Welcome to the New Agodi Gardens compliments of Ajimobi Oyo government –Public-Private Partnership (PPP). Government could make this different from Gardens and Parks, GAP, in Nigeria which are empty of intellectual stimulation. Government should put money into and encourage the developer to put a new, big, different ‘Agodi Inspirational Exhibition/ Museum’ with ‘shock and awe’ material from major research institutions. To challenge Ibadan visitors and residents, the developers and government especially the Ministry of Science and Technology could invite for display projects from students, creative artists, the 80 departments in University of Ibadan, the 30 in UCH, Polytechnic, IITA, CRIN, FRIN, NISER, NIG-Sat and Corporate Ibadan like Procter and Gamble, Coca Cola, Zartec, etc in education, health, photography, sculpture, technology, history, culture fisheries etc.
So Odein Ajimogobia, has reiterated this column on March 12 ‘Too many geriatrics and too few 30-50 year olds’ at the 2014 Non Sovereign ‘snooze’ National Conference. Students should calculate how many delegates are over 80, 70, and 60. Are we cursed, mumu or just blessed with good humour in the face of a permanent failure to succeed inflicted by our now geriatric leadership? Have they no shame, still seeking the spotlight in the economic and electricity darkness they caused?
Since 1966, years of religio-ethnic aggression rammed through by military fiat has been met by an increasing religio-ethnic defence, sometimes suicidal, just like in any lethal football game. Jonathan is not a geriatric and did not choose over 380 of the delegates. So he is not guilty of religious bias if indeed there is any. Let the Sultan ‘send forth emissaries’ to examine the states and other ‘biased’ constituent bodies. Complaints at the religious bias in many pre-Obasanjo past government appointments and in several including Lagos State for 40 years have always fallen on deaf ears. Token posts to the few ‘outsiders’ without power were the ‘keep quiet and shut up’ lot of most Nigerians while religious/ethnic zealots, under the protection of the religious/ethnicised military and prostituted political classes, warped the federalism to suit themselves. They now seek to preserve that criminally warped state of the distorted nation. They thus created the very reason why a National Conference is so essential now- to right the wrong federation imposed upon so many Nigerians ruining their future for years. Interestingly many traditional rulers have major military affiliations and are centrist, or unitary-federalist, false federalist, in nature as they benefit from federal and even CBN handouts if they are in the favoured religio-ethnic class.
So are we beyond the redemption of even a geriatric dominated Non Sovereign National Conference, the old brigade from all corners of Nigeria, all with religious, traditional, political, baggage? As younger citizens, they led us blindly to the perdition of maximum corruption, a 17,500% fall in naira, maximum power darkness and maximum high interest rates in the world and worst education scores and even maximum Boko Haram? But rich from eating Nigeria, their families all have mansions and billions! As snoozing old men are they threatening to donate a piece of Nigeria to Cameroon? This, even though history lessons in school taught us Adamawa’s Emir is from a three percent minority which invaded Adamawa. Is that correct? Hardly an example of democracy 100+ years down the line. Why should such people want change in ‘status quo’ in spite of glaring failures?
The events at CBN show us how CBN was run under the military and even under Sanusi with largess being distributed largely to the favoured with a few drops to others as camouflage. Today’s Nigeria is founded on, and flounders on and sufferers from, yesterday’s fraudulent ethnic politics and policies. If we had decentralised electric power or railways 30 years ago, where would power be now? How can we be ruled by people who say ‘No, you states cannot have rights to power, roads, railways, phones or waterways’? Are we slaves in our own country? Yes, there are very bad and greedy people in every state stealing the local budget. But even that does not negate federal evil and ‘secret agendas’ perpetrated with local collaborators in every state.
Are we cursed by no or low power since 1978, high interest rate forever, lower value of the naira from $1:N1 in 1980s to $1:N173+ on parallel market, high unemployment plus the worst statistics in the world? New CBN governor: ‘Whose side are you on?’ CBN celebrates stable inflation rate but at murderous cost to the people. The banks miraculously declare 20-75% increase in profits as poverty bites. The ‘false stability’ is like ‘false federalism’ and kills business and people through high MPR, interest rates 25%, high sterilised funds in CBN and falling naira with more dying Nigerians- dying for jobs at NIS and from ‘No cheap loans’. CBN has killed more people and businesses than Boko Haram. Surprisingly, CBN knows the value of ‘cheaper’ loans which it gives to selectively ‘stimulate’ textile, aviation, Agric and Nollywood industries. The market trader and everyone also need cheap loans. When will interest rates come down? When all Nigerians are dead?
The Soka Forest terrorism is similar to the Boko Haram terrorist camp in the Sambisa Forest for ‘Masterminds of Mass Murder’. We need routine mass police and local DPO surveillance and counter-measures. Elsewhere a man carrying 18 heads was picked up. Do police investigate or coordinate the investigation of the hundreds of ‘common man’ kidnappings yearly in each state? What forensics exist in Nigeria?