Let me begin by stating clearly that the message in this article is not directed at any body, but to every body .We are all stake holders and it has to be realized that every one needs do something reasonable and meaningful to be involved in the struggle to make things work in this country ,
We must discuss passionately, reasonably and with respect for the feelings, yearnings and aspirations of others , keeping in mind a practical injunction for peace ;do NOT do or say unto others what you would NOT want others to say or do unto you
In this country today, there is apprehension and fear everywhere about very many issues most of which are being tackled by appropriate authorities , with varying degrees of success ,attending the efforts . Most frightening of the issues is the overwhelming concern about the possible undesirable circumstances that may declare them selves before, during and after the elections of 2023. What happens when a man or women is considered the rightful leader and messiah and others see the opposite in that individual ? God knows and sees everything; Che sara sara you might say. What about your neighbor who feels it has to be a do or die affair? In any case the issues are worth considering and the urgency is now .
History I understand , is the record of important past events and according to one the literary giants or individuals fondly referred to as Angels of literature, the world is a stage and men are simply Actors . An individual may not have been announced as recipient for the Nobel price or any award at that ,but still considered as giant ,from his works actions and words ; words like the ones here under in italics
- ‘I urge you not to shed the blood of any body for me . No body’s political ambition is worth shedding the blood of any Nigerian.’
- ‘I belong to nobody, I belong to every body.’
- ‘If Nigeria does not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.’
- ‘The strongest infrastructure to commit heinous crimes ; homicide ,set a country on fire and destroy lives and property is the MIND and two very dangerous weapon to keep the fire burning are the PEN and the MOUTH ’
- ‘Those who create conflicts or create environments favorable for conflicts to arise may end up partly or completely consumed by them.’
- ‘If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten we belong to each other.’
These words, some written others spoken were chosen carefully and came from men and a woman. Some of these people are alive ; others have departed . The statements were made at times considered foreboding for the citizens of the countries of their birth . In the mind of the reader, these words should instruct that it might please an individual to undertake a venture, which at the time appears the right choice but the people he sought to please will break into tumult and turn on him with bitterness and regret, when his actions will have caused harm and destruction of precious lives
Kindly please keep these golden words in mind as you read the rest of this little contribution .
Citizens of this country have gone through pain and agony clearly beyond what God created man to bear, even as thousands of Nigerians are currently living as displaced persons within and outside the country and many more; those who can afford it are fleeing with their loved ones. Nigerians love this country. It is the land of their birth and with their friends , families and others, they want to stay here on the small portion of the universe that God in his mercy gave to them , knowing very well that there is no place like home. More so when the political economic situation in the world has become fluid and unpredictable. No one can boast with certainty about anything ; visa policies can be changed at any time ,such that you travel but may not be able to come back the way you planned .There is xenophobia here and there . Racism has assumed very dangerous and extreme dimensions particularly with the recent day time murder of a Nigerian immigrant in a country not at war with Nigeria. The murderer positioned himself in such a way as to maximise the killing technique he intended to use while giving the victim ,zero chances of wresting his way out of the attack . And just like that in broad day light a man; a Nigerian ,father, son, brother and uncle was killed in a most degenerate manner while people watched dispassionately .The video; painful to watch is there and so the matter of the killer being mentally unstable can not be defended in a court presided over by a human . He knew what he wanted to do , how to do it in the shortest possible time, and what posture was best to enable him completely immobilize his victim . Only when the fear and aggression circuitry centers in the cerebral cortex of the brain , and the corresponding coordinating centers in the cerebellum and medulla are working in perfect harmony can the positional behavior assumed by the killer be possible to maintain
How did we get here ? What ways can someone, well meaning Nigerians , the leadership do to reassure citizens that there is hope?
Ordinary Nigerians have been praying seriously about the situation and challenges being experienced .Some years ago when the whiplash of the economy was less tormenting and security challenges were not as bad as they are now, a former military head of state initiated interfaith prayer sessions which went on for about a year or two .Prayers are wonderful and can bring miracles , but blind faith is not going to help us ; you can not have a faulty electric generator and one without fuel and oil and you kneel and pray to God asking that the machine comes on to power your apartment . There is urgent need to create interfaith prayer squads and have them located in all towns and villages throughout the country .It can be done following the ways and means adopted by the major religious organisations in the Country
Going ahead to sorrowfully describe the knotty issues surrounding how we got here will to a large extent screen or bury the message of this discussion.
What we must know rather is that merchants of war who actually do not mind if you call them merchants of blood including the blood of innocent children may at this point be working very hard to encourage groups of people with promises of financial and technical assistance if we fail to act now . For a few, there is possibility of rewards in many ways , most of which may eventually bring regret to the participants. Recent history has shown that they are only interested in opening another stream of income to their reservoir. They know you do not have the superior technology you have to harvest your Solid minerals and bring out your oil. By encouraging and assisting civil war, they hope to take over your oil , test their weapons ,sell these weapons and use the funds derived from sales of your oil to pay you .
Because these war mongers have permanent interests and NOT permanent friends, they ensure by any means possible that once started, the wars they started do not end.
Recognising and managing dangers to democracy
Need to tune down the rhetorics
The power of words and statements can be seen in what is currently happening in the United States of America, where the words and statements that an election victory was stolen has caused and is causing destruction of lives.
Many events will characterise the life of a man or woman, including the leader of a nation ,depending on many factors and circumstances ; when he departs, he will be remembered and defined by what he did or failed to do
Politicians who are making highly inflammable statements , those who have employed social media combat groups and war mongers should take time to ask themselves some questions and conscientiously find answers as to whether it is the right thing to do . Are they helping the situation or laying the foundation for uncontrollable disaster with the hope that there will be avenues for escape.
Escape to where ? If you are one of those making unguarded explosive remarks ,it is time you reminded your self that your achievements as concerns the temporary office you are holding will not be measured in terms of how much damage you can do to opponents(real or imagined) with words and pen , how hard you come down on others you look down upon as small inconsequential humans, and how much fear you create , but how much of the current issues you understand and how many of these people( the ever willing voting population you wish to govern )you have been able to convince beyond doubts with your words and body language that you have the capacity; all things considered to successfully manage ALL the issues. The harder you come down on opponents instead of the matters , the more likely you are to create the impression that you are very likely to be evasive, untruthful , rigid and uncompromising with your policies when you are voted in ; that you will tell Nigerians to reach up to the skies and grab portions of heaven for all that you care
It is difficult to understand how a young adult will think it wise to stay in the comfort of his or her home and send out a message calling a group of people idiots. You wonder if such a person has family members who care about their son, daughter, wife, husband , this country ,Nigeria .
No one is perfect except God ,and no individual can arrogate absolute knowledge of everything to himself and expect to have the support and cooperation of others Hence it is wise for you to exercise utmost caution in every statement you make or join other people to make
Don’t forget, Nigerians have gone through a lot of hardship, and become wiser. Before you say, write, type or forward what you know is fake ,poisonous, deceitful ,consider women, majority of who are not part of the decision making processes of the country . Think about what will happen to innocent Nigerian children, many of them born to parents who are from different ethnic groups from, North, South, East and west
Bottom line therefore is that political flag bearers should take responsibility to check that the individuals they have appointed head sensitive positions; group leaders, spokespersons, campaign managers are who and what they claim : that you can vouch for their character in terms of emotional literacy and emotional intelligence . That they are not ones to use their social media apparatus, body language and oratorial prowess to set the country ablaze and run away to face unforeseeable future when the fire burns. The capacity to convince and build by dialogue ,gentle reasoning should be considered an advantage over that which is arrogant , boastful and inciteful . If a school plans an excursion to a local Zoo that keeps adult lions, and a ten year old boy whose class is participating in the expedition announces to his classmates that he can jump into a den of lions and not get hurt, it will be laughable for the students, but for the class teacher, the principal and his parents , many questions will need to be answered; authorities may want to evaluate the medical history of the parents as may concern use and abuse of alcohol , cocaine and others. The planned visit may be cancelled
So when leaders of political support groups make incendiary statements to fire party members, the end becomes unpredictable . He should be asked to disclose his intentions in terms of whether he really wants elections to hold or he seeks to work against it and create chaos .Such an individual should be handled with care and simply advised to change for the better, show a little consideration and love for young ones; babies and children so that peace can reign in the country
Cyber bullying can come in many different categories ,but bottom line is that it is a criminal offence and being a celebrity does not permit anyone to use the opportunities at your disposal and your brain to set your country on fire .You can use your endowment or prowess to work towards winning Nobel price for peace instead of using the gifts that God gave you to create fear ,panic and exodus .
Youth orientation and integration
The National Orientation Agency are doing very well ,but much more needs to be done. There is need to also let ordinary Nigerians make sense of their presence. Perhaps we should now be thinking of a new agency; National Agency for Orientation and Integeration.
They need to do more to engage youth across the country on many issues; use and abuse of hard drugs and substances too dangerous to write here . Talk to them about the unpredictable consequences of crime and violence . The issue of substance abuse requires multidimensional approach just as the issues involved are multifactorial . Recent studies suggest that close to 17 million Nigerians have used had drugs in the past one year . This could be a biased estimate because research in that area ,which at times requires dangerous subterranean sampling techniques are difficult to conduct and so underreporting remains a challenge The organization should be empowered and encouraged to reach out to village heads, community leaders, groups , organizations ,societies, traditional rulers and church leaders
The national orientation agency should remind themselves that they stand to be rewarded if things go peacefully in line with the yearnings and aspirations of Nigerians .They can orchestrate a turn around with a bottom up approach from the communities, working with stake holders, traditional rulers, grass root, opinion groups, associations, including women and men’s associations
There are indeed men who have shown that things can work in this country. These people can be engaged for help . to mention a glaring example, what formula, techniques and modules is the current Head of the NDLEA using ? In what areas can his methods and techniques be successfully applied ?
Religious leadesr and council of traditional rulers
Nigeria is blessed with peace loving prominent religious and traditional rulers Some of them are elders; belonging to the medical category of ‘old old’ Fortunately there are young vibrant ones among them that can travel around the country and even outside if necessary as representatives of the committee to deliver messages of peace, unity and progress . If General Olusegun Obasanjo can travel from the West to the North in search for peace, for this country, one would not be too wrong to assume (with the highest regards for traditional rulers ) that the Obi of Agbor and Ooni of Ife who are quite young will be glad to be associated with activities of that nature if they were approached. Instead of giving out prophecies about 2023 elections which can create false hopes and interfaith conflicts, religious leaders will do well for this country by inviting youth groups, women organizations for peace and conflict resolution strategies as well as create working communication channels with traditional rulers
Peace committee
I am happy to join many other people to wish Bishop Kuka a belated happy birth day . May God Almighty who knows and sees everything protect and keep him for us all .It is gratifying to note that the people who went to celebrate with him set aside and managed to break away for at least this period, some of the poorly understood ethnoreligious sentiments that have put a knife on the string that bind Nigerians . Bishop Kukah and his team in the peace committee during the last election represented a mountain of igneous rock and what ever it was; typhoon, hurricane or tornado any person or groups of persons were going to send out to the electoral commission, that mountain was never going to bow . It was therefore not a big surprise when Professor Attahiru Jega sat like an igneous rock and with remarkable calmness did the job he set out to do and with the unforgettable display of statesmanship and emotional intelligence by Dr Goodluck ,Ebele Jonathan, what would have been a long day ended peacefully and people slept well for days
To the greater glory of God, it has pleased the Almighty to keep alive other persons who have ruled this country alive; perhaps to perform this task of ensuring a free, fair and peaceful election in 1923. It has been argued that in one way or the other ,some of them contributed and are responsible for the very sad situation Nigerian citizens are facing . However , the best way to maintain optimal mental health is to draw a curtain and shut out all those events of the past that make you uncomfortable. The best option for us now is to keep hope alive and keep our minds away from regrets so we can keep our mental well being intact. General Olusegun Obasanjo a few weeks ago was said to have visited Generals Ibrahim Babangida and Abdulsalami Abubakar and a few days ago, Dr Jonathan replicated the movement .Certainly these elder states men have seen the writing on the wall and the urgency of NOW . There is no doubt that as a former head of state and someone who played very active roles in military and non military assignments to stop wars in countries such as Asia, Africa and West Africa, he shudders to think of this country becoming like, Iraq, Serra Leone, Somalia or the Democratic republic of Congo that have now been abandoned to their fate. He knows and understands that there is no other better time than now to put in motion, the infrastructures; physical and mental that will arrest and abort the drift towards unpredictable calamity . What ever the intentions, it will be necessary for other well meaning Nigerians to take what he has started as a challenge considering Chief Obasanjo’s biological age. Such movements will provide avenues to rub minds ,agree to disagree and vice versa
General Yakubu Gowon, a former head of the Federal government of Nigeria is alive and well . The peace committee can be expanded to bring in General Yakubu Gowon , General Olusegun Obasanjo ,Chief Edwin Clarke and Chief Emeka Anyaoku. An elaborate inauguration in terms of publicity with emphasis on urgency, legitimacy , terms of reference as well as political significance can be arranged to drive and disseminate the message as far as possible.
The committee as presently constituted did a lot during the 2015 election. More than what it was then, Nigerians are afraid; very very afraid .They are all praying for miracles and if we can have additional sermons on tolerance and peaceful coexistence by leaders of faith based organissultations being done by other members of the Council of traditional rulers, Nigerians can expect peace .
Transition Committee
Though it might appear as if it bothers on superfluity, setting up a transition committee will not be out of place. With all the fiery rhetoric and in the midst of agitations, there is need to ensure quick and effective management and control of unpleasant situations if and when they declare themselves . Election observers from outside Nigeria will arrive in the country a few days before the exercise. The existence of such a committee months before the election, will help smoothen out a lot of contending issues and prepare the visiting election monitoring teams with very important background information . Members of such a committee with special considerations for young women of proven records, should be of impeccable character and integrity
Shift in security paradign
A suicide bomber does not need any infrastructures . The infrastructure is his mind , her mind .The sustainable solution is to find out what will be so strongly convincing that a young boy or girl will decide to kill human beings, shed blood including his or her own . Beginning with the families, churches, schools and villages, there is need to find out what people know about their country .What are the problems as concerns, food, medicines ,shelter and education . It is necessary to know the nature of relationships between husbands and wives and between parents and kids .Something needs to be done to restore hope to the hopeless , to stay and live in Nigeria instead of leaving Nigeria
If it is possible, a bureau be created from the DSS, EFCC,ICPC and NPF to handle issues of corruption and stealing of government funds
What measures did the leadership put in place in the 1980s that ensured that Nigeria did not experience these very disheartening situations in different sectors ?
The current head of the NDLEA was very much around during that period and the successes that have attended his efforts attest to the possibility that he is quietly and efficiently employing some of the strategies employed in the 1980s. Recent statements by the DSS suggest that such high level interactions are in place .It is hoped that much more can be done to strengthen the cooperation .
Forests reserves
One wonders what happened to our forests reserves and guards
This writer worked as a Forest Assistant, under the supervision of a Forest Officer with an Assistant conservator of forest and Chief Conservator of Forest . We generated revenue from several legitimate sources and it was quite interesting to note that knowledge gained helped was helpful later in life
It is possible to go back to the forests, employ forest guards and others who are comfortable living in the forests, cultivate land, create fish ponds. Employment, will increase food production and let increased food production bring down prices ,reduce the number of people that are hungry
High cost of commodities
Prices of commodities are rising every day and no one seems to know what is happening, what is being done about it and whether it will go on like this
The security implication of this is that it puts us in a widening gyre; an angry man is a hungry man, and a hungry man is most likely to join forces of evil and destruction at any price . Something can be done about it
Price control board was set up in the 1980s under military rule and it worked .
A price control board could work with people like Bismark Jemide Rewane, (Dir/CEO, Financial Derivatives Co Ltd) and his organisation to bring in a quantum measure of sanity and arrest what ever mechanism responsible for the seconds by minutes rising prices of commodities in Nigeria .The board can work with enumerators, statisticians and other relevant units in the ministries of economic development at federal and state government levels. We should be looking inwards where success has been recorded and use the results to create models. Setting up price control board without strengthening current strategies for diversification may not bring desired results in the short term. It is necessary to go back do some research and find out what the indices are showing with regards to percentage performance in the non oil sectors. To find out what went wrong with previous attempts at making agriculture a viable and sustainable alternative to oil . We can revisit programs like operation feed the nation, and School to land which were launched respectively by General Obasanjo and Police Commissioner Oyakhilomen .Apart from bringing down prices of foodstuff across the nation, these novel initiatives were strategically important in providing employment and taking young men and women away from the street ,thereby making it less easy for them to be recruited as thugs.
China has a population close to 1.5 billion. They have been able overcome their food security challenges by very aggressive agricultural policies aided by one child one couple policy .China is currently where every one, including those considered technologically superior go, to beg and borrow .
Corruption
‘If Nigeria does not kill corruption, corruption will kill Nigeria.’
Every one knows that hand over notes are an important aspect of continuity .
If there are no established procedures ,and machinery for project monitoring and implementation are not put in place, there is a tendency for corruption to remain the cancer of a nation ad -infinitum and no generation of Nigeria will ever live to enjoy the abundant oil and solid minerals with which we have been blessed
No matter how many policies and strategies you roll out, nothing works when there is no fiscal discipline and corruption and stealing are not checked .
There should be a proper place for Project Monitoring, Evaluation and Documentation
Matters Of Mental Health
What is happening in the USA at the moment between a former president who claims his election victory was stolen, should serve as a lesson that words and statements should be used with utmost caution especially when such statements are made by people in positions of authority and whose audience come from many different social and ethnoreligious background
Just as it is in the character of some persons unfortunately to behave very badly and make statements that can turn the brains of followers in the direction of accepting to undertake dangerous and suicidal missions without caring what happens , it is equally the responsibility of relevant authorities to recognize such people early enough and stop them by peaceful means before they reach the point where they are capable of creating disastrous situations that no one can control
Psychiatrists, Psychologists, counsellors and certain other categories of care providers in mental health should be employed to manage Campaign managers , spokes persons and others who are responsible for the management of human and material resources .This position is with the assumption that those vying for higher and highest offices already have medical teams with experts in neuropsychiatry , mental health and clinical psychology to manage them
Communication
Making sense of the presence of government is very important to the citizens of any country .Nigerian families are scattered all over the world, many of them united by marriages across different ethnic groups and culture made possible by the relative peace and tranquility that has been the norm before now .When the End SARS protests assumed dangerous and unexpected dimensions, and control / exit strategies seemed impossible, Nigerians were in a wilderness with fire burning everywhere .Citizens needed a voice to bring calm and assure them that their safety could be guaranteed ,that the country was under law and order . The voice came and the effect of the message delivered briefly and firmly was not only calming, it was reassuring and gratifying .
It is therefore noteworthy that there is wisdom in dialogue. Talking with people and appealing to them does a lot to allay anxiety, especially for the youth who though represent about 20 % of the population are extremely mobile and ready at the shortest notice to take on any adventure not minding what the consequences are
A fundamental law of democracy states that what ever policy issues reach your agenda table , and whatever it is that you are doing or intend to do, it is your responsibility to keep the people in mind and carry them along . It means you must communicate with the people . There is no place for silence in a democracy
The country at this point in time needs to see and feel the presence of their leader(s) and the central government more frequently .This can be arranged once in two months in the period left for the present administration, via a people’s parliament as has been done a couple of times through television interviews . The effect in whatever perspectives will go a long way to bring some level of confidence and assurance .
In a democratic government ,not talking to people to the extent that citizens don’t know what to think and are no longer able to understand anything is itself considered a policy ;actions can be interpreted in many ways. Put laconically, inability to make sense out of government is doing or failing to do can breed dissent, delinquency and sabotage
Therefore it will be helpful to meaningfully engage groups that can be reached to ensure that all sectors are functioning peacefully ; children and students are in School, hospitals are functioning ,the men and women in uniforms in the country are not only adequate and sufficient in number ,they are provided with the right equipment to ensure adequate security ,maintain law and order so that people can safely move from one part of the country to another by any route.
In August 2022,general elections were conducted in Kenya .It was peaceful and with love and unity citizens have moved on .For Nigeria, the story will not be different in 2023 .
A promise has been made and it is hoped that just as it happened in 2015, someone will for the sake of Nigeria diligently and meticulously supervise and oversea a peaceful transitioning of power so that the citizens can live , and remain united in love and peace ; those who have run away will come back .
Let every one of us work and pray for peace. It is possible and it can be done.
God bless all of us . God bless the federal republic of Nigeria