|
Nigeria and Africa: On Nation-building By Leonard Karshima Shilgba, PhD
Looking at Africa in general and Nigeria in particular, the picture of a big house with diverse members and yet one people comes to mind. To build a decent enduring house, there is need for a plan. But a decent plan alone is not sufficient if there aren’t skillful, committed, and reliable Masons found.
The problem with Africa is not just leadership as many people would have us believe, although poor leadership can hardly inspire; the real problem of Africa are African people themselves. No nation or people can achieve greatness and strides of development without sustained faith in their ability to set targets and achieve them. Africa will know and experience true greatness when the allure of the technologically advanced world fades away, and in its place is found a determination to develop mother Africa and bring to her what has for decades attracted the African elite to Western and lately some Asian countries.
Some months ago a white man wrote a commentary on one of my articles. He says that the white man has for long seen Africa as a “Garden of Eden”, while the black man always calls Hell where God wants for it to be a Heaven. This lack of perception is what he placed on the back of the seeming backwardness of the black race. This lack of perception about consequences of individual action or inaction on the continent is responsible for capital flight from Africa. It has been estimated that 40% of Africa’s wealth has been carted abroad-particularly to the Western world- by Africans. What this translates into is that Africa is in effect a big aids donor to the developed world.
The distribution of wealth on the continent has also been very uneven with just 100,000 Africans owning assets worth over $700 billion dollars, according to the 2005 World Wealth Report. These Africans are high net-worth individuals controlling at least $1 million worth of assets; the average comes down to $7.7 million which is higher than the average in the rest of the continents except Latin America. With just 100,000 Africans controlling about 0.8 % of the world’s wealth put at about $120 trillion in 2005, the much needed investments in Africa can be done by Africans themselves taking the lead for the rest of the world to follow. It must be stressed that this is not an exact piece of statistics as far as Africa is concerned given the enigmatic nature of the informal sector on the continent.
Africa is never a poor continent! Africa is only a mother raped by her children who keep trading blames at each other as to who is the worst culprit. The game of corruption is being played, not only by some African leaders at various levels of responsibility, but also by the African private sector being efficiently supported by the multi-national corporations.
A queer phenomenon I have observed is the craze for everything foreign and un-African; we the African elite love to associate ourselves with some weird experience “overseas”; we adore the title, “Africans in the Diaspora”. Then we visit Africa to strut our wealth, thus provoking unlearned envy from our folks back home, who would react by doing everything from the insane to utter criminality to go abroad. Little do they know how ignominious the living conditions of many of those African show exhibitors in their host countries outside Africa are.
A people who are constantly lured away from their place to foreign lands at the slightest enticement will surely leave behind a generation that will never build a decent society, not because they can’t, but because they have never been taught by their forebears to love their place and sweat to develop it; not by example at least.
I would not want African children who presently sojourn abroad to still live there in their adulthood for economic survival rather than for brief economic, social, and academic transactions. Those wonderful economies in which many of us live were built by the natives. We seek to reap where our fathers never sowed and cannot develop ours for others to enjoy. What can we do as a people to bring sustainable development to Africa that will not cost us something? Anything worthwhile costs something precious; sacrifice is very strange to many of our loquacious elite who are very quick to criticize but very stingy with praise when needed for encouragement.
I have written before and still repeat here that we deserve the kind of leadership we have; we only produce our kind. If a remarkable change will take place in our economies and politics, we must have a remarkable change in attitudes as a people. Attitudes determine destiny and not the other way round as some demonstrate. If African elite are never sure of their love for their countries, it is a shame. No one who loves their country of nativity will ever truly love their country of adoption or abode. When we love because of material privileges available today, we shall surely hate in their scarcity.
Who are Africans waiting for to develop Africa? What suitable investment climate are we waiting for? Excuses have no enemies; they are courted by the most vicious. Those that will do something significant for Africa will in the face of daunting challenges. I have thought about my continent and discussed our plight with many Africans. The common lamentation is the lack of patriotism. I cannot forget how a Tanzanian friend told me that “Nigerians are not patriotic”. Definitely not all Nigerians are unpatriotic and even ask the motivation to be otherwise. The fact nevertheless is that until we have a new perception of where we are and where we should be, we shall continue to wallow in the mire of blindness.
A Ghanaian compatriot and publisher wrote asking if I could do a piece on the Governor of Bayelsa State, Nigeria, Mr. Diepreye Peter Solomon Alamieyeseigha, who was arrested last September in UK for money laundering. As shameful and reprehensible as his alleged crime is, what attracted greater sense of shame to me was the reaction by the people in Bayelsa State. This is a State with enormous oil wealth, and shares from the 13% derivation and yet is not better developed than many states without oil endowment; this is a State among others demanding, and rightly so, for a greater share in their endowed oil wealth; this is a State among others for whom a lot has been written by many people (including myself) calling for at least 50% share of their resources.
Now, their chief executive, and acclaimed “Governor-General of the Ijaw Nation” (Bayelsa is the truly only Ijaw State) has been alleged to have laundered money-some huge cash found on him by the British police-and instead of wondering aloud at this and supporting the law to take its full course, we hear that the Bayelsa State Assembly has deliberately gone on vacation, whereas a noble Assembly would have recalled members from recess in the face of such an event of urgent State importance. A State Assembly whose members will each collect N100 million from their Governor for “Constituency projects” whose sound execution remains in doubt would surprise even itself should it behave differently.
We hear talks like “Nigeria is against the Ijaws”; we hear from many Bayelsa leaders that the Federal government has “set up” their governor. We must give it to some Bayelsans who have reacted appropriately, requesting the law to take its course. But the majority of political and opinion leaders in Bayelsa have disappointed some of us. Does it make sense for someone to write again asking for increased derivation from resources in host communities? Don’t we sometimes deserve what happens to us many times over? If we will make rapid transformation to a decent nation, attitudes just have to change.
If the Governor is found guilty by the courts in the UK, he must do the time; and no amount of shouting or setting up of committees by the Elders from Bayelsa to enable the freedom of their Governor-as they were reported to be doing-would help. Some elders have lost sense of dignity and the rule of law.
Many State Governors are said to own assets abroad worth $17 billion. While I commend the Federal government for the determination to recover these for the Nigerian people when proven that they have been illegally acquired, I must passionately appeal that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Commission against corruption and other related offences, (ICPC), and the Code of Conduct Bureau should collaborate and prepare a three-pronged attack formula to initiate the prosecution of all corrupt Governors and their Deputies who have been hiding under the cloak of immunity. Their arrest should be effected on May 29th 2007 as they handover to their successors.
Those Governors who are eligible for re-election, whom the EFCC and other corruption watch dogs (national and international) have investigated and found to have dirty linen beneath their flowing gowns should not be allowed to win their party’s nomination for re-election. During screening, the appropriate bodies like the Independent National Election Commission (INEC) and State Security Service (SSS) should shoot down their nomination on available evidence. They will therefore join the gang whose arrest should be effected on May 29th 2007 latest. I hope that even if the present State and National assemblies refuse to amend this albatross called section 308 in our Constitution, our leaders covered by it would have seen its futility from May 29th 2007. They can’t have immunity from criminal and civil prosecution in perpetuity.
I would like to comment on the Dokubo matter. The Ijaw youth who claims to be leading a fight to free his Ijaw people from “Nigeria’s oppression”, was alleged to have said he was working for the disintegration of Nigeria. He has been arrested and is being tried for treason. It is interesting he has said he is prepared to die for his cause. It is strange that his lawyer Festus Keyamo claims the Ijaw people are on trial; this lawyer wants to transform this into a class case of Nigeria Vs Ijaw. By implication, this lawyer is creating the impression that Ijaw is an independent nation. I find difficult to believe the lawyer understands the end result of the steps he is taking and if he can successfully defend his client.
Dokubo is not on trial because he is an Ijaw; he is standing trial because he is an acclaimed instigator of the disintegration of Nigeria. Anyone that does that and is learned enough should know the consequences and be prepared for them, and not to resort to a cowardly position that he is a representation of his ethnic group that is on trial. If you can’t crawl why try to stand? The rants and shouts of “Freedom, Freedom” from this young College drop-out when he made a court appearance recently, were only indicative of his puerile disposition to issues. Immaturity cannot lead a credible cause.
I make bold to say that the cause for resource control has been dealt a deadly blow by the latest events involving both Bayelsa Governor and Dokubo. I wonder how many people can perceive this. Another point I need make here is that, neither the Ijaws nor any group in Nigeria can get any cause accomplished through violence, and definitely, resource control can never be attained by violence.
Any intended violence in the Niger Delta area by the likes of Dokubo is a threat against the global community whose thirst for oil remains insatiable and will be viewed as “terrorism”. Developed nations like the USA have recently eaten into the apple of their people’s freedom in the crusade against terrorism. Someone could die a useless death by threading foolishly on the terrain of treason and global terrorism. In today’s world, your definition matters only if it agrees with the powers that matter politically and economically.
I have said before that we have not tested our federalism sufficiently enough. Anyone remotely suggesting disintegration of Nigeria should be made to face the music. Those that want disintegration should be prepared for the consequences and not call their personal travail for intemperate utterances a persecution of their ethnic group. I urge and plead for a clinical prosecution of Dokubo and his likes in Nigeria to a logical conclusion. Any Nigerian’s freedom of expression ends where other Nigerians’ security is threatened thereby. Rabble-rousers like Dokubo and his ilk are not nation builders but destroyers who must not be given room to maneuver.
There are four categories of workers involved in building of an elegant edifice. These are Masons, Plumbers, Carpenters, and Painters/Electricians. In nation building, we need four categories of builders: 1. Founding fathers: These are those who are originators of nation States driven by different shades of ambition. It is true that many nation States as they exist today in Africa by name and geographical delineation are the creations of foreigners who came and colonized Africa. It is therefore difficult to finger-point founding fathers of many of those nations. People that fought (not necessarily with swords and daggers) for political independence for African countries cannot lay claim to the title Founding fathers.
In most cases, political independence was won without unity based on a common vision among those that fought for it other than to see the back of the colonial masters; this became the tragedy of many African countries. Having exhausted their energy fighting against foreign occupiers, the freedom fighters (Not founding fathers) discovered they had not prepared to live together; then they needed to find common cause, vision, and goal to live together for. But not long after, many of those nations like Ghana and Nigeria were over taken by another group of occupiers-the military. For countries like Nigeria, therefore, we are gradually preparing for emergence of founding fathers of a true Nigeria nation. Founding fathers chart the course of governance and succession. They help birth the spirit of the nation.
2. Core Reformers: Core reformers eventually emerge as societal founding fathers if those reforms they espouse become acceptable in a global sense as far as their nation is concerned. Founding fathers do not give themselves this appellation; it is given by an appreciative series of successive generations who inherit the benefits of the reforms they instigated many years ago, which though painful at the time, have recently brought a harvest of blessings.
Core reformers lay a solid foundation for the economy in particular, and politics in general. They must be courageous and focused, not allowing noises to intimidate them. They could make adjustments when necessary, but are never overawed by intimidating stance of the “informed”. Those that oppose reformers of the day do so for one of two reasons-out of sincere ignorance (pardonable) or selfish envy (unpardonable)
Nigeria has a crop of Reformers today. I will not grow tired talking of President Obasanjo (The head of this emerging group), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Nuhu Ribadu, El-Rufai, Charles Soludo, Bode Augustos, Obiageli Ezekwesili, Mansur Muktar, among others in this group of twelve that has recently stretched to 13. The World Bank in its recent report said that corruption has dropped in Nigeria and disagreed with the ranking of Nigeria on the corruption perception scale by the Transparency Initiative. The World Bank now places Nigeria in the 88th position among 117 countries studied recently on corruption perception index, believing that with sustained reforms Nigeria could do better.
Economic management in Nigeria has been commended by important world economic bodies and individuals, resulting in debt forgiveness of $18 billion by the Paris club whose ratification may be done in few days from now. The naira is getting so strong and stable with a growing foreign reserve now put at $29 billion, which is a veritable tool for determining whether a currency will be stably strong or not, so that some Nigerians with savings in foreign currencies may be compelled to change those into naira (This becomes a sensible proposition given the obliteration of the dual exchange system from next year January after the completion of Bank re-capitalization and Consolidation exercise which is by the end of December this year). The World Bank believes that by the end of 2006, the benefits of those reforms will come pouring in.
Considering those young and beautiful Nigerian reformers who are being born, I have hope for the future. We should not be surprised what more leadership responsibilities they take on in the near future. There will be great surprises in the run up to political elections in 2007. Many old politicians will not have time to campaign for elections because they will be so busy fighting for their freedom in the law courts either within or outside Nigeria.
To build Ghana into what she is today, Jerry Rawlings had to physically eliminate many corrupt Ghanaian politicians though painful as that was. Nigeria’s experience will be same to a large extent, only the methods will differ. The law courts both in Nigeria and out of Nigeria will eliminate those rapacious invaders of our political landscape from circulation.
3. National Dressers: These are fine-tuners of the reforms that have run their course awhile. They beautify the economy by streamlining reform policies for greater efficiency and productivity. This is where a nation needs a good pool of young, fearless, and honest patriots to ensure the stream is never dry of good national leaders. In 2007, Nigeria will do well to have proactive legislators at both State and National levels. The current performance of the National Assembly is better than before 2003, however, we need better unselfish performance. Recent rejection by the Senators of the President’s request to borrow $220 million from the Excess crude oil account to boost power supply in Nigeria through a special power sector program left me amazed.
One senator says that as noble as the idea is, the President is too much in a hurry. Another senator says the Constitution provides that the money be “shared” among the federating units (and this is irrespective to the fact that the Governors have agreed to the borrowing). Another Senator says the President did not tell them first and so their ego and dignity has been seared. Well, we need Senators who will not use the law to frustrate Nigeria’s development but rather to enhance her growth. I commend the submission of the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (Upstream), Lee Ledogo Maeba, who posed the question as to what became of the money from the excess crude account “shared” to State Governors in the past; he answered that the money found its way to foreign accounts; and that is the rude truth!
Let me quote the Senator: “There are times in the life of a nation when aggressive decisions must be taken to achieve aggressive results. Where we are and where are we going is the worry of Mr. President. We have never gotten anywhere with this share the money; share the money; share the money. If you shared the money, where is it going to? It’s going to Europe; some to Asia and some to America. President Obasanjo is serious about power supply and Nigerians need power supply to move forward. Let us not politicize this goodwill. The governors have said yes. Let us not allow the minority parties to blackmail us. This is a PDP Senate but they (minority parties) want PDP to fail,”
We need legislators that will initiate action and help make expeditious appropriations for national development rather than play cheap politics with our aspirations for growth. With all the wasted years, we cannot afford to develop patiently. I should appeal to our honorable Senators to please support this noble idea to borrow money from the Excess crude oil account to finance this special power sector program, which contract has already been given to General Electric Company. I paste here an excerpt of the president’s letter to the Senate dated 9 September 2005 for readers benefit:
Power Sector Development:
The special power project, for which contract has been awarded to General
Electric will start getting delivery of the turbines and generators from
June 2006 and to ensure completion of the supply by November 2006, we need
to make the first payment of $220 million by September 15, 2005. GE
(General Electric) has committed to deliver the first major components by
June 15, 2006 and the last components by November 30th 2006 once we keep
to agreed contract terms and payment schedules. Permit me to inform you at
this point that given the importance of this project, its direct relevance
to our economic progress, and the need to deliver on this dividend of
democracy to Nigerians, I have since set up a committee chaired by the
Vice President with 15 governors as members to see to its implementation.
The committee has met
regularly and the project has been endorsed by the National Economic
Council. This investment in the energy sector will be recovered on the
privatization of the sector. Meanwhile, we need to get over the inadequate
supply of energy by implementing the Special Program with the initial
payment from “excess crude” which is accumulated for the three tiers of
government as a loan to be refunded to the Federation Account after the
program.
Regular and uninterrupted power supply will drive down the cost of production and reduce poverty. The President can never be too much in a hurry to bring this about. A country like Nigeria needs National Dressers such as the National Assembly to be alive to their responsibility not to scupper a program so significant to Nigeria’s economic growth on the platform of cheapness and triviality.
I should expect the National Assembly to quickly make the appropriate amendments that will fast- track private participation in the railway industry so that noble projects like the Odua rail project from Ibadan to Lagos will not be aborted. They should rather get their acts together and make useful inputs into how the proposed railway and Inland water way projects to be included in next year’s budget will be smoothly executed. They should make full and adequate appropriations for these to enhance industrial and human transportation in order to reduce shocks inherent in fuel price hikes.
4. The Citizenry: This is a vital group of nation builders. We cannot curse our nation and expect any positive changes; we cannot undermine government economic policies and expect rapid economic growth. The private sector must purge itself. The press must be truly independent but dependable for truthful reporting, nimble and balanced analysis, sound commentary, unbiased investigation and reporting and wise counsel. We Nigerians must consider that our honor appreciates as our country develops. We should also encourage leaders who are doing well. We must not only appreciate after the outside community has taken the lead and rewarded qualities before we acknowledge them.
Governor Bukola Saraki of Kwara State was rewarded with the 2005 award by This Day group as the best Governor. He is going to receive the 2005/2006 best African Governor award in South Africa, which in the words of the organizers, is meant to showcase our best in Africa to the outside world. Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala also received a global award for excellence recently. These are just few cases of our leaders that have been recognized recently for excellent performance.
We should not make the mistake of always condemning and lumping every leader together and branding them “corrupt leaders”. There are beautiful ones among them who need our encouragement. The press has an important duty to responsible journalism here. The NGO’s must not be slack either; integrity should characterize their conduct and expenditure of capital and public trust; the labor movement must do same.I recently had cause to write the Editor of the Vanguard newspaper on an editorial carried in the paper entitled “Free meal for pupils”. Please, read my mail below:
Dear Editor,
Although I have failed to have my articles published in the Vanguard newspaper each time I sent them, I have nevertheless, chosen to write you about your editorial "Free meal for pupils". As a foremost newspaper in Nigeria one should expect a more balanced commentary on such a novel and momentous policy of government as free meals for pupils. Your rhetorical questions in your editorial and other snide comments suggest that the policy is a distraction and shouldn't be a priority until the parents are able to adequately feed their children.
Yes, meals for school children are only a supplement as you indicated, and responsible governments should ensure that such meals are provided. But it is not to be said, and definitely not by a newspaper like yours which should adequately educate, that government must provide for everyone in society before this is done. Some of us living in developed countries (I live in Japan) are proud of our government for initiating this program which is directed at children who are the weakest in society. For saying the policy "confirms" the UNDP 2005 report on life expectancy in Nigeria is very bizarre, incongruous, and inappropriate. Are you insinuating that free meal for pupils is done in countries that are tottering towards a declining life expectancy? Readers like me wonder what your editorial meant to accomplish.
I am privileged to be involved in the Yokohama Board of Education English program here in Japan as an International Understanding Instructor (IUI), assigned to three Elementary schools within the city. I MUST have lunch with the pupils on each occasion I go for classes; I study their programs carefully believing such knowledge will stand me in good stead one day when I return home to Nigeria. One thing you cannot say is that the meal program for pupils is to confirm some UNPD report about Japan. This is a responsibility of government.
When some people in government today are taking commendable steps to make Nigerians proud of their nation, newspapers like yours should not denigrate such steps. You can commend and urge more action in other related areas without having to despise little beginnings. We should all encourage good programs. I do not think government must worry about what the pupils will eat on weekends before implementing the free meal program. I don't think our environments must be mosquito-free and clean before implementing the free meal program. All these are other issues that can be looked into without having to disparage a noble program such as the government has embarked upon.
Finally, I urge a change in journalistic work in Nigeria for the rapid progress of our nation. It is not only for the press to indulge in unnecessary criticism all the time no matter what government does. The press must educate Nigerians on what government is doing. But if the press is so ignorant and cannot see the future in the eyes of today's programs, then national ignorance must take long to wipe out. It is increased investment by the private sector in Nigeria that will provide the needed jobs that will reduce poverty and ensure the availability of many of the things you enumerated in your editorial. Can anyone doubt that the investment climate is becoming less inclement now? Are not more jobs being created through several private investments going on today in Nigeria? Government anywhere is not a big employer of labor; rather, government makes policies for the flourishing of the private sector, which creates jobs and sustains government social spending through prudent taxation.
If Nigeria must develop, it will take all of us making conscious efforts to seize every opportunity provided by government to create wealth for our people. Importing and selling goods produced abroad only creates jobs for foreigners at the expense of Nigerians. If Nigerians with means refuse to put their money in productive ventures in spite of enticing opportunities, newspapers like the Vanguard must urge them to and amplify such existing opportunities. I for one have spent more of my money in Nigeria than in Japan consciously to boost my country's economy.
As part of nation builders, we the citizens of every African nation must do our part. What have we done or not done that has prejudiced African development? In Africa, the rich hardly set up Foundations for specific causes. We always blame “government” for inefficiency in the system. But we are part of government, and must use our influence and privileges appropriately.
Leonard Karshima Shilgba, PhD
|