During the weekend, I stumbled upon a TV Programme where a guy probably a Bayelsan PDP Chieftain was making one of the most ignorant comments I’ve ever heard. He was saying something like,” Everybody knows that the Niger Delta is the back-bone of this nation. Just take a look at the so-called majority tribes. What do they produce? NOTHING! They are just feeding fat on the resources of the Niger Delta. (Here comes the ignorant part), IF NIGERIA SHOULD BREAK UP TODAY, THE 3 OF THEM WILL STARVE TO DEATH, ESPECIALLY THE YORUBAS AND THE HAUSAS. Instead of them to always give the necessary support to our son(Jonah), they are always the most vocal in criticizing every of his moves even when he wants the best for the country bla…. bla….. bla.
The Great Obafemi Awolowo
The above statement got me shaking my head in slow motion, and it helps one to gain insight into the shallow minds of the dealers ruling over us. And most of all, it explains why the average Nigerian is suffering in the midst of plenty. What an insult to the memory and sacrifice of the great Obafemi Awolowo in making the old Western region the envy of developing countries like Singapore, Malaysia etc that are now greatly ahead of us in terms of social and economic development, no thanks to the “chop and clean mouth” South West leaders who could not build on the tempo of the rising development after Baba left the scene. Awo was a visionary man who powered the development of the region with the power of a cash crop called, ”COCOA” when the black gold which has turned into a resource curse had not even been discovered in Naija. He was an exemplary character of how“SELFLESSNESS, VISION and the WILL TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE” could transform an economy even with few resources within the shortest period of time.
For goodness sake, how can somebody say the rest of Nigeria can never survive without the oil of the Niger Delta in a country embarrassingly blessed by God with the abundance of natural and mineral resources like:
Marble,Clay,Tentalite,Cassiterite,Gold,Lead/Zinc,Dolomite,Salt,Limestone,Kaolin,Bentonite,Gypsium,Uranium,Lignite,Iron-ore,Amethyste,Gem Stones,Berytes,Manganese,Bitumen(and we have the worst roads in the world),Feldsper,Tatium,Granite,Syenite,Coal,Marcasite,Butytes,Sapphire,Surpentinite,Asbestos,Ruby,Rock Crystal,Topaz,Flosper, Tormaline,Pirochinre,Beryl(emerald),Asquamirine,Haliodor,Zireon,Talc,Chalcopyrite,Flouride,Baxite,Soda Ash not forgetting Agricultural food and revenue-generating cash crops like Beniseed,Cashew Nuts,Cocoa,Cotton,Groundnut,Gum Arabic,Kolanut,Palm Kernel,Rubber ,Soybean,Yam,Cassava,Beans,Maize,Melon,Rice,Sorghum,Livestock and By-Products,Fishery and Forestry resources.
OMG! With all these nation-transforming resources wasting away while the politicians, party faithfuls, prayer merchants and and the National Association of Sycophants(Home & Abroad) feeding mindlessly on “Oyel” money, why won’t Naija be the laughing stock of the world? Come to think of it, what was that ignorant man even talking about? The paradox of the folly is that the “Oyel” he was even talking about is only feeding the mouths of the political elites in the country. He was right! I can see the dividends of their “Oyel” in the bellies and pockets of my state governor, LGA Chairmen and the Councillors. The funniest thing about the theatre of the absurd is that the standard of living of the average Niger Deltan(Owner of the Oyel) is not even different from that of the common man living in Damaturu,Igboho and Umuofia. So what the hell was he talking about?
Cassava Buredi Toh Badt
Can somebody please imagine the wonders that would take place in our society if our people can stop voting for all these visionless cassava bread “hawkers” and dealers whose only means of generating more revenue is increasing the price of fuel under the guise of the removal of a non-existing subsidy by passing more pains to the already-impoverished masses, while human and material resources that could turn us into a world power are lying fallow, and start replacing them with leaders who can think on their feet, and start the process of rebuilding our damaged country? Can somebody please picturize in his/her subconscious the unprecedented wonders that would occur in our society if we can have in place leaders who will push for the real practice of true Fiscal Federalism where every region will control the majority of its resources?
Am I the only one seeing how this much-needed initiative will force the “Oyel” parasitic dealers who are not ready to develop the resources within their region; dealers whose stock-in-trade “ is chopping” oyel money, converting campus girls to prostitutes, and cultists to political thugs out of politics?
Although it is not out of place for some “Oyato Gomina” who only use their brains to loot billions of Naira, bleach, womanize and buy a few Okadas and Sewing Machines at the end of their tenure for some party loyalists in the name of Poverty Alleviation Programme to say,”Haaa, Fiscal Federal kini? How do you expect us to survive? We don’t have “Oyel” kee. In fact everybody knows that we have very few natural resources in Aijoberitiwanbesaya State.” My response to them is simple: Go and “chop” sand or leave the business of governance to MEN who are ready to use their God-given brains to tap into the abundance of human and material resources at their disposal to make their region a force to reckon with in the world. Any state that is blessed with human resources is rich. The likes of Steve Jobs, Mark Zucherberg and Bill Gates come to mind. Instead of the normal business of looting which has been breeding more Almajiris,MENDs,Boko Harams,Street Urchins,Political thugs,Kidnappers,Armed-robbers et al, let them invest the commonwealth of their people massively into human capacity development, Research and Technological development, and other real human empowerment scheme (I’m not talking about the O-YES and YOU-WIN "Baba Ijebu" schemes of this world)and let us see how those states or regions which appear poorer than their counterparts today will not be the cynosure of all eyes in the nearest future.
To make the Naija of our dreams come to pass, TRUE FISCAL FEDERALISM and a weak central government is the way to go, unless we want the prediction of the imperialists about Naija splitting along various ethnic and religious divides to come to pass in the nearest future. This system comes with lots of benefits like the much needed autonomous State Police which obtains in every sane clime of the world. The main benefit of Fiscal federalism is that, it allows every region to develop at its own pace. It also comes with healthy competition in good governance because every region will want one to outdo the other in terms of economic advancement. This will also go a long way in eradicating the mediocrity that has come to be associated with the centralized system of government introduced way back by the Khaki boys which ties the development of all the regions, irrespective of their potentials to the mediocrity of the man at the centre. What a mediocre system of government! This explains why it is very easy for an “alooter” governor to hide under the incompetence of the man at the centre to impoverish his own people and join the unofficial Forbe’s list of world billionaires within the space of two years under our nose. This is why it is highly imperative that we all lend our voices in calling for TRUE FISCAL FEDERALISM now! We cannot continue to sit and fold our arms a.k.a siddon look while we watch our society go to the dogs.
The Great Thomas Sankara
Therefore,in order to make this sleeping giant take his rightful place among the comity of nations, we need LEADERS who will stop dancing to the whims and caprices of the colonial masters to the detriment of the welfare of their own countrymen. Africa needs MEN who will relate with the imperialists, not as slaves to masters, but as contemporaries at the negotiating table where decisions that affect us as a people are made.
I’m of the greatest conviction that if at least 40% of all these un-exploited resources are utilized to their optimal capacity instead of concentrating on this “oyel” resource curse, in the nearest future I see a true Federal Republic of Naija becoming the biggest bailer of all these “developed” countries suffering from one form of economic kwashiorkor or the other. I see a country where white men will be lining up for visa just to catch a glimpse of Naija. I see a country that will embark on a massive visa lottery program in a bid to get more hands to complement the citizens just because the demand for labour will outstrip its supply. I see a country where the leaders will stop serving as a foot mat for the Western powers and the stinging whips of the imperialists for their own countrymen.
Massas no go kill me with laff oooo.......
However, some people might be saying that this is an impossible dream or this young man could be high on “shepe” that is making him to be seeing things. I make bold to say that achieving the above dreams is not rocket science. Nigerians just need to do away with some inherent backward traits likeGREED, SELFISHNESS, and INFERIORITY COMPLEX(especially when a whiteman is involved). It is high time we started thinking in terms of “US” and do away with the “Me/I” selfish mentality. It is high time the African man understood that a billionaire living in the midst of millions of almajiri kids begging for alms in unkempt bodies and on empty stomaches, while receiving his daily opium of “rankadede baba” is the poorest man on earth. To achieve this tall dream, we must try to revive Africa lost values of being our brother’s keeper, instead of trying to oppress him. Furthermore, we must also learn to incorporate the culture of sticking together to make our society better, irrespective of our tribal/religious differences, having in mind that Together Each Achieves More(TEAM) through the power of SYNERGY. Above all, we must stop worshiping our oppressors.
The Great Mandiba
In conclusion, I will like to end this note with the evergreen words of the great Marcus Garvey, ”The illiterate and shallow minded black man, who can see no further than his nose is now the greatest stumbling block in the way of the race. He tells us that we must be satisfied with our condition, and that we must not think of building up a nation of our own. He will say that we must not seek to organize ourselves racially, but we must depend on the good feelings of the other fellow for the solution that now confronts us. That is a dangerous policy, and it is my duty to warn against it. The black man must take it upon himself to better his condition.”
We shall overcome!
Thanks for reading this note!
Abayomi Ibitomi
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