One of the long-running fallacies of Nigeria’s politics is the statement in some quarters that some of the 36 states of the federation are not viable. Some pundits even dare suggest that states be merged or that we returned to the long-discarded regional arrangement as a cure for all our ills. While a few knowingly make this proposition out of mischief, many have jumped on the merry wagon out of crass ignorance of the dynamics of economic development and nation building.
But any clear-headed fellow would know that what makes a state or nation viable or flourish into prosperity is never the quantum of natural resources providence endowed it with. It is always the mindset of the critical leadership, the values inculcated in the people and a sustained culture of patriotic ethos and even national pride.
One finds it preposterous when educated persons declare that a state with a population of a million to two million people and vast arable land mass is not viable. This is one of such misconceptions that have kept many parts of the country underdeveloped and now bankrupt.
About 50 years ago, Singapore had a worse economic potential than any state in Nigeria today: a low-lying marshland reclaimed from the swamps of the Malay Peninsula. It was an environment tailor-made by nature to exist in desolation and perpetual muck.
But by the sheer power of one man’s vision and unquenchable tenacity, those miserable pieces of marshy islands is today, the most developed city state on earth. It is the centre of world finance, shipping services, oil refining, chemical and pharmaceutical production. Lee Kuan Yew who built Singapore having won independence for his people could have sat over the lean cow that it was then and milked it to death. The kind of short-sightedness we have seen in our leaders since independence.
This small mindset in our leaders still persists till this moment. A president or governor claims the mantle of leadership and all he does is to sit down and milk that single cow of state to death instead of nurturing and nourishing it into a large herd, into plenitude for the good of the land.
Narrow-minded leadership is the fantastic difference we see today between Nigeria and Singapore. It is small-mindedness and folly that makes the difference between a viable place, a wasteland and paradise. Bayelsa State could have been a paradise for instance if it ever had a Yew since its creation.
Yet, our bad behaviour persists and pervades the vast rich fringes of Nigeria. Some people sit on portions of the land, farting and guffawing over it and they turn around and tell us their portion is not viable and that the state is on the verge of bankruptcy. They sit still, obdurate, unthinking, un-teachable and inured to change.
In the last two years, a long-foretold crude oil crash came upon us as if by surprise. Two years on, we cannot still see a radical shift in gear from any quarters. Today, about 15 states of Nigeria are said to be hovering at the precipice yet no serious attempt at a radical revamp. Well below are some tips for structured change:
One: A change of mindset: most governors are still carrying on as if nothing has changed. But they must do a few things in the immediate terms if they don’t want to be booed out of office in the next couple of years.
They must cut costs drastically and radically. For instance, I would immediately shutdown the Office of the First Lady and mop up the vast expenditure poured there. I would rethink the concept of the security vote. I would review appointees, deputy governor would have to man a ministry; ceremonies and trips would be almost nonexistent, etc.
Two: Review workforce: Any serious government must know the size of its workforce especially now. Whatever it costs, government must find out the number of civil servants on its payroll before it can quietly manage it according to requirement. The bureaucracy bazaar must stop forthwith. Three: Review projects: major ‘earthshaking’ projects state governments embark upon, like airports, super-highways, etc must be put in abeyance now. Most projects must be revenues-yielding and must be structured under public-private partnership.
Four: Review tax template: it is the height of low, if we can say that, when a state with a population of over three million declares N2 billion as internally generated revenues for 12 months. The activities in motor garages, markets, commercial areas, personal income taxes, etc would amount to much if captured accountably.
Five: Review current revenues centres: some government agencies in states can actually generate enough revenues to run the affairs of the state. Some of these include the transport companies; land registries and other commercial outfits. Such businesses must be run more professionally now and made target driven.
Six: Create more revenues centres: In the medium term, more commercially driven agencies aimed solely at generating revenues must be created. If necessary, this could be on a PPP basis. For instance, entertainment and recreation centres; hardly any state capital has a standard zoo and family resorts. This is a huge earner if done well.
Seven: Create agriculture value chains: most countries of the world still depend largely on agriculture for their sustenance. While developed one are at the processing end, less developed ones are at the production rungs of the value chain. Agric remains one of the biggest businesses in the world.
A state can decide to produce all the poultry products consumed within its borders and beyond; another can focus on milk. These two items for instance are multi-billion dollars businesses and they are still largely imported into the country.
Poultry products and milk have large and long value chains that would on their own galvanise the economy of states.
Eight: Expand sports and entertainment bases: Not many state chief executives have been able to discern the huge opportunities inherent in these two aspects of human endeavor as tools for creating youth employment and generating revenues. With a bit of organizational acumen, numerous talents can be harnessed from these areas which translate to wealth.
Nine: Catalyze establishment of industries: many states cannot boast of even one company that employs at least 5000 staff. And it is not as if there are no such companies across the world seeking virgin outlets but it is for a lack of requisite efforts by the governors.
Ten: make the local governments work: No matter what a state government might do, it does not get the local council areas working accountably, most of its efforts would ring hollow. Ensuring the bulk of the LGAs federal allocations get to their various destinations will signpost the first important step in developing a state in an integrated manner. Not to get all your LGAs working is to embark on an exercise in futility.
Abia logjam: Orchestrated bad faith
The logjam and subsequent shutdown of Abia State for over one week (and still counting) is dripping with bad faith that is bound to set our democracy back many years. In the first place, the court in giving the judgment didn’t need to instruct the electoral body to act post haste on it.
And the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was carrying on as if it was the one to form the new government in Abia. Both the court and INEC knew Governor Okezie Ikpeazu would indeed head for the appellate court. And he did. But INEC in its haste to take over Abia Government House shuffled the court papers.
But this kind of bad behaviour in the polity would always have the un-salubrious effect of invoking damaging precedence on the polity. And can anyone quantify Abia’s economic losses these few days?
Finally, this INEC is fast losing the aura and respect conferred on it by the last chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega. Apart from assaulting our sensibilities, we cannot afford to return to the days of jankara INEC, can we?
