Charity Begins at Home

Charity Begins at Home!

Maxwell James

The dust of the just concluded elections had barely settled when the national print and electronic media became inundated with the news of Nigeria’s President - elect Alhaji Umar Yar’Adua’s foreign trip under his capacity as the President – elect. The two - phased tour took him to several African countries like Benin Republic, Togo after which he proceeded to Niger, Senegal, South Africa, Algeria, Libya and other African countries. He was also accompanied by other politicians and businessmen. The importance of the tour according to his Senior Special Assistant on Media was to discuss matters of mutual interest and bilateral relations. Very important, one may say. While I may differ with the opinion of many respected columnists on the right of Yar’ Adua to travel under that capacity, I feel the President elect can help his in - coming administration by touring some selected areas in Nigeria before May 29 to acquaint himself with the innumerable task ahead of him and his team since according to INEC Chairman professor Maurice Iwu his campaign tour took him to only the state’s capitals.

It will be preposterous to suggest here that the President – elect can tour everywhere in Nigeria again after the hectic electioneering period also considering size. However, looking at his reign as a reclusive governor of Katsina state, the opportunity that could be exhausted on foreign trip could be judiciously used as a chance to have a first hand feeling about our state of affairs. For instance from Wurno to Kazaure down to Nguru through Macchina to Wukari, Obi, Dekina all the North, Ketu, Ijebu, Ore in the West, Uromi to Tamigbe, Isampou, Peretorugbene, Akaolu, Obele, Rumuekpe, – Bere, Teemana, Agbani – Lueku, Kira – Tai and Kporgor, all in the Niger Delta, it is certain that the President - elect will be more humbled in victory to see the dearth in which Nigerians have found themselves. I consider this a chance of a life time for Yar’ Adua to serve those who have been placed in unfavorable circumstances by the social forces of history as well as man inhumanity to man as in our case.

Recently, there has been a general consensus on the need for good governance in Nigeria. Comparing our case with countries like Malaysia, Singapore, Brazil, Ghana and Senegal that we started together with, it is really sad that we are tragically left behind. One can even safely say the ones with illegitimately bad record of terrorism, dictatorship and lack can boast of functional and efficient basic infrastructure and services with good level of social welfare in spite of their meager resources. Ours is a direct opposite – poverty amidst plenty as well as suffering and smiling; apology to Fela Kuti. This could be attributable to our penchant for underestimating our problems and our leaders - luxury style - leadership.

If one responds primitively to Nigeria’s travails, it is because they appear unnecessary. Some examples should illustrate this point. From 1999 to 2007, our elected politicians have been holding our mandate to change our collective fortune for the better, but most of them are a metaphor for failure. They never care to know the quantum of problems at the local level.

The President elect promises to be a servant leader, he should travel by road at least for one week to see for himself the state of our federal and state roads with intermittent stop over at the near by village/shanties. At the height of last year’s rainy season till now, the Sagamu-Benin expressway has been in such a terrible shape that commuters are frequently stuck in its stretches for several hours with Armed Robbers having a field day. How did the outgoing government respond to this blight and anomaly? Their response can best be described as ‘unflappable indifference’ as evident in the state of the road now because no top government official travels by road. Yet, our rulers lost not one second of sleep over their fellow citizens’ harrowing experience simply because they have not availed themselves the opportunity of touring Nigeria to that extent. The concept of governance especially as regards road maintenance and construction should not be all about allocating several hundred of billion of naira ostensibly for that purpose without having first hand supervision. But, as many Nigerians suspect, such monies are often ploughed into private pockets. Only Nigerians who have lost several friends, relations and love ones to accidents on these ghastly roads can appreciate the urgency of repairing our roads; which I believe the government is not aware of because our charity begins abroad.

Also the official neglect and inadequate funding of our health system is worrisome. Nigeria’s once robust health care system have been reduced to shells of their former selves especially at the state level. A public commentator recently described Nigerian hospitals as the last bus stop on the way to the mortuary. Nigerian public officials may not know this because they prefer traveling abroad, and they are aware of their responsibility in creating this enormous tragedy. They (and their family members) are contented to jet off to some European, Asian or American hospitals for routine medical check-ups. If only such opportunity could be used to visit our local hospitals to see the level of damage, the incoming administration will know where and how to start.

For instance, Nigeria always makes the top of the list of every international index of wretchedness and social underdevelopment, answers to such ugly scenarios can only be found in Nigeria not necessarily by holding talks on bilateral agreement when many agreements here have not been fulfilled.

The outgoing administration is a living testimony of finding local solution abroad!

Maxwell James

GRA, Port Harcourt.