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Anniversary celebration with tears
chuma ifedi
Nigerians
woke up a few days ago to find that the price of
fuel has again escalated under the cover of deregulation. That event is probably
the anniversary bonanza for the embattled Nigerian citizens as we celebrate the
44th national day. Our president has in his wisdom often inflicted one obnoxious
policy or another every time 1st October is around the corner. We are generally
apprehensive of what direction President Olusegun Obasanjo is taking this
country as our circumstances deteriorates with each passing anniversary. The
president promises better years ahead but the situation grows from bad to worse.
Perhaps, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) actually reflected
the true position when its president said that President Obasanjo has been
following the path prescribed by imperialism at the expense of the suffering
masses. It is an open secret that the federal government has literally been
kidnapped by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
Professor Charles Soludo, Governor of the
Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), and Dr (Mrs) Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Finance
minister provide variable channels for realising the damaging effects of
imperialism on the Nigeria’s economy. Ironically, recent heads of state have
found the Igbo race as willing tools for the decimation of the country.
President Obasanjo is following in the footsteps of Ibrahim Babangida and Sani
Abacha in exploiting Igbo executives to achieve detrimental objectives inimical
to the nation.
In his first independence anniversary
speech on 1st October 1999, President Obasanjo stated: "We take the values of
justice, equity, fairness, accountability and transparency as fundamental tenets
of our creed because I believe it is the surest way we can build the country and
the community of our dreams". On the same occasion, he also affirmed:
"Alleviating the poverty and suffering of our people is the fundamental
objective of our administration. It is the single principle that underlies
everything we have done and will do".
Nigerian youths expressed jubilation when
on 1st October 2000 the president in his anniversary speech titled "Let us keep
hope alive, said: "We are currently in the process of formulating a Youth Policy
which I believe will provide a suitable formula for looking after the youth of
this country." The usual 1st October promise was again repeated in 2003 when the
president asserted:" "We intend to pursue the various strands of agricultural
policies to the level of food security when we can begin to claim that the
average Nigerian is eating enough of balanced diet from food that is available
and affordable. The ongoing privatization should advance considerably and
government would be able to concentrate on the assignment of providing an
enabling environment for optimal productivity in manufacturing. We note with
appreciation that our efforts to encourage small and medium scale industries has
so far attracted substantial amount of funds from commercial banks. We will
press ahead with our plan to make this sector of the industry a vital segment
for jobs and income for a large number of Nigerians".
The so-called Thanksgiving and Democracy
Day on 29th May 2004 provided another opportunity for the president to raise our
hopes. He affirmed: "Democracy is at the heart of it all people: their welfare,
well being, challenges problems and of course solutions". He added: "The
security and happiness of all is the goal of our society. We must build a nation
and communities that care and share. We must continue to look up and hold our
shoulders and heads high. We are sure to reach our goal".
Nigerians are getting tired of
presidential platitudes which have been prolific in recent times. None of the
abundant promises made by President Obasanjo has been fulfilled. Poverty
alleviation has turned out to be a mere political gimmick. The poverty level in
Nigeria increased from 27 per cent in 1980 to 66 per cent in 1996 and to 70 per
cent in 2002, according to the United Nations Development Programme. Nigeria is
the third worst developed world oil-exporting economy with low human development
index. In the last twenty five years Nigeria has realized over $300 billion
(40.5 trillion) from oil rents and royalties by multi national oil operations.
Whereas N88 exchanged for one United States of America dollar on May 1999, today
N142 is exchanged for one dollar, a clear manifestation that the naira is fast
being devaluated. While China has lifted some 400,000 people out of poverty in
the past twenty years, Nigeria has unwittingly pushed 71 million people further
down the poverty line. This declaration was recently made by the South African
Institute of International Affairs. President Obasanjo has contributed to the
worsening poverty of Nigeria by his negative, regressive and deflationary
policies by which pensioners are not paid and domestic contractors are denied
their fees. Retirees of the Nigerian Railway Corporation have not been paid for
28 months.
Nigerians are not aware of any progressive
youth policy since 1999. What we see is aggravated youth joblessness leading to
an unprecedented crime rate. The earlier the purported national youth policy is
evolved, the better. There is no pragmatic food security initiative in the face
of the slow pace of farm mechanisation and non-adoption of accelerated food
production schemes. The agricultural sector has been dormant in recent times.
Few citizens can even identify the current
national agricultural policy or name who the Minister of Agriculture is.
Privatisation has gone haywire with transferring national assets to foreigners
the Nigeria Airways to the British Virgin Airlines and the refineries to the
Chinese oil industry. Small and medium scale enterprises collapse due to severe
neglect and financial starvation by the banks and other financial institutions.
On public welfare, President Obasanjo should really not talk about it because
from all indications he actually gives no consideration to the well being of the
citizenry.
The National Economic Empowerment and
Development Strategy (NEEDS) concedes very little attention to public welfare
just like the much orchestrated economic reforms.
As we celebrate another independence
anniversary, we must be introspective and critically re-examine our
circumstances.
Where have we gone wrong? What can we do
to improve the quality of lives of the embattled citizenry? The president needs
to change his style of governance and map out new priorities. His present
management approach is patently sadistic. Dr. Alex Ekwueme was apparent right
when he averred: "The whole instability we are going through is due to the style
of the leader of government, the president. His style generates this
instability". Public welfare should take the pride of place in democratic
governance.
Secondly, the issue of corruption must be
tackled genuinely. The present ruling politicians are utterly corrupt. All the
media campaigns on corruption are mere camouflage. The presidency has been
declared the engine room of corruption in Nigeria. The president and governors
must lead by example, not empty precepts.
Thirdly, economic development should concentrate on the
core areas of the real sector-agriculture and manufacturing and not cosmetic
monetary and fiscal reforms. If indeed we are serious about achieving poverty
alleviation, then youth employment, settlement of arrears of pension and
domestic debts as well as massive funding of small-scale enterprises must be
given prime attention.
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