Article published in The Nation Newspaper
25/08/2010
The release of the Okigbo Report and the passage of The Freedom Of Information Bill are two major challenges for Nigeria@50 and the government and NASS to confirm their interest in anti-corruption.
Zoning for equity is different from zoning for power retention. Any one can serve but does everyone want to serve? Most want to reserve power for themselves and their ethnic group! Who needs to rely on zoning if the leadership loves Nigeria more than itself and is ‘nationally competent’ and not ‘sectionally incompetent’ and discriminatory and not corrupt? The New Nigeria must be about competence and the Arewa touted ‘Social Justice, Fairness, Equity and true Federal Character’ strangely borrowed from the prodemocracy campaigns. Nigeria has changed if the Arewa Consultative Forum needs to resort to the language of the Prodemocracy Groups.
Nigeria is no joke. So many Nigerians assassinated for declaring their genuine intention to serve the nation. The list of those killed in ‘Pro democracy actions’ during the last 50 years is a long and painful one, it is are not ‘acceptable losses’ and deserves a ‘Democracy Memorial Wall’ in every state capital just as the military have War Memorials. Why should you not have a memorial to Jesse, Apo 6, coup plot, stray bullet, accidentally on purpose discharge, the NEPA power surge fires and contaminated petroleum product explosion victims and the road traffic attack victims. The wall will be a long one. When will it end?
I was on the Expressway last Sunday and witnessed the 4+km, five lane wide traffic jam at about 10.45 am at the Berger area on the Lagos Ibadan side due to a lone police checkpoint forcing all the vehicles to pass one narrowed point causing hardship to Nigerians on a Sunday outing to church and relatives. On my way back we encountered a two hour delay due to the inferno and crash reported in the press. Until we have a police which monitors and makes its officers accountable and submit a daily report of exactly what they do and where they carry out assignments for easy checking, we will continue to have such needless disasters.
It is the same with PHCN which TOSSes and cuts anywhere, anyhow, without any monitoring or sanction resulting in punishment for the majority and allows bribery and corruption to thrive in many PHCN offices. PHCN has just increased its tarrif including forcing us to pay ‘maintenance’ and ‘rent’ for the prepaid meter we paid for. How much is the cost of a meter? Check Google! Another ‘government approved’ scam! Why increase tarrif for the few paying when half of the connections in the country are illegal or ‘free for service’ and therefore ‘uncollectable’ in ‘favoured states’ where electric power is zoned 100% of the time with 0% tarrif? Too many Nigerians have to pay for too many others to ‘enjoy’ free service. This PHCN tarrif should be reversed and everyone using power should pay for power used, nationwide.
Politicans allocate millions to running costs for each of their offices. Ask yourself how much is allocated in the budget to each police station for running costs? How many Police die in national service, shot dead in banks and at checkpoints protecting life and money, paying the supreme price? I am yet to see a state or bank funeral service for such sacrifice attended by senior officers on NTA as a tribute. Nigerians want to respect the police as a friend but the police seem to be difficult to relate to. It is sad that ‘pick-up and bail’ for no just cause is still used to make money to run the station! How many Nigerians have never seen a policeman taking money at a checkpoint? We are so immune to death that we have lost the milk of human kindness. Where is the Police Memorial Wall of Honour?
The Human Rights Watch Report on the police should be taken by the Police Service Commisssion as a template for improvements. Do the police know what youth think of them? Nigerians have urged government to provide better recruitment of qualified personnel, better pay and allowanced, equipment and communication facilities, training, undercover surveillence, forensic pathology facilities, checkpoint allowances and feeding. But if the Police deny the problem and promote and protect those who are considered ‘bad eggs’ then there is little hope.
Yet another person has revealed the scale of targetted kidnapping of ‘common voiceless citizens’ specifically for ritual killings who become missing persons. It is a dangerous network needing police undercover tactics, infiltration and surveillance and adequate rewards to terminate such murderous activities.
Most Nigerians work hard at staying alive, trying to overcome the monumental problems caused and left by ‘zoning’ government. They are so forgiving that they want to feel good about Nigeria@50. We should all get used to waving our national flag. Most Nigerians hold it by their side and not aloft. It does not fly from your home or your office but if you watch an American or Uk film you will see their national flags everywhere, even on underpants! The flag does not represent this or any past government. The flag is You, Citizen Nigeria. You are Nigeria, Nigeria is YOU! Falconets and other girl winning teams, all youth, you are Nigeria, making a New Nigeria. Wave the GWG – greenwhitegreen-our flag high, you have more right than many! Be proud of Nigeria. CountdowNigeria@50-36 demands 100m productive ‘people’ projects for 1-10-2010.