Understanding the intricate relationship among culture, economy and good governance formed the thrust of a lecture titled: Culture, economy and good governance: The Nigerian experience delivered by former Abia State Governor Uzor Orji Kalu. It was organised by the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) at the Peace and Conflict Resolution Complex, African First Ladies Peace Mission Secretariat, Abuja. Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME was there.
HOW to make the most
of the enormous business opportunities in the country was the focus of the lecture delivered by former Abia State Governor Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu in Abuja.
He urged Nigerians to identify these opportunities in the nation’s cultural diversity, noting that they should be the fulcrum of a diversified economy.
He said with over 250 ethnic groups, Nigeria had over a billion economic opportunities open for investors to tap into, which were huge gifts for economic transformation.
“This is because all ethnic groups in Nigeria are unique in their own way, having different fashion sense, food, music, dance, masquerades and architecture. What this means is that we are living at a time when opportunities exist for economic emancipation of different ethnic groups in Nigeria. But, our proclivity to zero in on only white collar jobs leave us crying and suffering the effects of unemployment,” he added.
Kalu was the guest lecturer at the National Institute for Cultural Orientation (NICO) quarterly public lecture held at the Peace and Conflict Resolution Complex, African First Ladies Peace Mission Secretariat, Abuja.
In his paper titled: Culture, economy and good governance: The Nigerian experience, Kalu observed that Nigerians were yet to train their periscope and tap into the benefits of the rich diversity. He said if each of the ethnic groups developed four of its special cultural attributes, Nigeria would have about one million cultural items for local and international markets.
He cited his Igbere Village’s yearly expo, which he sponsored to bring youths together, as part of efforts to inculcate culture in socio-economic activities.
“We must begin to see the economic opportunities in our cultures. I do not just mouth it. I have been putting it into practice. At the beginning of every year in my village in Igbere, I hold cultural expo, which brings together thousands of people. I also hold youth conference at the same venue. I do that deliberately.
“Although the projects gulp huge amounts of money, I relish funding them. The two programmes are meant to send a strong message to our youth and society that we need to inculcate our culture in our socio-economic activities,” he said.
According to him, good governance is a prerequisite for development and political system must be stable, laws must be clearly promulgated and enforced so that contractual agreements will be honoured. Government officials, he added, must not be corrupt or inefficient.
He stressed that, above all, land should be available at a fair rate for business opportunities; foreign investment should be encouraged and bureaucracy for applying for a business permit should not be too difficult. These conditions, he said, are what we grapple with every day in Nigeria, which have become the main headache of Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.
He noted that the success or failure of national economies is driven by cultural factors, adding that thrift, hard work, tenacity, honesty and tolerance are cultural factors that make the difference. He urged Nigerians to determine if our national value of love for one another is propelling development or not. “We must also decipher if our current attitude towards more progressive ethnic groups is healthy for economic development of the country. We must also get back to find out if the constant conflict between indigenous people and settled groups which are often more prosperous is healthy for the development of the economic opportunities that abound in our cultures.
“Has the herdsmen/farmers conflict helped grow investment in agriculture? Has it attracted any foreign investor into the sector? Will it attract any? How does our attitude towards settler ethnic communities help us to grow our local economy and emancipate ourselves from poverty? We may have to begin to review our social attitudes to see how they affect economic investments and growth in our areas. This is very critical because our attitude towards the other person is something that is developed from our cultural environment.
“If you grew up in a culture that does not welcome strangers and does not accommodate visitors, and you hold tight to those attitudes as cultural values of where you are and may never appreciate the opportunities you are presented with in keeping an open mind and embracing others,” Kalu said, identifying Calabar carnival as a huge contributor to Cross River State economy.
He recalled that the two million visitors that Governor Ben Ayade said attended last year’s edition of the carnival was a huge figure.
“That is a huge number that goes with its economic potentialities, and because of the success of the carnival many other states in the southern flank of Nigeria are developing their versions. I am, however, not happy that our states in the eastern flank are not exploring opportunities in masquerade festivals. I am sure that a well organised festival of masquerades in the Southeast will attract investments and tourists and help grow economies of the states. It is the same with Durbar festivals in the northern flank of Nigeria,” Kalu said.
He said institutionalising masquerade carnival could be a major revenue earner for some states, urging governors to see the possibilities in cultural festivals for tourism and investments.
The Publisher of Sun and New Telegraph urged President Muhammadu Buhari to convince Nigerians of his anti-corruption war by first probing former President Olusegun Obasanjo on the multi-million naira he wasted on power project.
He said Buhari should arrest Obasanjo for Nigerians to believe that he is fighting corruption. “Unless Buhari arrests Obasanjo, the anti-corruption war has not started in Nigeria,” he said.
He dismissed his trial by Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) as political, saying it was one of the consequences of his fight against Obasanjo’s third term agenda.
“I was the first governor to make his account public. That EFCC is trying me is political and it is because I fought the third time genda of Obasanjo. If there is opportunity tomorrow to fight third time, I will fight it. If President Buhari wants to be president for life, I will never support him again. The people knew my account in Abia is open and transparent. The US, UK and China know and they give me red carpet each time I am in those countries. That is a statement of fact.
“In fact, I am stronger to fight corruption than President Buhari because he is not fighting it well. I am stronger to recoup the people’s money and return it to them. I am a creator of wealth at any level from when I was in the university. If any court pronounces that I am corrupt, I should be jailed. A corrupt politician or judge is like an armed robber.
He said restructuring had become a terminology by politicians instead of advocating true fiscal federalism, which involves transferring some responsibilities from exclusive list to concurrent list for effective governance and in the true spirit of a federation.
“I have lost my airline, oil block, commercial bank to the government. So, I don’t have anything to lose again. That is the level I am now. I am an activist now because am not afraid to say anything as I have nothing to lose again,” he added.
Acting Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer (NICO), Mr. Louis Eriomala said the lecture series was conceived to provide platform where eminent scholars, administrators, captains of industry would avail the nation of the benefits of their vast knowledge and experience in our quest for socio-economic and political advancement as a nation.
He noted that a better understanding of the relationship between culture, economy and good governance by stakeholders would engender the much needed socio-political and economic development of the country.
“Until we make culture the bedrock of our development aspirations and our socio-economic and political lifestyles are regulated by our cherished cultural values, our dream of a better Nigeria would remain a mirage,”he added.
Dignitaries at the event were Minister of Information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed represented by Mainut Edula; Chairman NICO Board, Alhaji Yusuf Galambi, and Chief Samson Gamu Yare, and Chun Mada Akwanga,