CONTRACT WITH NIGERIANS:

Agenda for the Development of Nigeria

 

By Uzoma Onyemaechi, uncue@yahoo.com  

 

"...This Generation of Nigerians and indeed the Future Generation of Nigerians have No Other Country but Nigeria. We must stay and salvage it together..."

---A Line from a speech by Maj. Gen. Mohammadu Buhari, 1984

Re-organize the Banking System:

1.      Cut down Savings interest rates

2.      Increase in rural banking

3.      Encourage Traders to utilize the banks

4.      Monitor Savings and Loans transactions for fraud

5.      Encourage Small-scale Industries Investment

6.      Computerize all banking transactions

7.      Make foreign exchange more accessible

8.      Insurance of banks in case of solvency

 

Re-organize Schools:

1.      Review (and if possible increase) boarding school systems

2.      Introduce computers and new courses

3.      Evaluate Schools and their curricular every 3-5 years

4.      Increase teaching staff

5.      Increase staff benefits

6.      Set Guidelines for the EVALUATION of teachers

7.      Build more schools and renovate the older ones

8.      Education of all the citizens especially the Nomads & the Niger Delta

9.      Encourage Private Sector to invest in the educational system with research grants and community service [teaching primary & secondary schools]

10.  Increase in Adult Education and Vocational Training

11.  Local Control of Schools --- Parent/Teacher Associations

12.  Certification of Teachers in their various subjects

 

Improve the Health Service at all levels:

1.      Increase the doctor: patient ratio

2.      Increase the patient: bed ratio

3.      More emphasis on Community Health Service

4.      More emphasis on Preventive Medicine Policy

5.      More emphasis on Medical Research and Development

6.      Encourage practice of ABC [Abstinence, Birth Control, and Condom]

7.      HIV/AIDS education and treatment

8.      Curb infant mortality rate and maternal mortality

9.      Pre-natal and Post-natal treatment

10.  Drug abuse and fake drugs production should be stopped

11.  Availability of drugs at reasonable and affordable costs

 

Buy a satellite for the increase in Telecommunication Efficiency and security of the nation

 

Increase Electric Power Efficiency:

1.      More dams

2.      Thermal power

3.      Nuclear power

4.      Deregulate power supply

 

Massive Rural Development:

1.      Water

2.      Tarred roads

3.      Electric power

4.      Hospitals

5.      Food

6.      Cooperative banking

7.      Women empowerment [Small Business]

 

Increase the efficiency of the Police force and its infrastructures:

1.      Computerize (maps, routes, criminal database, laboratory].

2.      Modernize the Police Force [weapons, transportation, salary, healthcare, vacations, insurance in case of indemnity]

3.      Promotion by merit and qualification

4.      Decentralize the authority of the Police Force

5.      Introduce Community Policing [interaction of the Police and the Society as partners] to curb crime.

6.      Let Police Officers live within the community instead of the Police Barracks, thereby getting to know the community and the community will know them.

 

Withdraw from the Commonwealth of Nations == do away with Neo-colonialism

 

Withdraw from the Nonaligned Movement == waste of money and out of date

 

Withdraw from OPEC:

1.      Waste of resources and time

2.      There's no point having to match quota with nations that have lesser population than us.

3.      We should be able to sell our oil to whomever we choose to

 

Get a permanent Seat at the United Nations:

1.      As a Representative of the Black World Population

2.      Power broker [Africa and Sub-region]

3.      Peacekeeping efforts [West Africa, African & Worldwide]

4.      Natural Resources [minerals and manpower]

5.      Population size

 

Strengthen the African Union:

1.      Take charge and get Africans to become united (may be become ONE NATION!)

2.      Set up African Force [like NATO] to intervene in case of abuse of power or war between nations

3.      Regional Forces [like ECOMOG] to maintain peace

4.      Free Trade Zones to help with economic development

5.      African Development Bank made more viable and resourceful

 

Privatize most of the government parastatals:

1.      Telecommunications,

2.      Transportation,

3.      Power,

4.      Mailing system (part of it)

5.      Oil (exploration and marketing)

 

Encourage Foreign Investment:

1.      Reduce taxation

2.      Increase remittances and monitor it for fraud

3.      Provide security

4.      Monitor operations

5.      Use local raw materials

6.      Train local labourforce

 

Develop the Steel and Petrochemical Industries == the bedrocks of industrialization!

 

Encourage more Research into African Traditional Medicine == HERBS!

 

Encourage private funding of Universities:

1.      Endowment funds and chairs

2.      Research grants

3.      Patent of inventions

4.      Private sector, especially multinational corporations, support

 

Keep track of Oil Exploration and Marketing (sales == at the pump)

 

Expand and maintain the Transportation system:

1.      Highways

2.      Railroads

3.      Airports

4.      Seaports

 

Encourage Female Participation in the running of the Government

1.      Appointment of women into positions of power

2.      Education of women

3.      Mentoring of women

 

Dignity of Labor:

1.      Incentives for outstanding employees

2.      Enforcement of discipline

3.      Introduction of Social Security

4.      Introduction of retirement funds/accounts

5.      Health Insurance

 

Accountability:

1.      Discipline and dedication on the part of government officials and employees

2.      Declaration of assets

3.      Freedom of Information Act [FOIA]

4.      Whistleblower Protection to check fraud, embezzlement, discrimination and so on.

 

 Set Population Policy and stick to it:

1.      Encourage birth control especially abstinence amongst the youths

2.      Conduct a viable and accurate census

 

In Demography every information is very important. The fact that the government will NOT be collecting such data is bad, how can we plan adequately for all the people? We need these data for schools, hospitals, roads, housing, economic development [location of industry and so on], environmental conservation, and the like. As of now, the government is using the 1963 census by extrapolation, which makes all their plans flawed. Nigerians have grown exponentially since 1963.

 

These figures will help us in learning about fertility, mortality, migration, and labour rates. Also, information about the rate and level of urbanization of the country will help in adequately planning for urban renewal due to decay. The Federal Office of Statistics, Census Bureau, Universities, Research Centers [e.g. NISER] need such to maintain some data on the country and the census is a good way of acquiring the necessary data to start.

 

 Having data on ethnicity will allow us to know how many Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Fulani, Ijaw, Urhobo, Bini, Kanuri, Nupe, Igede, Idoma, Ibibio, Efik, etc. Knowing how many of each of these groups will help in planning for the number of schools we need and the schools’ curriculum, and resources. For example, the Ijaw People are scattered in the Niger Delta area with no adequate plans for both their education and development.

 

Conducting a good census in Nigeria is a tall task considering all the political and ethnic problems that goes with it. Any census that does not give the North the majority will be considered flawed since the British drummed it into their heads back in the ’50s that they’re supposed to be more than the South by virtue of their landmass. Everyone knows that Canada is the second largest country in the world by landmass but one of the smallest in population.

 

Set a Minimum wage:

1.      Commensurate to the rate of inflation and

2.      Commensurate with the state of economy

 

Increase PATRIOTISM and UNITY and TRUST:

1.      Accountability of public officials

2.      Responsibility of public officials to the people

3.      Teaching of Core Democratic Values, which includes but not limited to:

 

Fundamental Beliefs

 

(a) Life: A person's right to life can't be violated except if your life or the lives of others is threatened.

(b) Liberty: This includes personal freedom, political freedom, and economic freedom. This is the freedom for people to gather in groups. They have their own beliefs, ideas and opinions. People also have the right to express their opinions in public.

• Personal Freedom - the right to think and act without government control.
• Political Freedom - the right to participate in political process.
• Economic Freedom - the right to buy sell and trade private property and the right to employment without the government interfering.

(c) The Pursuit of Happiness: As long as you don't interfere with others you have the right to seek happiness in your own way.

(d) Common Good: Working together for the welfare of the community or the benefit of all.

(e) Justice: All people should be treated fairly in both the benefits and the obligations of society. No individual or group should be favored over another person or group.

(f) Equality: Everyone has the right to Political, Legal, Social and Economic Equality. Everyone has the right to the same treatment regardless of race, sex, religion, heritage, or economic status.

(g) Diversity: The differences in culture, dress, language, heritage and religion are not just tolerated, but celebrated as strength.

(h) Truth: They should expect and demand that the government not lie to them and the government should disclose information to the people. The government and its people should not lie.

(i) Popular Sovereignty: The power of the government comes from the people. The people are the ultimate authority over the government.

(j) Patriotism: The people or citizens show a love and devotion for their country and the values. They can show this by words or by actions.

Constitutional Principles

(k) Rule of Law: Both the people and the government must obey all laws.

(l) Separation of Powers: The executive, legislative and judicial branches of the government should be separate institutions, so no one branch has all of the power.

(m) Representative Government: People have the right to elect others to represent them in the government.

(n) Checks and Balances: The powers of the three branches of government, executive, legislative and judicial, should be balanced. No one branch should be dominate. Each branch should have powers to check the actions of the other branches.

(o) Individual Rights: Each individual has the fundamental right to life, liberty, economic freedom and the pursuit of happiness. These rights are outlined in the Bill of Rights and the government should protect these rights and not place undo restrictions upon them.

(p) Freedom of Religion: The right to practice any or no religion without persecution by the government.

(q) Federalism: The states and the federal government share power as outlined by the Constitution.

(r) Civilian Control of the Military: The people control the military to preserve democracy via the presidency and the national assembly.

Have and Enforce a good Energy Policy == may be an alternative to oil [Nuclear, Solar, Wind, Ethanol, Hydroelectric power]

 

Enact and Enforce STRONG laws against illegal "businesses":

1.      Drugs

2.      Firearms

3.      Life Imprisonment as penalty against breaking the law

 

Prohibition of Coup D'etats and Military governments:

1.      Treasonable felony

2.      Life imprisonment

3.      Care of soldiers and their families [education, health, patriotism]

4.      Build barracks outside cities

5.      Decentralize the military

6.      Modernize the military [hardware, weapons, computers, planes, ships, tanks, satellites]

 

Institute a RESIDENCY PROGRAM thereby eliminating "State of Origin" syndrome:

1.      Will reduce and/or eradicate tribalism

2.      Promote UNITY!!!

3.      People should be allowed to claim residency of a place that they abode and pay taxes.

 

Increase and place more emphasis on RESEARCH and DEVELOPMENT for those are the "engines" of industrialization:

Multinational corporations and indigenous businesses should be made to be a big part of this by investing in the harnessing of our natural resources working in conjunction with our institutions of higher learning and research institutes e.g. NIFOR, NISER, PRODA, etc.

 

Environmental Policy that goes with Industrial development:

1.      Curb pollution, deforestation, and erosion.

2.      Tree planting to reforest the deforest areas.

3.      Irrigation of some lands.

4.      Curb use of bad insecticides

5.      Shifting cultivation of land for it to re-grow

6.      Harnessing of the natural gas to curb the burning off of it, which leads to pollution.

 

ABOLISH any form of TAXATION of the People:

Since the Federal Government owns and controls all the Resources in the country [NNPC, NNSL, Nigerian Airways, Cocoa, Steel Co., etc.] Until these government-owned businesses are PRIVATIZED, then the government can tax the people in order to raise revenues.

 

If at all there will be taxation, let it be 10% across the board and collected by the States. The division will be 5% for the States, 3% for the Federal Government, and 2% for the Local Governments. The Federal allocation is for defense, foreign relations, etc.

Economics:

I believe that the Backbone And/Or Shock Absorber for the Nigerian economy will be found with the establishment of a SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION [SBA].

 

The establishment of Small Business Administration can help with the creation of more jobs at the grass-root level, middle manpower and upper levels too. The government will be able to create a playing field, set the rules of the game, and provide finances when necessary. Some of these finances are in form of government subsidized loans, enforcement of Civil rights laws in terms of job discrimination, and so on. Some of the finances have even been extended to housing for the people so that they can afford a home. Nigerian government could take advantage of the small business e.g. the Igbo Spare-parts seller/manufacturer, the Jankara/Oyingbo Market women, Aba/Onitsha marketers, the quarry owners, etc.

Democracy:

For democracy to survive in Nigeria, there has to be the RULE OF LAW!!! The INDEPENDENCE of the Judiciary in Nigeria, despite its’ shortcomings, is the ENGINE OIL of Nigeria’s democracy. Without it, the democratic principles of Nigeria will collapse. The citizenry has to be assured that they are protected under the law. This will help in the maintenance of law and order and the conformity of the citizenry. This may result in a litigious society; however, it will help with the provision of good consumer protection services. You don’t put out any shabby product out there for fear of being sued.

 

Yes, there are cases of police brutality, circumvention of the law by the rich in collusion with the law enforcement officers, the fact still remain that the majority has to be made to believe in their protection under the law and the independence of the judiciary.

 

·         2 Senators from Each State with 5-year term and maximum of 2-terms

·         5 Members of the House of Representatives from Each State [changed after census to reflect size of state] with 3-year term and maximum of 2-terms.

·         1 Member from each local government area at the State Assembly with a 3-year term and maximum of 2-terms.

·         Local Government Chairperson with a 3-year term and maximum of 2-terms

·         President and Governor are 4-year terms and maximum of 2-terms

·         13 Supreme Court Justices with Lifetime terms --- selected by the President and vetted by the National Assembly

 

Society Issues:

1.      Police Brutality – make Police accountable for their actions

2.      Police Public Relations Commission/Board to oversee the Police

3.      Domestic Violence – outlaw

4.      Child Abuse – Child Protective Services to monitor this

5.      Sex Abuse

6.      Ethnic Intimidation – no one should be discriminated against or attacked based on their ethnicity

7.      Child Labour – enforcement of the laws against it

8.      National Identification Card or Social Security Card

9.      National Health Insurance Scheme

10.  Human Trafficking – complete outlaw and death as the penalty for perpetrators.

 Copyright @ uzoma onyemaechi

*** First published in 1995 and revised in 2005 for the National Conference.