|
Resolving Critical Issues By Anthony A. Akinola
Nearly fifty years after independence compiling a voters’ register is a big issue in Nigeria. In any society where records of birth and death are mandatory, a voters’ register is merely updated. The names of the dead are taken off while those of individuals who have acquired the voting age are included. Every Nigerian citizen, regardless of his or her station in life, must have access to education and information. It should not be asking for too much to say every town and village in Nigeria should have a standard public library. Defecating in the bushes does great harm to human health, so having decent public toilets is also not a luxury in a modern society.
The different tiers of government have different roles in a federal society. Local governments are closest to the people, so they should attend to the basic expectations of those under their jurisdiction. Such expectations include the cleanliness and health of the environment, providing for the education of children as well as facilitating access to information. Not having money should not bar one from reading a newspaper! Where planning ahead is the approach to governance, officials need not be reminded that the register of those residing in the local community is not something to fiddle with. It is not important, in an ideal situation, whether or not the population of a nearby town or village is higher than ours.
The simple truth is that we have not achieved the basic requirements of existence in Nigerian society. The incoming federal government is, therefore, faced with the task of building Nigeria from scratch. Providing electricity for the populace is one priority task, not least because many other issues are inextricably linked with it.
In the 1960s rural electrification was a policy of Nigeria’s federal and regional governments. The electricity poles can still be found in most streets, but the lamps have since disappeared. Oil lamps have regained prominent positions in most homes, as only those who can afford generators experience the periodic supply of electricity. The next federal government must now bring light back into our homes and streets, and this demand is indeed urgent.
An effective supply of electricity can only be guaranteed if the source of supply is diversified. It is one business which must be opened up to competition as is the case in most countries of the Western world. Users of electricity owe a responsibility to pay for the services they enjoy, while it is also the duty of suppliers to be efficient. In the countries of Western Europe and America, suppliers of electricity know that inefficiency on their part could be very costly. A litigious man or woman has no qualms about suing for compensation because a pint of milk in his or her fridge has gone bad due to the negligence of another! Hence the practice of notifying users well in advance if the supply of electricity was going to be interrupted even for just a few minutes. That, I suggest, is the level of responsibility we must aspire to achieve in the very near future.
The next agenda is the transportation sector. If I were president of the Nigerian federation, or governor of a state, I would endeavour to change the transportation culture in my area of jurisdiction over a period of time. The current culture whereby anyone can put his or her vehicle on the public road for the purpose of transporting human cargo doesn’t help the cause of safety and orderliness in our society. A new policy will encourage prospective transporters to constitute themselves into private companies, and about three or four such companies can effectively handle public transportation in a large city like Lagos.
The advantages of this approach cannot be overstated. Firstly, the transportation business will attract into its fold individuals who have money to invest but do not want to be transporters per se. With their enormous money, decent vehicles will replace those museum-bound ones whose ill-mannered drivers fight for passengers and control of lanes. Secondly, the transport companies will provide employment and opportunities for staff, company lawyers, accountants, insurance companies and their well-trained drivers can now go on holidays as well as taking days off in the week rather than living their lives on the roads. Thirdly, it will be a lot easier for the government to impose its regulations, as well as tax the profits of the companies. Funds generated from the companies will help in developing new roads and maintaining existing ones.
The health of Nigerians is another issue of paramount importance. Why do prominent Nigerians want to die abroad when the same death is not frightened of killing them at home? "He died in a London hospital" has become something of a status symbol in Nigeria!
The reason why our health facilities are inferior to those of Europe and America has nothing to do with the Nigerian weather or climate, it is simply because we have not invested enough in them. If we can plough all the money stolen by politicians and military rulers into equipping our hospitals and providing adequate training and remuneration for medical personnel, then our health delivery system will improve in confidence. The next governments of the Nigerian federation must seek to improve health facilities in society, as well as providing free medical care for the elderly and those suffering from life-threatening diseases.
Finally, the issue of unemployment must be addressed by focusing on all sectors of the economy. The various governments must create jobs for the citizenry so as to create an environment which is conducive to the safety of life and property. The graduates we today produce from our ill-funded universities will bring logic and new techniques into criminality if we fail to realise the essence of the investments they have made on their time. A peaceful atmosphere will encourage entrepreneurs to invest in our economy. Entrepreneurs are permanently motivated by profit; they do not need any politician to preach to them, once the environment is investment-friendly they will be right here.
email: anthonyakinola@yahoo.co.uk
|