Daily Independent Online.
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Thursday, August 12, 2004.
Chikelu and the Nigeria image project
By
Maximus Uba
Very
recently the Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation put
together what it referred to as a positive and enduring project for the
improvement of Nigeria’s image. Tagged “Image and National
Economics”, the event took place at the seat of power, Aso Rock, Abuja
with President Olusegun Obasanjo in attendance. But beyond the jamboree and
media propaganda that was the project, many Nigerians are not impressed, in
fact not enthusiastic of the image building project as packaged by the Minister
of Information and National Orientation, Chukwuemeka Chikelu.
Firstly
Nigerians question the venue of the launch, which is Aso Rock, Abuja, the seat
power, an indication that the project is meant for occupants of Aso Rock and
not the generality of Nigerians. For instance, at the said launch the hall had
more of government officials, Ministry of Information contractors and friends
of the minister than Nigerians for which the project is meant for. At the last
count, an observer counted less than 20 Nigerians who are neither government
officials nor contractors of Ministry of Information.
Secondly,
since the image project was launched, besides the people at Aso Rock and media
executives in Lagos, few Nigerians are aware that a project of that nature is
in existence. A flash back on history will reveal that when the Buhari/Idiagbon
began the War Against Indiscipline, schools and markets were made integral part
of the campaign. In fact enforcement began at these two levels than at the base
of government. What the above indicates is that the image laundering project is
basically meant for the media executives that the minister met recently in
Lagos and government. Thirdly, many Nigerians question the intention of the
project at a time when Nigerians cannot point to anything that is achievement
of President Obasanjo in his five years of administering Nigeria. According to
some pundits, a society whose morale is so low as a result of ineffective
leadership has no business talking about image laundering essentially because
government all over the world is not about policies but about people. Fourthly,
many Nigerians question the intention of such projects at a time when component
units of the country are at daggers drawn with either their neighbours or
government at the centre or the oil companies operating in their environment.
In this instance, one remembers the communal clashes in Benue, old Cross
Rivers, Plateau and Kano states and wondered if the government shouldn’t
have channeled its energies at having a cohesive, peaceful and integrated
Nigeria. Again, Nigerians question the intentions of the project when the
economy is stagnant and at an all time low. For instance, in other climes of
the world, government of the day will be more interested ensuring that its
citizens are well fed via enthroning a robust economy which will cater for all
and sundry. As the popular saying goes, a hungry man is an angry man so it will
be difficult to preach about image laundering to a people that hardly have
dinner everyday, people who are ravaged daily by hunger, people who are not
sure where the next meal will come from.
Perhaps
as against the image laundering project, the Olusegun Obasanjo government
should channel its vast energies in the area of firstly reawakening the economy
so that the citizens will feel the impact of governance. Secondly, the
government should do something about food production in Nigeria, a situation
where Nigerians with vast arable land and manpower to till the ground but poor
vision in agriculture is largely unacceptable to majority of Nigerians.
Thirdly, the government should immediately get essential infrastructure, such
as roads, light and water working again, in fact a priority. For now the
infrastructure are in a horrible state and thus militating enhancement of the
life of an average Nigerian. Fourthly, the issue of Sovereign National
Conference must be a priority of government. A discerning observer will agree
that lately, very Nigerians and groups hitherto indifferent to the clamour have
now become its committed apostles. Perhaps until the government takes the issue
serious and attends to it urgently very little will be achieved in Nigeria.
Again the government of the day must ensure and institute an effective judicial
system in Nigeria. As the third arm of government and last hope of the common
man, the present image of the judiciary is but embarrassing and
uncomplimentary. Thus if government officials expect Nigeria to function again,
it behoves on them to see to it that the rule of law, which is sine qua non to
development, is upheld, encouraged and strengthened.
Importantly,
government should tackle very seriously the issue of national security which
has been very embarrassing since the beginning of this administration. For
instance, the entire South-South region is but a military state where ethnic
nationalities have taken the laws into their own hands. In other parts of
Nigeria, armed robbery, murder and ritual killings are now the order of the day
with government not batting an eyelid. Worse still, those who government
arrested for one heinous crime or the other are having the best of times in
police cells and prison yards across the country, courtesy of corruption that
is Nigeria. Very importantly, government should re-inject resources in the
education sector of Nigeria. For instance, in today’s Nigeria, it is a
notorious fact that public schools have collapsed irretrievably while
government officials are establishing private schools to the detriment of
public schools. Unless government reinvigorates the education beginning from
the primary school level, the nation will wake up one morning to notice that
the entire nation is not only lawless and irresponsible but without form. Then
again there is the employment question, which is but hopeless. For instance,
the U.S. under President Bill Clinton created well over 15 million jobs in his
eight-year reign as President. In five years of this administration, more
Nigerians lost their jobs as factories kept closing one after the other. It is
no secret that very many Nigerians, including directors general will
“check out of the country” for better employment opportunities if
given the American Visa. In the face of all these, what many Nigerians desire
from the government of Obasanjo is a just, egalitarian and welfare-driven
society not image building project. Perhaps that will be the best way to lead
Nigeria in this 21st Century.
Maximus lives in Mbaise, Nigeria.
