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The Deplorable Condition Of The “Brown Building” - Environment House, Along Airport Road, Abuja By Segun Simmons
As Nigeria marches towards re-branding, quite a number of things within the system have to be re-branded as observed by different commentators for the rebranding of Akunyili to make sense. I very so agree with the group of Nigerians and those in Diasporas who have been critiquing the on going re-branding for not addressing the main issues, these people have a right to their opinions. But this is not to say that re-branding in itself is not good but what ought to be re-branded first within the polity is not prioritised as indicated by some. Within this purview, the case of the Ministry of Environment Building before National Hospital needs re-branding as it constitutes environment nuisance to the nation. It needs to be attended to pronto. The positioning of the “Brown Building” is the major reason why the Minister of Environment and the Chairman House Committee on Environment should quickly intervene.
The approach to the building bespeaks of an environment that is practically crying and begging for help. A particular window has been left suspended and hanging for more than two years outside that building without the thought of getting it fixed. The entire wall is begging to be painted. The furniture and other fittings are broken apart. In some cases two chairs are combined to be sat upon, one with an inside while the other with legs. Does it mean there are no allocations for this building or what? Minister needs to answer some questions or do something about this in no time.
It is so shameful to imagine how much of a laughing stock we make of ourselves before the international community when our priority as a nation is misplaced. The ministry of Environment building along the airport road popularly called “The Brown Building” is an eyesore. The worrisome things about the display of foolhardiness in terms of dictum and language just like slogans adopted to address certain issues are mere jamborees with regards to this state of affairs. They are forever well spelt out and key comparatively, but they are forever wrongly administered and wrongly targeted. What to be done are said but never saw the daylight. And more often than not, they are forever antithetical to either the subject addressed or the addressee. For instance, on the “Brown Building” is written “LET US PROTECT OUR ENVIRONMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT”. Do you know that the building that serves as the vanguard for national environmental protection is in itself bereft of any form of protection? Its moribund, decay, derelict and sickening façade is begging for protection. The building is so strategically located that you can not miss it. I understand that that is about the first major national building in Abuja which was constructed since 1992. These little things that could be done by the government in order to earn some credibility are never attended to and when they are, they seem belated. Why I worry is that the noise we make of ourselves as the giant of Africa is just the usual lip service with no particular substance attached to it.
This is a structure that is located just before the turn to the National Hospital on the way to the airport; obviously it is insulting to the nation that is a life wire to many other nations of the world. A number of foreigners, diplomats and other big time political office holders pass this place every day. This is own to the fact that the United Nations building is situated somewhere around that axis and a number of Embassies are equally located there. While a larger percentage of people commute on this axis to ford the National Hospital and other locations situate on this axis, what explanation then do we have as a people if the environment house saddled with the mandate and responsibility of overseeing the environment for sustainable development is in a state of disrepair and deplorableness? Or what excuse does the government and the Federal Ministry of Environment have by not giving priority to what directly concerns them? If re-branding of the nation is what we are talking about now, I think Minister should begin to think of how to follow Akunyili to learn the traits of rebranding that will suffice for the environment building to give it a better reputation than what is presently obtaining.
The paradox about the environment house is the inscription on the building which ordinarily ought to be a beacon of hope to the nation following the strength inherent in the words. But it is so unfortunate that the blind who can not see wants to lead other blind men. Isn’t it true that when the blind leads the blind, they all will fall into a ditch? I wonder how the brown building that needs to be protected and salvaged from dilapidation and from becoming an environmental nuisance wants to protect the environment. It may interest you to know that a walk through the environment building can make you sick. The entire carpet in the building is threadbare on all of the floors. Disappointedly, on one of the floors, a generator is in one of the landing that is perpetually blasting away its obnoxious noise, while other floors of the building are left to generate power on their own. At the reverse of the building, it is almost falling apart while a canteen is not far from here which translates to mean there is a regular human traffic of people in this place.
It will surprise you that the paradox is further heightened in that the bulk of revenue generated by the Federal Ministry of Environment comes via the brown building which always play host to virtually almost all the oil companies in Nigeria for accreditation and other such services. This is the building where you have the department of Assessment, Accreditation, Desertification and a host of others. And this in turn generates a huge sum of money or revenue into the coffers of the ministry and the country at large. Is it not very shameful to discover that this same goose that is laying the golden egg is left to suffer and die? There are quite a number of departments in the building that are viable to the economy of the country. If the expatriates are regularly in this place holding meeting and doing one thing or another that regularly make them visit the building, it is then not out of place for something drastic to be done to rescue this building. This is becoming like a “Trade Mark” or better still a “Brand” to the Ministry of Environment to always appear very contrary to what its mandate is in terms of environmental protection. Sometime between 2007 and 2008, you will hold your breathe if you are ever unfortunate to visit the “Green Building” of the Ministry of Environment at Maitama. The human waste from the toilets not only smelt horribly but the waste water and the excreta were physically seen at the passages of the second and third floors while the flies greeted you as you approached the foyer and reception of the ground floor. Coupled with what is going on in the brown building now, this needs attention. There is a need to reinvent and reorder this un-saintly status quo. How should the environment ministry be in this state of affairs while the staff and officials are comfortable to identify with the place?
My worry as it is in all of this is that, in this period that the Minister has taken over the ministry, how many departments of the ministry located in different place within Abuja and Parastatals of the ministry has he visited to be able to appraise first-hand the condition of this agencies? How many zonal offices has he visited, not only to see the condition of the places but to look at his staff working in these places at least to motivate them and encourage them, and to further consider what are the challenges facing the ministry and the staff. Federal Ministry of Environment started in Lagos, has he visited the Lagos office in Surulere one day to see for himself the deplorable condition of that massive property? If these places are no longer germane to the affairs of the ministry, it is better they are scrapped and do something about the staff and do not allow these people and the properties to waste away. Environment ministry is not the one to toy with, or should I venture to say that the Honourable Minister suspects his responsibility in the Environment Ministry is that of an Arm Chair Minister? It is very far from that. I challenge you and the Chairman House Committee on the Environment to come together and work out a proper time table that will bring meaning into the responsibility you are saddled with. It is advisable you allow your responsibility to be guided by the fact that tomorrow history will be written about you and posterity will record what your input to the nation was so far. I trust you will not insult destiny in all of this. You did all you could while you were in the Ministry of Information but Environment needs help so very badly.
Honourable Minister, it is very disheartening to realise that we still keep failing to take a cue from past administrations and so we need to make up our minds in order to make a difference when we take over office. The wave of Babatunde Fashola has come to make it clear that no office holder need to spend eternity in a place before he makes a difference. It is a beautiful thing today that everybody can see the Lagos that nobody thought anything good could come from now one of the most admirable states in the country. A lot of people who ran away from Lagos are now going back because of the sanity put in place by one man who chose to make a difference.
Congruously, this may sound a bit standoffish to so many come 2011; the political terrain in the country will experience a paradigm shift that will jolt a lot of players. The story will tend to be different and I believe God that by 2015, something very drastic and of a standard would have been established and put in place to the point that it will not be business as usual for just anybody to take offices and positions that they cannot defend or are not qualified to occupy. Nigerians will begin to find out why some people will need to hold certain offices beyond party affiliations. God bless Nigeria. Nigeria, Good People, Great Nation.
Segun Simmons |