigeria? Your guess is as good as mine. And if you need a fair idea of how some Nigerians are at the mercy of consular officers, try an early morning ride through Eleke (oops, Walter Carrington) crescent. I actually hold a personal view that that crescent should be renamed after the Nigerian who has been the most frequent visitor to embassies – and is yet to be issued even half a visa. Why does an average (mind you, not all) young Nigerian believe that a lizard in Nigeria can become an alligator in North America or Europe – and increasingly, Asia? The answer is simple: precedence! Many of their friends were struggling until they escaped, traveled honourably or got lucky through the opportunity of winning the US Diversified Visa lottery (by the way, my friends understand my thoughts on the relationship between visa, lottery and slavery). So, even though many of these travel-out-and-succeed friends are cutting odd jobs, the assumption is that it is better to slave in a system that works than work in a system of slavery.
There is, however, a different class of young people in Nigeria. They are passionate, focused, daring… but not empowered. The world they live in is a different one and it has been referred to by those who should know as a global village – in fact, Thomas Friedman dared to call it a flat world. In this world, location should not matter. In this world, the Internet, new technologies and other forces of globalization should enable a young Nigerian (like his Indian or Ghanaian counterparts) earn more – and live better – without the need to apply for a visa. Unless, of course, he decides to travel for a well-deserved vacation or necessary appointment. Why is it a should-be story? I would argue that the reasons are not far-fetched: young Nigerians see the new opportunities on cable networks and on the Internet; we hear of them when we connect with our friends through Skype; we dream of them after reading past editions of The Economist or Time’s features on Innovation. But one single factor that can help us take the next leap is missing. Internet access in Nigeria is plug and pray, not plug and play – and that is even if you can afford it. To play on a global stage and in a flat world, we need time online and not just any type of access but broadband access! Guess what, if you give us broadband access today, my favourite embassies will miss me – and they will most likely start placing online adverts to attract young Nigerians to the embassies. Keep the visas, give me broadband – and see how fast Nigeria will get to the global map of innovation.
The flight is about to commence its descent into the Abuja airport (so this laptop has to be shut down), and I am on my way to another conference where we hope to look deeply into the relationship between ICTs, youth and better livelihoods (with a special focus on education). While I understand the place of discussions, I am honestly getting tired of meetings – I want broadband Internet access! “What will young people do with the access,†you may ask. I wouldn’t debate the fact that – like every good thing in life – Internet access is being abused. Fortunately, there is a high-level discussion today in Abuja to discuss the issue of cybercrime – and hopefully extend the arms of the law against the shameful act. It is interesting to also note that the earlier meeting I mentioned, the Digital World Conference (hosted by the NCC, GBF and the Club of Rome) will showcase the famous $100 laptop and talk about how ICTs can improve education and lifelong learning. But there is some good news though. NCC has been speaking of the State Accelerated Broadband Initiative (SABI), Wire Nigeria (WiN) campaign and has now taken off full-steam with the Universal Access Provision (UAP) in its much-needed help for rural development. While this is laudable, there needs to be some sense of acceleration and support from every possible quarter to make this a reality in next to no time.
While on my way to the venue of the meeting, and thinking of the other terrible issue that needs to be resolved, I met the best person who could discuss the issue. Your guess is right; it was power that occupied my thoughts. Even if broadband access was available everywhere, how much time can even laptops go for? Please don’t talk about generators and inverters as they should be the exception and not the norm. As it would happen, the man who shared the airport cab with me (incidentally going to the same venue to discuss power supply issues in Nigeria) shed some more light on the real issues, and spoke convincingly of the way forward – while also adding some icing to the cake by offering some dynamic opportunities to the students that we have trained at the Lagos Digital Village, who have had to constantly fight their IT knowledge from getting rusty (from lack of use on any job).
Take this from me, if you give us broadband (and stable power supply), we will transform Nigeria into one of the most desirable nations in the world even ahead of the 2025 deadline that this generation seems to have set for itself. As long as there is broadband access, you may please advise all consular officers that they would soon need to place adverts that will read AFOVGACVF, “Apply For Our Visa, Get Another Country’s Visa Free!â€
Until they solve the problem of telephony (fixed line, not mobile) and power, broadband will be just a dream. But won’t Internet access increase the opportunities for ‘Yahoo Yahoo boys’
I agree with you 99.5%
The two need to be fixed, as I also mentioned, and for broadband and Yahoo! Boys, we’ll have to first understand that anything (ANYTHING) can be abused; ensure that all holes are plugged (discourage cybercrime through legal, technical and socio-economic “plugs”) and then make sure that the system rewards creativity and not fraud. As it is today, most criminals “know” they can beat the system. If the system gets unbeatable, Nigerians always find alternatives. I can imagine how many people want to do “ike” job in the UK but are careful because of the systemic checks 
Some would argue that trying to alleviate poverty first would get rid of the Yahoo boys, and then you can concentrate on giving technology like broadband. After all, how many Nigerians can afford a computer of their own? Majority can’t.
There’s a LOT of cyber crime/fraud here too, the only reason why it’s called ‘Nigerian 419′ is because we got there first, and our people are the ‘crudest’. There’s also ‘Dutch/Spanish lottery scam’ which catches a lot of people in the UK, and so many other sophisticated scams you never hear about !! Nigeria only gets bad press because most of the emails from here come from people who type in all capitals…..and as far as I’m concerned, are easy to spot.
Just out of curiousty, what would Nigerians use broadband for, I honestly cant think of any reason other than what the current connection allows them to use it for?
Nice one Gbenga!
Hi Gbenga.
Excellently put.
I totally agree. It’s crazy that *people are travelling* to gather information/knowledge when the *information/knowledge should be travelling* to the people – surely that is what ICT is for.
Having said that – given that you are bandwidth-challenged – maybe we can fix a F2F catch-up later this year when I’m passing through Lagos
Keep up the good work.
Nice article. Well thought. Like Boso pointed out, stable power supply is very essential, for anything technological to work, in Nigeria.
The constant availability of electricity is one thing that would change Nigeria, for good. Broadband can then follow.
Good stuff. I’m for we go and get what we need, they can keep the Visa’s. These embassey half o levels, just feel like kings since the demand of Nigerians for their VISA, is more than supply.
If we get ourselves (as a nation) good broadband, why will I need to go anywhere?
Internet nor Electricity would never put food on the table of 50+ million Nigerians nor would it place Nigeria on the map of developed countries.
There is no single thing (or action, idea, priciple or concept) that will single-handedly place food on the tables of Nigerians, or place us on the map of developed countries, but a “collection” of items, issues, agenda, action and tools — and broadband is just one of them.
Again I dare to say that just as the GSM phone made travel a choice and not a compulsory thing for many, so will broadband make travelling out a choice and not a way of escape, at least for the class of people I described in my blog.
kazey Says:
September 21st, 2006 at 3:59 pm
Internet nor Electricity would never put food on the table of 50+ million Nigerians nor would it place Nigeria on the map of developed countries
—-Mr kazey
Your reaction is natural and truely Nigerian. I can bet you a million units of any currncy you choose that you got it all really wrong. Sorry, right side down.
As much as the solution maybe multi factorial, multi-fauceted, the singular solution is right in the minds of every Nigerian.
—- To My Friend the former Visa Applicant
I truely sympathize with your predicaments all the way. As a Visa Chaser and as a Broadband Chaser.
Maybe you have forgotten the fact that Visa’s are issued to Fat dollar account holders. You are sure right they shall soon advertise for visa applications. They already have automated the process with Courier pickup and electronic adobe forms on the same internet.
—-Please dont forget to modify their advert header from AFOVGACVF, “Apply For Our Visa, Get Another Country’s Visa Free!â€
to AFOVOAFAGTOCV ASAB, “Apply For Our Visa On A Fat Account, Get Two Other Country’s Visa And Save A Bundle”. A Sure way of protecting your investment. Whatever that means.
Happy New Year! See U!
Well thought. Like Boso said, stable power supply is very essential, broadband and good raods for anything technological to work and to enjoy the country, Nigeria. But government made to difficult The constant availability of electricity and good government is part of thing that would change Nigeria, for good. Broadband can then follow.
My Name is adeynka (adeyinks or gory untouch)im applying for a visa but i need someon to guide me but s i was browsing google then i found your website i have gotten o the stage filling th application forms and i have printed the black and white page of the adobe page maker but im hving problem infixing appintment could you pls help me out kindlpy give me the guidelines and steps in applying for us visa
thanks
i need visa
i thank GOD my dream is came true!
hi sesan,my people are really destroyed for lack of knowledge.we really need knowledge-access.And that is what the broadband provides.
The issues are many but the solutions appear few and limited. I find consolation in the opportunity to express myself to all and accordingly send you a copy of my letter to our president. Fortunately I have not rested there put insist on forging ahead to present the “plan” to Nigerians the world over. We can solve the problems without government. I will continue to work for the opportunity to tell all the plan. In the meantime if you are ever in Abuja, let me know.
His Excellency
Alhaji Umaru Musa Yar’Adua
President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
State House,
Aso Rock Villa,
Abuja.
OPEN LETTER TO A SERVANT LEADER
18th May, 2009
Dear Sir,
May I seize this opportunity to encourage the efforts of you and your good offices in steering us through the numerous challenges, obstacles, interests and interest groups currently facing the nation. Indeed, uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.
I pray you forgive the length and eventual public nature of this letter as it is borne out of the conviction that all Nigerians both home and abroad should participate in this conversation, because much of its contents affect us all.
Like most Nigerians, one is concerned about the state of the nation.
The challenges we face today are similar if not the same as the challenges (and perhaps the obstacles) we faced in the mid 80s, over two decades ago, before the initiation of the Structural Adjustment Programme (SAP).
Then, like now, we had epileptic power supply, industrial development was in reverse, education and healthcare were in decline, as was food production, unemployment and poverty were high, leading to heightened insecurity, cost of living was rising as service delivery was in decline coupled with infrastructural decay. Mass alienation, corruption and despair were also as evident then as now.
Similarly, then like now, we had abundant reserves of oil and gas, a wide variety of solid minerals and vast expanses of uncultivated productive land. We equally had a conclusive array of official regulatory and enforcement offices and agencies, and abundant wealth of experience and funds. Then like now we also had the largest single market in Africa i.e. over 100 million people and an equally huge labour market (albeit largely unskilled).
Today, decades later, we are still faced with the same problems, ever growing in proportion and ever recurrent, reaching levels beyond our collective projections and estimations.
Clearly these problems are not as a result of the recent global recession and one wonders why we are contemplating stimulus packages, especially when it involves shoring up the tertiary, when our primary and secondary industries are in a shambles.
One asks the simple question “where are the economists?†indeed what has happened to common sense?
Surely the premise of all tradable value in any environment lies in its production and productive capacity (re futures markets). Wherein, production relates not only to that of goods and services but also the attendant raw materials and financial services.
How do we hope to sustain the artificial values that would be generated by stimulating the tertiary when the fundamentals of modern production and economics do not exist i.e. Power, Energy and Socio-political stability.
Without production we can only boast of sporadic economic activity. Our primary industries i.e. agriculture and mineral extraction have been neglected while our secondary industries i.e. production of goods and services, have been thwarted by an ailing power/energy sector.
Many have observed that the surge and rally in the stock markets was as a result of the nation trading on hope, seduced by artificially supported indices of economic growth, as opposed to reality. The market is not in crisis, the stocks have simply assumed their correct values as a result of the “reality gapâ€.
Further still, the institutional linkages that lay foundation for socio-economic and socio-political activity have been broken and replaced instead by interests and interest groups who have taken positions in all Sectors, awaiting successive national budgets for sharing whilst “moving the nation forwardâ€.
These entities and dynamics have gained foothold, using the instruments of state as rightly predicted by Karl Marx.
Mr President, it is such matters and issues that trouble one’s mind, especially in this nation of ours, blessed with such abundant raw materials and enviable potential by the Almighty.
This is more worrisome when, as a father, one considers tomorrow, the children growing and those yet to come. What suffering awaits them from our actions and, more so, from our collective inactions.
Many have resulted to prayers, whilst others languish in apathy. The narration and lamentation of our woes has become a national pass-time of both social and prime-time entertainment.
Several events, individuals and groups in our polity and history have been blamed, ranging from the imbalances within the “geographic expressions†created by the colonial masters, years of oppressive and successive military rule, mismanagement by politicians, theft by public servants, massive corruption, lack of political will and good leadership.
Currently we have included global meltdown to the list as we continue to make excuses for folly and diminishing cranial activity. And clearly wallowing in the dark, we continue to return to history in attempts to becloud present and glaring realities.
One wonders, perhaps the problem lies with the people, Nigerians themselves, as a collective and individually. This is an important question especially when you raised the matter of the “Independence generationâ€. Change is on everyone’s mind, but what kind of change and for whose benefit?
A cursory glance at our society today reveals several distinct groups and stratifications that characterise our national realities.
One grouping would be Government and all its offices at all levels nationwide. This would include the executive, legislature and the judiciary, all supported by the civil service.
Most sizeable here are the civil servants, the official guardians of our collective wealth. Yet allowed by, and complicit in deliberate system failure, some have become the gateway for loot. Collecting unofficial fees in official processes or organising “contractors†for bloated contracts and government projects are but some of the ways they try to “maintainâ€.
These qualities, perfected over decades unchecked, have led to the corruption we collectively complain of today. These qualities have equally been emulated by the executive, the only difference being a question of degree. And likewise with the legislature wherein, though only few actually observe their duties and functions, most have equally become contractors in addition to other collections and “constituency projectsâ€.
The judiciary however, though not directly or actively participant in the decay, exudes complicity through inaction in the face of abuse and even flagrant disregard for the rule of law. Sadly, herein lay the accomplices that enable graft and oppression. Indeed such is our justice system that a man can be jailed for stealing a chicken out of hunger whilst his fellow countryman, who stole billions out of greed, roams free.
Perhaps another group would be the “merchants†i.e. the importers, the contractors, the middle men, facilitators and professionals. This is the group that accounts for the private sector i.e. a large pool of Nigerians who have at one point or the other rendered services to the first group. Here also shelter the other various economic and political “stakeholders†in our polity.
The rich variety, creativity, age disparity, funds and collective acumen of this group is enough to propel any nation to global reckon. Yet attitude has allowed the cream of our society to sour, not emboldened enough to seek their destiny. Continuously complaining and curiously insufferable, united they remain, bound by the “turn by turn†psychology. Mostly they wait in servitude, nursing ambitions of their own turn to be “thereâ€. Generation after generation, beyond cars and houses, amounting to nothingness.
The last of these groups would probably be the masses. Herein, when culpable, and in many instances, the “perpetrator” elicits support either through direct payment or by instigating turmoil along religious or tribal/regional lines to avoid due consequences. Demands for accountability, transparency and service delivery have been changed at this level to “na our man, leave amâ€.
But oddly, and sadly ironic, this is the same group most affected by our national deficiencies. These are the people who need the jobs and proper education, infrastructure and utilities and yet have no voice. These are the people who remain disenfranchised, and misinformed into folly, inspired by pennies.
Indeed we have collectively acquiesced to this shame at all levels and aspects of society and as such should not throw stones at “leadershipâ€. We have perverted our morals and customs to accommodate the ludicrous and bizarre in a twisted attempt at modernity. Logic, reason, honesty, principles, scruples and other essential fibres in the essence of the being are sacrificed for social and mercurial considerations.
We accuse “government†of rhetoric and insincerity as if government is not made up of those around us – our brothers, sisters, cousins, uncles, aunts and even our children. Are they not those same people we shower with all manner of honours and praise singing, perhaps for immediate gratification, instead of telling them the truth. The rot is not only at the top but equally exists in the middle and at the bottom levels of our society.
One would like to share a poem with you Sir,
For Whom The Bell Tolls by John Donne
No man is an island,
Entire of itself.
Each is a piece of the continent,
A part of the main.
If a clod be washed away by the sea,
Europe is the less.
As well as if a promontory were.
As well as if a manner of thine own
Or of thine friend’s were.
Each man’s death diminishes me,
For I am involved in mankind.
Therefore send not to know
For whom the bell tolls
It tolls for thee.
It is an old saying that “a leader is oft’ led by the will of his people.†Perhaps that is why you have chosen to be called the “Servant Leaderâ€. Indeed the essence of leadership is to serve and none can doubt your intentions to do same as evident in your 7-Point agenda.
The necessity of addressing our Power and Energy issues are clear to all. Lack of Power and unavailability of constant and affordable Energy, accounts for over 70% of our current collective set-backs yet they have remained unaddressed simply because the successive ruling classes can afford and trade in the alternatives i.e. generators.
Interestingly sir, one wonders why it is not national policy to use coal for power generation as do all other nations that have large reserves of the mineral. Even China from whence we currently derive much economic inspiration derives 80% of its Power from coal.
The inclusion of Agriculture in your 7-Point Agenda is not surprising and this sector will ultimately benefit from mechanised large scale farming. There are miles of productive but uncultivated land that can be economically accessed through Cooperatives or other like business models for commercial mechanised farming. More important, however, is the need for enhanced preservation and storage capacities to maximise current levels of production.
Agricultural potentials may also contribute to change the dynamics of the Niger Delta. This is possible in conjunction with an all inclusive pollution control and clean-up exercise involving the indigenous youth and the companies that have caused such environmental degradation.
Much soul searching is equally in order as evidenced in recent Summits and Truth Commission. It is obvious that the people of the region know the script writers and the actors in their unending ordeal and ultimately have the power within themselves to displace those deviant few who continue to be “settled†whilst havoc reigns.
Though a later entry into the agenda, Health and the health sector are equally of importance, and even more especially Education.
But many have been our national agendas, reforms and visions. We pick and choose areas of focus forgetting or unaware that for economic development to occur, all variables and elements must be integrated and simultaneously activated.
We have many and enough ministries, agencies, commissions, laws and tools, programmes and policies, yet we have not managed to make these existing offices, policies and institutions functional nor existing laws applicable. How do we then reform what we have not practiced?
Many successive governments have sought to court the people and their support through these agendas and reforms, even probes and commissions. Perhaps this is related to the fact that we have never had a democratic government truly of the people. The military regimes usurped power by force and the use of arms and our civilian “rulers†usurped power by rigging. And thus, predictably, our only true democratic experience was annulled.
Nigerians wonder why we spend so much time and resources in debates and discussions on agendas, reforms and visions that do not manifest any tangible difference in the lives of the citizenry.
“No light, no water, no food, no money, no fuel, no anything†has become common talk in the polity.
The Nigerian, “average†or “ordinaryâ€, has nowhere to go and no one to turn to for solutions to mundane problems. Food, light, water, shelter, jobs etc. remain promised “dividends of democracyâ€. Even the various state apparatuses for societal regulation, order and rule of law ignore his pertinent need for fairness, equity and justice.
System failure, and subsequent corruption, has resulted in governments’ inability to provide for the people. System failure has equally resulted in societal failures as both our traditional and official institutions have failed in maintaining the prerequisite standards of transparency, accountability, honour and discipline. This has denied the polity of local pairing structures at the grass roots necessary for policy implementation and policy benefits.
There is a general feeling of despair and apathy as majority of Nigerians watch their country drift into obscurity. Even those in positions of authority have ultimately resigned to a psychology of business as usual or worse “if you can’t beat them join themâ€. And though they know what ought to be done they choose rather to aid the ostrich bury its head in the sand.
Such is the state of things that the Local Government structure has been relegated to the “third tier of governmentâ€. Consequently many States fail to even conduct Local Government elections.
The Local Government structure is that level of government closest to the people. It is through this level of government that the people can receive information and participate in government activity, initiatives and benefits, directly or indirectly.
Economically, it is at this level that the inner wheels of any economy turn supported by state policy and intervention through financial institutions and initiatives. Politically, the Local Government structure provides the “electoral college†that selects, educates, prepares and equips future leaders at all levels. And sociologically, it is at this level that social safety nets become applicable and implementable either through organised menial labour such as sanitation and facility security or through direct state support.
Historically however, our national experience at this level has been disappointing. In the forward to the 1976 Local Government Reform Guidelines, your brother, the then Brigadier Shehu Musa Yar’Adua was to comment that with “…the continuous whittling down of their powers…..Excessive politicking had made even modest progress impossible. Consequently, there has been a divorce between the people and government institutions at their most basic levelsâ€. That was 33 years ago.
It is at the local levels that the prerequisite levels of societal and administrative cohesion are fostered, through interaction, necessarily involving universal participation based on communication.
This point was equally captured then, by the Brigadier, when he continued “…it is only through an effective Local Government system that the human and material resources could be mobilised for local development. Such mobilisation implies more intimate communication between the governed and the governor. But above all, these reforms are intended to entrust political responsibility to where it is most crucial and beneficial, that is, to the people.â€
It is then not surprising sir, that you should show visible interest in universal participation and participatory democracy under the rule of law as fundamental. It is equally not surprising that you understand the intrinsic and foundational relationship between universal participation and the rule of law.
Your public acceptance of the discrepancies and invalidity of an election wherein you were victorious not only supports, but is indicative of your pedigree.
This throws a challenge to the rest of the nation to rise up to the occasion, not through protest but rather through constructive dialogue and collective action. Indeed there is a national need to shift focus from “complaint conversations†to “solution conversationsâ€.
There is need for unison of purpose, guided dialogue and coordinated action in addressing the important and necessary tasks in our polity, especially that of uniting capital and labour in our country and fostering an economically viable entity regulated by the rule of law.
This is indeed becoming more glaring with the obvious and eminent emergence of a new economic world order destined to ravage the developing nations, Africa especially.
The dictates of globalisation determine that production will continually seek cheap skilled labour and more importantly capital will seek higher and secured profits.
We have a large domestic market of over 100 million people to produce and cater for, which can sustain economic growth for decades were we enabled. And there is an abundance of capital, especially in private hands, which can be productively deployed for national development and benefit.
Thought provoking is the notion that if neither the government nor the people can effect restitution nor afford the upheaval and the time wasting that will be caused by an attempt to immediately and fully correct the ills of the past, perhaps an amnesty is in order, allowing the economic reintegration of these “rogue†funds, from whence we may safely say “no more†and deal decisively with new culprits henceforth.
There is ultimately the imperative that much attention be primarily directed to those between the ages of 20 and 50 as the focus of our new socio-economic and socio-political policies, and social engineering mechanisms. Therein lay our productive (20 – 40) and regulatory (40 – 50) capacities in the present.
Proper categorisation, compartmentalisation, reorientation and deployment of this segment of society, if adequately planned and pursued, necessarily in conjunction with the integration of capital and labour, will provide for all our needs.
The future however, lies with those currently between the ages 5 and 15 for whom we must immediately overhaul the Education sector such that the society produces reliable hands and heads for continuity.
Whilst cramming and regurgitation have replaced thinking and creativity in our nursery and primary schools, cults, examination malpractices and “sorting†in collusion with staff have been the bane of our secondary and tertiary institutions. This has left us with a large pool of the unskilled, unschooled and largely untrained.
Beyond tinkering with ownership of the schools or the number of years spent at each level, the vehicles of education are equally in need of drastic appraisal and repair i.e. the school staff and structures. Most schools lack adequate science laboratories, physical education facilities and basic amenities.
The Kwara State experience where out of over 19,000 only 75 passed a Class 4 exam, shows that the teaching staff must be reassessed nationally as a matter of urgency. Perhaps the same State Commissioner for the Ministry of Education should immediately head the Ministry at the national level since, reading his methodology and even for the fact that he was thinking in that light, he obviously knows what to do.
We have equally forgotten that education is a continuous as well as a collective process and the relevance of libraries (with books inside), arts and drama, clubs such as Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, Age grades and other traditional structures educative and supportive of instituted authority and collective societal input. Even toys, folk tales and sports have all but disappeared in our society.
The benefits of recreational facilities, zoos, social centres etc have been lost as most of these instruments of Edutainment are fast being destroyed and replaced with housing estates for the affluent.
Indeed Sir, even education involves universal participation as does most else of communal relevance, implication or deployment. It would be difficult to teach a child to throw waste in a dustbin while all around the streets and houses are piles of refuse left by adults.
But, universal participation, like the rule of law involves and requires an understanding within a given polity. This understanding facilitated by communication, enables all members of that given polity to appreciate and adopt a common and agreed path of action, achievable and sustainable through continued understanding and the cooperation of all.
An example of this would be queuing, wherein Nigerians manifested their will in stopping queue jumping. Though initially forced into queuing by a military regime, there was a collective consciousness in the matter as ordinary Nigerians abided and enforced queuing everywhere.
It is this collective consciousness that is referred to as the “General Will†and translates to notions of a Social Contract i.e. an agreement made (acquiesced) to by all and binding by all. The concept of general will, as indeed social contract, introduces the element of trust to communal existence, wherein anyone who betrays that trust is decisively dealt with by all for the benefit of all.
In a democracy, the general will is enabled by the electoral process which allows members of the polity choose representatives they believe will protect their interests, i.e. the people they trust.
In Nigeria, as you have rightly acknowledged Sir, the electoral processes are in need of immediate attention and scrutiny to correct the ills therein.
It is thus clear and evident from all social and national commentary that Power/Energy is fundamental to a realistic economic and socio-economic revival whilst free and fair elections i.e. participatory democracy is foundational to sustaining socio-political stability for economic prosperity.
I commend the spirit of sincerity in your leadership and that of the Minister of Power who has acknowledged that we currently do not have a Power master-plan. If that is the case, then the minister should immediately prepare one, there has been enough talk already.
This should be a full report, detailing the existing and proposed power plants in the country, both public and private, including pertinent factors and issues such as distribution capacity and requirements, envisaged constraints, accompanied by the policy and actions taken, time frame and expected results.
Your recent observation that Nigerians are not adequately informed of Governments actions and policies is sadly also true. The Minister for Information and Communication should therefore publish an exhaustive list of all government Ministries, Departments and Agencies/Commissions etc, their functions and their addresses including their Service Charters created and submitted to SERVICOM.
This is in line and core to the functions of that Ministry. Let Nigerians know their Government and its instruments first. The branding of a nation must involve its people who must be necessarily informed about their nation before all else. Indeed as with most things in life, for any successful outing, proper preparations must first begin at home.
This should also be a free publication, distributed throughout the Federation through the Nigerian Postal Service, an essential instrument of communication and information, all but forgotten, yet structurally present in almost every Local Government Area.
The Nigerian Postal Service should be at the fore in extending and attaining the desired levels of information dissemination and feed-back mechanisms especially at the grassroots in order not to occasion further disadvantage to those in rural areas. Though Government needs to be sufficiently enabled with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for internal processes, hard-copy formats must necessarily be the platform for communicating with the nation, especially in Nigeria.
This constant communication provides not only the platform for societal integration and regulation but also the collection and collation of accurate data and statistics for national planning, deployment and implementation of development strategies.
Please find enclosed a copy of the Project Initiation Document for Deployment and Implementation of Development Strategies which lays the prerequisite national platform to bridge the gap between the government and the people. Reform like change must be a continuum, and, as regards to a specific polity, must represent a collective conclusion from collective contributions based on collective experience.
Development, like government and governance is inter-related and inter-dependent. National development must therefore involve simultaneous ignition and actualisation in all sectors.
As humble contributions to “solution conversationsâ€, the first of three steps is the launch of an Ombudsman, necessarily by and involving the people, in concert with both government and traditional institutions.
An Ombudsman structure, being inherently probative, will engineer adequate reform across the public sector especially in service delivery and accountability, whilst providing a bridge between the government and the governed. Supported by the collective, driven by the Public Defendant (through the Nigerian Bar Association in conjunction with other professional bodies) and guided by the Law courts, the Ombudsman will address
1. Non-recurring injury to individuals or a group
2. Recurring, systematic injury to individuals or a group/class
3. Injury to the general public or the greater collective
The second step would be actualising the integration of capital and labour for wealth creation through the provision of critical, commercially viable infrastructure, more specifically and most importantly Power/Energy and Rail transportation. This would include one 10,000Mw Thermal Power Station powered by coal, two 200,000bpd Refineries and 3000Km of strategic intercity rail. All of these will be deployed using nationalisation platforms.
By so doing, not only will critical infrastructure be actualised in the least possible time, stability will be occasioned in the capital markets due to the inherently broad base platform of nationalisation instruments. This is in contrast to the stagnant monopolies occasioned by our unbridled application of single-owner privatisation policies.
The imperative of actualising Power is basic, thus in conjunction with our current policy using Natural Gas, we must mine our coal and ultimately use it to provide electrical power as do all other nations that have large reserves of the mineral.
Nigeria has the largest coal reserves on the west coast if not the continent. Our coal is sufficiently low in sulphur content to be considered environmentally acceptable. The employment potentials are obviously twofold as they involve not only the power plants but also the mining of the coal and our other minerals for export.
Likewise sir, in relation to Energy matters, if a 200,000bpd refinery costs $4 Billion, why doesn’t the State build two new refineries and recoup the expenditure, plus cost of capital, by nationalising/selling same through stock instruments in the capital markets. There is an abundance of funds in Nigeria, though largely in private hands, that will definitely support and participate in such an initiative. A variant of this model may equally be used in deployment of rail transportation using manual labour. Rail transport is capital intensive but critical to national development. It is also a viable and lucrative business as are coal mines, Power Plants and refineries.
Indeed most of the nations that offer us advice and loans for these items used and continue to use internal fiscal mechanisms and manual local labour to achieve sustained infrastructural and economic development by integrating capital and labour as a means of wealth creation. The Chinese even use their own nationals for projects abroad as evidenced in their various projects in Nigeria.
The expansion in the economy occasioned by these three projects will necessarily provide mass real employment, direct technical and skills transfer, micro-economic activity and macro-economic stability. More importantly the projects involved either involve or stimulate other economic variables thereby deploying inter-relatedness, characteristic of governance and development, by simultaneously stimulating all sectors. However, the role and functions of the Central Bank, as indeed the commercial banks, need to be examined along with interest and lending rates in a bid to realign them to current objectives and realities.
The last, but definitely not the least step, is that the national voter’s registration exercise should commence now, as a continuous and public process, to ensure free, fair and verifiable elections. This may be in conjunction with the National Identity Card scheme, another essential developmental and planning instrument.
Further to this, the issue of independent candidature, as included in your proposed electoral reforms, should be vigorously pursued as enabling of involvement, access and universal participation in the polity.
Nigeria is not a failed State. Many are also quick to observe that we are barely 60 years old as a Sovereign nation, and that we were under military rule for over half of that period. The current levels of developmental progress in some States, speaks volumes of what is possible.
But still, in the history of our nation, few moments have been so critical. Externally, a new world order unfolds, one that will be conditioned by a new generation, products of a new time. Internally, old interests, interest groups, obstacles and challenges continue to distract and derail us.
Fortunately for us, we are not at the end of a cycle, but rather at the beginning. Unlike our western neighbours in the global village who face economic recession, we are yet to deploy and sustain the basics of an economy. And whilst they seek new markets and means (including nationalist policies) to sustain consumption and thus production, we have a virtually untapped domestic market of over 100 million consumers.
Mr. President Sir, in the next three months, Nigerians of all ages and professions, States and tribes, religions and creeds will be called upon to unite and actualise the first two steps in a historic moment of self actualisation as a Public Private People’s Partnership. Support us in every way and with all your good offices that together we will all deliver the heart of our nation.
The last or third step can only be taken by you and your good offices. Should you bring the spark, Nigerians will light the candle of true democracy.
I pray you Sir, always remember that you are the President of a nation and not just a political party or interest group. Seize these times, step out of the box, emerge the leader that your pedigree demands of you, Nigeria will succeed, as our pedigree demands no less of us.
Majority of Nigerians do care and are willing to sacrifice for a new Nigeria devoid of excessive politicking, interests, interest groups, and all other obstacles presented by those who profit from this madness and shelter in the chaos.
We are indeed old enough to give a “GOOD PEOPLE a GREAT NATIONâ€.
May the Good Lord grant you love, favour and shelter, both in the heavens and on earth.
Yours Sincerely,
Akunwata Chuka Modebe Esq
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