A Chemist to the Rescue

John Igoli

Chemistry has played an invaluable role in the development of nations hence it may be instructive that the first graduate to preside over the affairs of Nigeria is a chemist. Much has been given to him, much has been said of him, much is expected of him but much more is expected to have happened by now! Chemists are known for reactions but the time it is taking him to act or react on issues has led to his being dubbed ‘a go slow President’ however we take consolation in knowing that slow and steady wins the race. Every one seems to be able to define or know what the problem with Nigeria is but only a few especially from amongst the politicians are genuinely committed to the development of the nation. Such people exhibit ‘sudden patriotism’ i.e. when the going is good for them, we should be patient as they are doing their best but as soon as they fall out of favour or patronage they start howling about how bad things are, a place they vacated just yesterday. It is to stem such persons that our reactions should be quick and purposeful. When a reaction takes too long to produce the desired products side reactions take over and the desired products may never be obtained. This is the case in the House of Assembly now where the side reactions (allegiance, duels, commentaries, power tussle and greed) are now more interesting than the desire to rid our House and political space of corruption and other corrupt practices. A similarly fate was suffered by the naira redenomination issue; the side reactions stopped us from further strengthening our national currency and economic empowerment.

There are several issues requiring urgent reactions from the presidency: the renovation scandal and its investigation has become an exothermic process, with the exchange of free radicals (blows or fisticuffs), heating up the polity and diverting attention from our developmental goals. The AGF versus EFCC chess game is heading towards a stalemate or may transform into a bomb that will either reform our war against corruption or deform it permanently. The education load borne by our teachers, the PTAs, lecturers and unions or associations such as ASUU, NASU, ASUP, COESU and other such groups in our educational institutions is presently unbearable and they have been crying themselves hoarse and striking themselves to death to remind us of what education really is and its purpose. Many have had cause to wonder if our graduates went to school at all! Poverty has entered our genes such that our new babies and children cry more out of poverty and hunger than lack of attention. While the poor have poverty of money or property the rich have poverty of ideas and contentment. Corruption has become corrupted in Nigeria hence it is now impossible to clearly define or distil it. Terms such as ‘due process’, ‘competitive bidding’, ‘approval,’ ‘court injunctions’ and recently ‘the rule of law’ has obfuscated’ the light in which corruption must be seen hence the fight is more of groping in the dark now. The Niger Delta problem has become a LASER getting amplified with each solution applied and it is burning off what is left of our International reputation, all the trips abroad by our government functionaries to launder our image not withstanding. The level of unemployment is so high that graduates are earning below N5000.00 a month to teach in private schools. Pensioners are now pensile waiting to drop down. Our dignity has been so corroded by the 419 scammers and our honourables/leaders who are supposed to defend it that a Nigerian is first perceived as guilty until he can prove himself innocent. These issues and many more not listed here require urgent attention. We need somebody to come to our rescue and that is where our Chemist comes in. The answers should not be made difficult or far off as it is being implied by the 2020 target. Who is better fit than a chemist for what in the world isn’t chemistry?

Our Chemist has experimented in the Katsina State lab for eight years and we were assured by the Alchemist that he can perform in the larger laboratory of Nigeria. Unfortunately some of his present crop of reagents (Ministers, Speaker of the National Assembly, Senate President, Governors and Local Government Chairmen etc) are spent, un-reactive or ineffective towards achieving the products now being called the ‘seven point agenda’. Such functionaries just remain stubborn and adamant and care little about other people’s feelings, dreams, expertise and opinion. They just keep on blundering, fumbling and stumbling at every opportunity to demonstrate their worth and political dexterity. Some are now so defective going by their past activities and utterances or corruption index that they cannot influence or cause any Nigerian to react positively now. Fortunately he has the free lab of the press, mass media and public opinion to analyse and determine which reagents need to be dropped but definitely not recycled as is usually the case in Nigeria.

A Chemist is good at balancing equations, this is highly needed in Nigeria now especially balancing resources or money spent or allocated with the work done or service delivered. It is in Nigeria that what an individual could do or achieve for ten naira will cost the government ten thousand or more just to achieve the same results or even less! Our sense of balance is so warped that we have come to accept any product as equal to the reactants or money put into it and we are satisfied that only manners are destroyed in the process. A Vice-chancellor once bought beddings and cutleries for N90 million for the VC’s lodge and we almost took a delivery of a body massager for N98 million for one of our principal officers! We must evaluate yield on government’s investment on the people and for the people; poor yields must be punished and timely too. Chemical analysis today is at the micro scale level and the products of previous administrative reactions such as the state of our roads, power and water supply, hospitals and schools and other public utilities must be critically analysed and the reagents (people) that brought them to this sorry state must be identified and made to account for the monies given to them and their actions/inactions while in office. We must also balance our national wealth with the peoples’ own; the level of poverty in Nigeria is totally unacceptable. The minimum wage has become an invisible wage; some workers may not, cumulatively, earn a million naira in their total service period or even life time while those with access spend millions on white elephant projects and show of ostentation and flamboyant life styles.

Solvents are used to form solutions which are a uniform distribution of matter in a medium. We have the Federal character structure as one of such solvents and recently the GNU was introduced but it turned the PDP litmus paper red as it became acidic or bitter in their mouth. Some parties and individuals were insoluble in it. The presidency must reach out more to bring all into solution else trouble precipitates as in the Niger Delta. Ostracising a group, association or people/locality from the dividends of democracy will be a negative catalyst in our reaction towards the set goals.

While some reactions are spontaneous, others need time, heat or pressure to take place. Our president must be ready to apply measures or pressure to ensure that the desired reactions take place. This is the lesson the EFCC has learnt in its tug of war against corruption hence its method of operation though it could be better. The risk involved in this is the loss of political godfathers, affiliates and hangers on. We must rise above personal considerations and sentiments to drive the wheel of change and development in Nigeria. Fortunately the president has a very willing substrate, the state in which OBJ left Nigeria and in his inaugural speech identified the products of his government. The test tubes (committed and well trained/educated Nigerians) and apparatus (programmes, infrastructure and resources) for the change are numerous and overflowing while the chemicals (money and commitment) if well managed should not be a hindrance. We look forward to the day Nigeria will crystallise among the comity of nations while Nigerians will radiate their hard work, dedication, struggle, determination and unflinching faith in their country to be a beacon of hope to their African brothers. Our chief Chemist must start the reaction now else we will loose steam, focus and ultimately our vision. Come 2020 we may still be playing a 20 a side football game with our development using a new set of imaginary goal posts and rules. The president, our referee has sufficient red and yellow cards and he must use them now to bring sanity and order to the present situation else at best we are just spinning a web of confusion and deceit which will entangle the guilty and innocent alike. This is also to avoid the catastrophe looming in the House of Representatives for something rings a bell that the exchange of blows is not over yet. He must diffuse the tension and nip in the bud the ominous break down of law and order by giving Nigerians the chance to extract the trouble makers from the House or their present positions of responsibility. The solvent of public opinion must be used regularly to cleanse our polity and remove the grime from our national fabric.