Article published in The Nation Newspaper

10/03/2010

We are very happy that the Federal Govenrment has divided the dredging of the River Niger into five segments or lots to different contractors to speed up action. Traditionally government would have given one single favoured political contractor the mega billions and we wait years for completion, if ever.  In this River Niger dredging case the ‘powers that be’, with vested interest in the early completion of the dredging of the Niger Bridge to bypass Lagos Port and Port Harcourt, have done the wise thing by splitting the contract distance of several hundred kilometres among several different contractors. For years we have suggested this method be applied to our major intercity and interstate roads and railways to get a similar result –speed and quick 100% completion and beneficial usage of road and railways nationwide. Giving a 300km road to one ‘political’ contractor is a political statement of neglect and disinterest in the contract and an insult to Fellow Nigerians.

Will the Presidential Advisory Council, under the ever present General Danjuma as pseudo Ag VP, please advise Ag P GL J to split other projects along the same lines as the superfast dredging of the River Niger also in the interest of quick delivery time and early usage before 1-10-2010. We have waited too long for simple facilites which are rights of the citizenry and the responsibility of elected and imposed governments and their agents around the world with the glaring exception of ‘oil rich’ negligent Nigeria. Nigeria is where government incompetence and corruption, and political myopia and  greed have left Fellow Nigerians not just 3rd world but 7th world to fit the need for the ‘7 Point Agenda’ but with little or no effort to speed up the construction process in the face of criminal negligence.

There are so many contractors seeking employment. We are supposed to be promoting enrepreneurship and job creation but we still create largely non-performing millionaire and billonaire contractors with many others left with nothing for themselves and for their families. Madness, abi? The dredging of the River Niger is not the only top pririty in Nigeria –though it is the top priority of an elite who want to get away from the conjestion and goods scrutiny of Port Harcourt and Lagos Ports followed by the long haul North. In case of any planned or potenial political upheaval the guaranteed River Niger access from the sea is sure to be an essential part of the discussion strategy. Hence the urgency.

Ag P GL J and all of us must ask not why a contract should be divided among contractors but ask why ‘A 100km or 500km or a N10b contract should not be divided among several contractors?’  Indeed ‘A Transport War Room’ is needed.  Divide contracts among them to get jobs done five times as fast. If you can divide the Niger River channelisation, you can divide Ore Benin Road into 5, the East West Road and Rail into 5, the Railway Network into 10 at least. And work should be with many more employed staff and from multiple work points at once and in three shifts covering 24hrs a day to make up for our lost 50 years time. All major contracts should target 1-10-2010 as completion date. Nigeria needs, and a serious willing forward looking government with a sense of history, can perform, a frenzy of serious good quality road, rail, bridge and other construction work in the next six months to give Nigerians a travellers’ paradise come 1-10-2010-out 50th Birthday.

One man, one company contracts are death for Nigeria with Nigeria being held to ransom for far too long by ‘political big men’, high chiefs and even traditional rulers cornering road and rail contracts they have the audacity and arrogance not to bother to execute. This anti-Nigerian activity results in blood on their hands from preventable potholes causing deaths and injuries to Fellow Nigerians. Governance is not an adhoc joke or dispensation by fiat. The days of good governance are everywhere else and Nigeria cannot be left out.

A country that cannot signpost its potholes to save lives and has no books in its school library is no country. Meanwhile FRSC instead of sighnposting potholes is building estates and creating microcredit opportunities for its staff. Good, but it is not rocket science to put C caution signs before our 1 million potholes. The FRSC Patrol can be a ‘pothole watch’ for radio/TV and ministries and departments of works for records and immediate repair. 

First step wrong as Presidiential Advisory Committee is largely an association of ‘been there, done that’ geriatrics. We need new technocrats to move Nigeria forward not those who held sway during successive military embroglios. We need people under 40 to move us forward. Do Danjuma and Nwabueze know about solar power wasting away in Nigeria, and 300 Kmph railways in China nd the EU  and the importance of libraries in schools? Can they recommend an emergency delivery of library books to schools, the decentrlisation of Nigerian electricity generation and supplies?  

Nigeria needs new advisors, not seasoned citizens who have ruled indirectly for years feeding on the Nigerian political carcass and are cranially fossilised. Let the geriatrics graceously resign due to pressing urinary problems or prostate appointments and leave the stage before they too are carried off on stretchers. Nigeria and GL J need new younger advisors with new ideas in the CountdowNigeria@50-190.