TORCHBEARER

TORCHBEARER: People we are happy to have you again in yet another exclusive interview with our Nation; Nigeria, you are welcome, Lets kick off, Nigeria In our last talk when I congratulated you on your 53rd independence anniversary, shockingly your response was that you had always been free, that it was the people that were colonized, please can you explain.

NIGERIA: Yes that was my submission and I still stand by it, every marker is pointing to the fact that the people’s independence was freedom into bondage. My people are not truly independent, because of a certainty if the British were still in control; I believe things won’t be this bad. If worse things are happening now than 53 years back then the people are not independent.   

TORCHBEARER: Now the federal government has set up an advisory committee to design the framework for a national dialogue, in an attempt to bring the people to round-table discussion on how to co-exist, what do you say about this, is it the right way to go?

NIGERIA: For the FG to agree to a National dialogue in the first instance is a shameless admittance of failure and its inability to provide responsible and visionary leadership to the people. The government has just technically declared a state of emergency; it is a confused and failed government and leadership that call on the people to tell it how to govern. The honorable thing to do is to admit its failure, resign and step aside; a lot of leaders have done that all over the world. You don’t call a national dialogue to take the pulse of the people and confirm your weakness and inefficiency.

TORCHBEARER: Nigeria, you have been around longer than any  of us, what do you say is the way forward, should the national conference hold or not?

NIGERIA: To what end and rationale must it hold? What is it expected to achieve? It is absolutely superfluous, a waste of time and sparse resources, from start to finish it is an exercise in ineffectuality, it will accomplish nothing but more dissonance, why put the people through the hassle and complicity of a national conference? This exercise is a drowning man grabbing at a straw approach; it won’t yield any tangible outcome. The blind ,the deaf and even the unborn knows that corruption and poverty are the arch demons that has held the people captive and they are being fueled, energized by the constitution, negligent and appalling governance, does the FG need a National conference to hear or address that problem? This conference as noble and expedient as it may appear is leading to another colossal corruption, you will hear of the billions that were spent on it.

TORCHBEARER: This is really getting very convoluted; I have actually believed that the conference will bring better things and a brighter future. What is the way forward, Nigeria?

NIGERIA: Typically, that is how it should be but in this case, the facts on ground and even the body language of the FG point to the contrary. 60% of annual budget on recurrent expenditure, more than 70% of youths and university graduates are unemployed/unemployable, massive and unabated oil theft, total collapse of vital sectors e.g. education, health, security, energy, infrastructure, and agriculture. Insurgences, communal clashes, etc all of these are incontrovertible indicators of a failed state and vision-less government. Does the FG need a conference to correct that? The answer is NO!                                                                         SOLUTIONS: Start from the top, (A) Downsize the government structure: the government structure especially political office is nauseatingly over-sized and overpaid. you don’t need a house of representatives and a senate, delete one, you don’t need ministers of states, special advisers, senior special advisers, appoint a technocrat minister who can advise and administer. Place everyone on the minimum wage structure. Political offices and appointment should be seen as a call to service not opportunity to amass wealth. Recurrent expenditure should not exceed 30% or less of annual spending.                                                                         (B) Prescribe stiffer penalties for misappropriation and embezzlement of public funds, theft and destruction of public resources and properties e.g. forfeiture of assets to government, stripping of all national honors and accolades, ban from participating in national events and any public office  appointment, imprisonment. This will reduce corruption and pave the way for addressing the issue of poverty.

TORCHBEARER: How do we alleviate poverty?

NIGERIA: Poverty alleviation starts from giving the right and relevant education, presently the children are not empowered to prosper, their education is archaic, extraneous and unsellable, the present curriculum should be reviewed and children must be empowered right from the cradle, education must be free and compulsory at all levels and funded from the center by the FG, Education should be modernized to integrate compulsorily academics, skill acquisition and sports, every child must be well grounded in all three. Some subjects and courses should be deleted outright from the curriculum. Teach only courses that have national and international economic values and impacts in the universities, it is hopeless for a student to go through four years of studying a course that he can’t sell or use to impact positively the society, I think it is a waste of life. The FG’s space science ambition is a misplaced priority and wastage. There are far more crucial matters to focus attention on and use money for.

TORCHBEARER: What then do you suggest that money be used for?

NIGERIA: I recommend that a social security fund be put in place, of what use is having excess crude earnings that politicians will squander on elections and frivolities?, put the money in the purse of the people to better their lots, let every person open a specialized social security account that will be linked directly and exclusively to their national identification numbers. Leading stable banks can be selected for this project. Government should pay every citizen above 21 years old,persons from age 0-21years a monthly stipend which can be assessed at their 21st birthday with consent of parents or guardians, I cannot begin to itemize the positive multiplier effects this will have on the present and future generations, consider the effect on crime, unemployment, social vices, workplace victimization, crave for secondhand products, terrorism and youth restiveness etc. The boost on personal dignity and respect, small and medium scale businesses, taxation and government revenue, exports, think about it. Yes, this sounds very ambitious, but it is not impossible. Anyone charged and prosecuted for criminal involvement will have his stipend suspended or cancelled.

TORCHBEARER: But how will this be funded, it looks so large and won’t it lead to another form of scam just like the petroleum subsidy.

NIGERIA: Good question, the account will be a savings /salary account so you can only make withdrawals in person, so when you don’t receive alerts on due date, you will ask questions. As for the funding, there is more than enough to go round, believe me, the FG can’t say there is no money,  you have other viable and untapped source of income virtually in every state, I am too blessed to have poor citizens, about 8 states are very rich in crude oil, why can’t you have a standard refinery in every oil producing state? you have no business importing petroleum products, you should be selling to every nation in Africa, On agriculture, you are so blessed that there is scarcely any state without something fantastic to offer, vast and fertile soil, every inch of land is suitable for a least 10 types of crops, crops with immense dietary, health and financial values, why sell your crops raw?, add value and process them into finished products.Cocoa.in the west, oil palm in the east, fruits and tubers in the middle belt, nuts and condiments in the north. Minerals are waiting to be tapped; tourism is lying fallow, vast and virgin. Poverty is an aberration in this land!    

TORCHBEARER: Nigerians I will leave you to consider these things because it is quite loaded and multifarious. Please let’s have your comments, feedback and questions on this matter. Thank you, and thank you Nigeria.