Latest News: 1, NIGERIA, Naira Slides Down 250 Against The US DOLLAR. 2, Oil crude price drops $39. Panic in key sectors of the economy, the masses worry, but I ask but why? Why Worry When Your Will Is being actualized as a people? What sector of the economy has been developed? What aspect of our lives has been marketed? Banks, media, all powerful marketing platforms in Nigeria sell foreign from holidays to products and culture.
Nigeria is not in this world to contribute in any way other than consumption. The lawmaker would rather legislate to earn more money, or gag all-inclusive media participation, the governors would rather scheme to reduce the minimum wage, the political Lords would rather heat up the polity, push for artificial scarcity of funds in order to wrest more powers during election seasons, the key drivers in the nation’s economy would rather see only self-interest than national good, they will rather undo the system, or cash in on the vulnerability of the system for their private, sectarian good at the dire expense of the country. Who is patriotic? Certainly none in leadership whether political,industrial, traditional or religious. Open travel magazines and see what we sell : Dubai, Hawaii, Miami, New York, Côte d’Azur, Mumbai, where is Obudu, Yankari, Badagry, Jos.
What aspect of our tourism is developed, what aspects of our lives especially has seen investment? Instead, our people work January to March and rush their savings to Jerusalem, Mecca, Europe, Asia the Americas in the name of holidays and pilgrimages. They come back, save money up April to November and rush back again for holidays all burning our money in foreign lands, the big guns steal money in billions and hundreds of millions and save in foreign bank accounts, destroying the power of the Naira, destroying our income power, depleting our reserves, making proper monkeys of us as a people. Our companies who make ALL their monies here in Nigeria go foreign when it is time to produce TV commercials (I am talking real millions here per trip).
Since post election 1999, Nigerians who were MD/CEO ‘s of top multinationals through one scandal or another were removed in preference for white skins. Their marketing directors and key officers were removed in preference of either white skins or the Browns from India, Pakistan, Nepal and God knows where. Then Nigerians who had been able to drive these businesses through the tough times of the military and Abacha pariah Eras suddenly became bad at management. Somebody go back to these multinationals and tell me how good their bills of health are compared to then! The level of irresponsible management perpetrated against this economy is not just monumental, it is criminal, but people love to have it so, yet they cry that their economy is dead? Let me tell you the hard truth, Nigerians: YOU HAVE NO COUNTRY, YOU HAVE NO ECONOMY, GOD HELP YOU!
I rejoiced in May and in tears of joy, too, when for the first time in my life in this country, the man I supported won the Presidential election. I believe in Sai Baba, I believe in his firmness and advertised patriotism…but, I wonder, is he savvy enough, is he fast enough to identify the key things to do immediately? I do not yet see a blueprint to make this country a progressive economic entity of note. Fighting corruption is not by going to the past(though that could serve as a deterrent), because you do not save your future by fighting the past, you simply concentrate on today, now.
The first thing to do is to embark on major projects pan Nigeria from roads, prison, housing, educational institutions reconstruction USING LOCAL COMPANIES WITH NIGERIA KEY professionals to ensure backward integration(put money in the hands of the masses of the people so they can build their dream businesses) , build tourism infrastructure, develop good and services distribution systems, and build refineries. If you have to borrow to do these, by all means borrow, if you have to use ways and means, by all means do it and do it now! Jump-start this motherf-ing economy now.
Set about revisiting our academic curricula from nursery to tertiary levels, teach culture, I am not saying make them wood and iron worshippers, but balance their academic experiences through what works via innovative reasoning so our tomorrow can be assured. The generation that rules us now are all messed up by derivative reasoning. As an entrepreneur and someone who has been in the business of meeting top business and religious decision makers since I was 19, I can tell you that this country has really never been blessed by intuitive, audacious, futuristic, people natured decision-makers from the public to the private Sectors.
But go on the streets, shops, dream corners of this country, you will find great minds languishing, because the hegemony-gripped system of this country has shut the doors of this country’s good against them. We have a government award plum contracts to better the country’s lot to foreign contractors across the land, governments that do not see the need to invest in its people, we have rich people who only oppress, rather than drive more wealth for themselves by investing in their visionaries.
Added to this is the problem of warped spirituality and beggarly attitude at the mild and thievish orientation towards money at the worst amongst the Nigerian people. When I was at the University I used to hear my colleagues boast of making millions from producing paints, writing books, farming, building standard tailoring factures, making movies and TV contents after school etc for a mass consumer market, but today virtually every undergraduate boast of being swindlers, and political favoureees, gigolo, escorts and countless other vicious concerns to make money, because the educational system has failed the country.
Those with bright ideas have not been able to realize their industry dreams, because of a credit system that kills innovation . This Buhari administration has abandoned the strongest instrument of his first regime, which was mass public enlightenment and orientation campaigns. Nigeria has gone off the road and government must embark on public remodeling campaigns now to heal this sick nation. Because this is sordid picture Nigeria has become a cradle of misbegotten disaffections , illogical poverty, anger, frustrations and mediocrity. Today as we suffer fuel scarcity and dollar super power, the cronies of the enemies we thought we voted out of power snigger at us and mock the ‘change’ we orchestrated, because the political will is not being felt. Someone please wake up Sai
Baba to the reality on hand. EVERY LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN NIGERIA MUST BE A FINANCES GENERATOR IN OUR ECONOMY AND BE SELF SUSTAINING IF WE ARE TO SURVIVE AS A NATION BEYOND 2019. selah.
Written by Osezuah Elimihe