Nigeria is yet to rise above ethnic bickering and agree for a peaceful coexistence. Many do not see themselves as Nigerians and continue to advocate for their ethnic Nation. It is an irony that those who need Nigeria the most are advocating for its demise, example Biafran and the so-called Niger-Delta Republics. Chronologically, the ethnic groups who need Nigeria the most and whose future generation would regret their actions are: Niger-Delta: In about 100 to 200 years, about three-quarters of Ijaw lands will be under water due to the global warming that will result in a tremendous rise in sea level in the next 100 years. To wish separation from Nigeria because of petroleum which will soon become obsolete is totally misguided. Those advocating for Niger-Delta are being unfair to their future generation. Their struggle should be for equity and ways to develop the nation for the betterment of Nigerians.
By Dr. Kienuwa Obaseki
It is no hard sell that many Nigerians are worried on the State of Nigeria economy, high unemployment, insecurity and kidnapping. The downward slope the Country has been riding is most frightening to many Nigerians. Currently, revenue generated is used to fund the day to day running of the government, with little left for infrastructure. Most of the revenue generated is from Petroleum.
Source: OPEC Annual Statistics
For long the country has not made serious effort to explore other ways of generating revenue to address the infrastructure needed for growth. State and local governments depend heavily on oil revenue to fund their ministries. To compound Nigeria’s problem, the country is growing at an alarming rate and is considered one of the most fertile nation in the World. This year alone, Nigeria population will increase by about 5 million people, which is more than some progressive Countries in the developed World.
. Source: OPEC Annual Statistics
In 1999, when President Obasanjo was sworn in as civilian President, Nigeria’s population was about 105 million and within 16 years had increased by about 78 million people to 183 million in 2015.
At this rate, Nigeria would catapult to over 250 million within the next decade. From all known studies, rising population is proportional to poverty, and poverty is a result of poor economy, and poor economy is a result of corruption of the leadership, and corruption, a result of the Structure of the system.
Contrary to the rosy picture being painted about the Nigerian economy, the evidence of a failing nation is very visible. The expectation from President Buhari is insurmountable and to compound Nigerian problem, the price of oil has plummeted to less than half previous years’ revenue. Oil export compared to total export for the years 2012 through 2015 are 98, 92, 93, and 93% respectably.
The current spate of violence observed throughout the country is not unconnected to the failing economy. However, most of their grievances are grossly misplaced, because President Buhari needs cooperation from all Nigerians to move the country forward. Especially the call for the creation of Biafra and Niger Delta republics is grossly misplaced. United States of America years ago went through the same route Nigeria is currently on.
Between 1775 and 1783 the United States lost 0.9% of its population in a war of independence with the British, while Nigeria lost insignificant lives in their struggle for Independence from the same British.
However, after about 78 years when almost those who fought the bloody independence war, old enough to remember were dead, Americans once again were engaged in another civil war, fighting themselves as Nigeria-Biafra did.
The players in American civil wars were Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses Grant, and Robert Lee, while in Nigeria Sir Ahmadu Bello, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Col. Yakubu Gowon and Col. Emeka Ojukwu took the center stage.
All these players could not agree on the direction of the countries and hence lost so many lives. America in the 1861-1865 civil war lost about 2% of its population, while Nigeria lost about 2.1% of its population. However, after the civil war, Americans swore never to fight one another and have since then built the country for everyone and even welcome those who come to its shore to live amicably with them.
Nigeria is yet to rise above ethnic bickering and agree for a peaceful coexistence. Many do not see themselves as Nigerians and continue to advocate for their ethnic Nation.
It is an irony that those who need Nigeria the most are advocating for its demise, example Biafran and the so-called Niger-Delta Republics. Chronologically, the ethnic groups who need Nigeria the most and whose future generation would regret their actions are:
Niger-Delta: In about 100 to 200 years, about three-quarters of Ijaw lands will be under water due to the global warming that will result in a tremendous rise in sea level in the next 100 years. To wish separation from Nigeria because of petroleum which will soon become obsolete is totally misguided.
Those advocating for Niger-Delta are being unfair to their future generation. Their struggle should be for equity and ways to develop the nation for the betterment of Nigerians. Their prayers should be for Nigeria to remain intact and even expand.
During the struggle to oust General Abacha, I was opportuned to work with Chief Anthony Enahoro of blessed memory with whom we together formed Edo-Okpamakhin. We all agreed Nigeria should never disintegrate but a correction of injustices and achievement of a well-structured Nation for the benefit of Nigerians.
I recalled a strong disagreement in one of our meetings during Somifon (Southern Minorities Front) conferences, an organization formed to advocate for the southern minorities position. Chief Enahoro had requested for one representative from all the Southern minorities groups to draft the bylaws, resolutions for the group when all of a sudden the Ijaws were divided over whether Kalabari was a separate nation from Ijaw.
Chief Enahoro regarded them as one, but some of their members held opposite position. For Chief Enahoro’s presence, the disagreement could have disrupted the whole conference. Imagine when the Niger-Delta nation is formed what will result, civil war.
Biafra: The total land area of the 5 Igbo states is 29,385 square Kilometers (11,346 square miles) and to fit in over 40 million Igbos would mean about 1,400 living in a square kilometer or 3,500 living in a square mile.
The surprising aspect is the silence of the Ohaneze who should call these groups to order to consider the suicide they wish their people. It was Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe that unequivocally voted for one Nigeria when Chief Awolowo and the Sarduana of Sokoto were all advocating the option to succeed from Nigeria.
Chief Enahoro said Dr. Zik’s argument was what to do with over 2 million Igbo in the North. While there were about 2 million Igbo in the North in the 50s, but now they are over 10 million in all parts of the country. The least these so-called advocates can do is not to wish their fellow Igbo danger which they are doing. I hope Ohaneze call them to order and advise them to redirect their grievances for a better Nigeria that favors everybody.
Ododuwa: If there is any group of people that benefited from the amalgamation of Nigerian, it is the Yoruba. Before the amalgamation, the Yoruba were one of the most divided groups in the Country. Historically, the Yoruba were always waring themselves almost every 10 years.
The Edo people were very much involved in the rescue of many Yoruba from other Yoruba before the amalgamation. All the areas bearing Ado, such as Ado Ekiti, Oke-Ado, etc are evidence of Edo involvement in Yoruba unity.
There was no such thing as united Yoruba. The formation of Nigeria was Yoruba greatest blessings. Yoruba as a Nation would have been involved in an endless fight, but for the formation of Nigeria. During the struggle for democracy, a friend from Ijesa in a round table discussion titled “Nigeria Unity, Reality or Fantasy,” was opposed to the breakup of Nigeria or the formation of an Ododuwa nation.
Arewa: The presence of numerous ethnic groups in the north is the more reason why they would favor a united Nigeria which will help preempt any ethnic crisis. The Kaduna, Jos, Kano crisis are major problems that would be best handled at the national level. The Boko Haram menace is a threat to the unity of Nigeria.
Sea-Level Rise and flooding of the Niger-Delta
Therefore, I am proposing the following 10 must do for Nigeria to move forward:
1 Short-term and immediate Constitutional Amendments:
Amend and strike out Section 308, Part II of Chapter VIII of Nigeria constitution. Section 308, Part II of Chapter VIII grants immunity to Nigerian leaders, thus protecting them against civil or criminal proceedings during their term in office.
This section of the constitution is what emboldens corrupt Nigeria leaders to act with impunity. The idea that leaders be prosecuted only after they leave office does not work well with Nigerians and many Governors have used their ill-gotten wealth to buy Justice and corrupt the Judiciary.
2 Address Corruption in the Judiciary
Two approaches should be explored: a) Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) should self-conduct annual evaluations of all Judges, from the customary court to the Supreme Court and publish results of their evaluations. This will send a message to corrupt Judges scoring low to think twice about their careers and reputations.
Evaluations should be conducted by the entire NBA members and not just the officials and b) if corrupt Judges continue to be obtuse to change, soiling the credibility of the judiciary or insensitive to the evaluations, then I would propose that the NBA annual evaluations become the yardstick for dethroning Judges by the executives or the legislators.
Judiciary is the most important arm of the government anywhere in the world. As the Bible states in Isaiah 5:20 “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” Nigeria is suffering from the corrupt behavior of some judges.
3 Size of Government
Reduce the size of government, re-zoning the current 36 States to 15 states and create as many local governments to address ethnic makeup. Money saved from this reduction should be used for national infrastructure.
The numerous States created so far have only helped divide Nigerians instead of uniting them. As far back as July 7, 1974, Late Sir Francis Ibiam of blessed memory on page 3 of Sunday Times opposed increasing the number of States from 12 to 19, but his advice was ignored.
Also, there was quest to create Afemasian from Edo State, but for Late Chief Anthony Enahoro who opposed it, the state would have been divided.
4 National Conference to Restructure Nigeria
Convene a National Conference to restructure Nigeria since every ethnic group in the country is agitating for it. When I first met the late Chief Anthony Enahoro of blessed memory, I shared my mind on this vexing issue, especially on the version floated by NADECO.
He bought into my line of reasoning and together with him we inaugurated Edo Okpamakhin and came up with a 25-page Edo proposal. These proposals under his guidance and other Edos were discussed and presented at Edo House in Chicago, USA in 1998 and later adopted in Boston, USA the following month. Hence, Chief Enahoro went on encouraging other ethnic groups to generate similar proposals, especially the ethnic minorities from South-South.
My recommendation is for all ethnic groups in the country, whether Ohaneze, Owerri, Anambra, Wawa, Ikwerri, etc, or Odua, Egba, Ijebus, Ekiti, or Arewa, Fulanis, Hausas, Nupes, Tivs, Biroms, Jukuns, Kanuris, etc to generate their own similar proposals stating what they want as a people.
Then the Country should assemble constitutional law professors from across the country universities and instruct them to merge all proposals to form a constitution for the nation.
Where there is a disagreement such as Sharia or revenue sharing formula, the nation can then debate them and hopefully the vexing ethnic group can compromise for the interest of the nation. Under no circumstance must the Nigeria be allowed to disintegrate as no one ethnic group can survive.
5 Address the Security
Build large Assembly Peace Centers in all Nigerian cities, especially in the restless areas such as Jos, Bauchi, Biu, Maidiguri, Sokoto, Kano, Kaduna, Zaria, Warri, etc, since Nigerians of different ethnic background now live together.
Identify all community leaders and encourage them to meet quarterly to resolve their grievances. To implement this, law and conflicts resolution University Professors should be invited to regularly chair all meetings, offer solutions and compromises for peace.
In extreme and highly politicized cases, respected traditional leaders should be called upon to seat at conflict resolution meetings. Nigeria must devise a proactive way for addressing security issues.
Often, Nigerian leaders have been the cause of the crisis plaguing Nigeria. The Jamā’atu Ahlis Sunnah (so-called Boko Haram) crisis was handled wrongly by the Federal Government of Nigeria. To the rest of the World, Jamā’atu at first had legitimate case against Nigeria if they had not resolved to violence.
The news and footage beamed to the entire world by Aljazeera and London BBC portrayed Nigerian government as the aggressor and engaging ethnic cleansing. Most international lawyers agreed with Jamā’atu Ahlis Sunnah on their charges of ethnic cleansing because they saw lame, cripple and blind Fulani made to lie down and shot by the Nigerian police with impunity. The same faith was met on their leader Yusuf Mohammed as reported by BBC who met jungle justice in the hand of the Nigerian police.
The Nigerians Joint Task Force (JTF) also continue to kill the members of Jamā’atu as if they were alien. In response, the Jamā’atu sought out soft targets such as the churches for revenge and thereby killing innocent Nigerians caught in between and subsequently resolved to kidnapped innocent secondary school girls. Indirectly, the Nigerian government is responsible for the escalation of the violence we see across the country.
My advice is that Nigerians should be sensitive to ethnic cleansing, because what I saw during the Nigerian civil war leaves a lasting scar in me. Prior to Nigerian civil war when I was just 13 years, I had an Igbo friend, Nneka.
Her mum and dad were very friendly and we interacted like family. Nneka and I often discussed admissions into high schools and career goals. She got admission into Saint Maria Goretti in Benin City, while I was expecting the results of my interview into Edo College when the war broke and almost all Igbos had to return to the East.
Nneka’s dad sent her and the rest of the family to the East and himself remained in Benin City to tend to his store at the New Benin market. It turned out to be the deadliest mistake Nneka’s dad made, because when General Muritala Mohammed liberated the Midwest, his troop killed many Igbo males they caught.
On that evening the Federal Troops landed Benin, we were jubilating “One Nigeria” when all of a sudden I saw a commotion and behold soldiers surrounded Nneka’s dad and yelling “yamiri.”
With Nneka’s father hands up they empty their bullets on him. What was painful is that it seemed I was the last person he was steering at to save him. I could not save him and the experience left a scar in me till this day.
As if that was not enough, as I headed home, it was another horrible scene, the killing of Azuka’s cousin. Azuka rented a room in my uncle’s second house and his cousin was very friendly with me as he gave me his bicycle to ride whenever it was free.
That evening, he was shot dead just across the road from our house. The third horrible scene was a young Igbo medical doctor visiting from Germany, the brother of Obiangeli, my auntie’s friend.
Ms. Obiangeli and my auntie both served in the same women’s group at the Holy Cross in Benin City. Often, my auntie always sent me on an errand to her and she was very proud of her brother.
On that dreadful day, I saw a struggle between Obiangeli and the soldiers as she was trying to free her brother from them. However, they pushed her aside and summarily executed the young man.
The three incidents left a lasting depression and I went on voluntary hunger strike for days, but for my mum’s early intervention only God knows. Throughout the liberation week, the whole of Benin City, especially Mission road was litter with Igbo corpses.
Anytime I travel through Muritala Mohammed Airport, my mind goes back to the civil war and all the bad memories. Also, months earlier Biafra rounded all the Northerners when they overran the Midwest, especially Hausas who congregate in known Hausa quarters.
They were carried away and never returned and believed they were all killed. So, you can see my sensitivity to ethnic crisis being caused by many unpatriotic Nigerian leaders. The ethnic cleansing aired by Aljazeera and London BBC that went viral on the net should worry every Nigerian who truly believes in peaceful coexistence: Chronologically, these are all recorded ethnic cleansing in Nigeria:
January 15 1966, the killings of Sir Ahmadu Bello, the Sarduana of Sokoto, Prime Minister Abubakar Tafewa Balewa, Chief Okotie-Eboh, Sir Oladoke Akintola by mainly Igbo ethnic group.
July 29, 1966, the killing of thousands of Igbo and other Southerners by the Hausa/Fulani as a reprisal for the death of Sir Ahmadu Bello and Prime Minister Abubakar Tafewa Balewa.
August 9, 1966, the killing of Hausas and other Northerners caught in the Midwest during the Biafra invasion.
September 20, 1966, the killing of Igbo men by the forces of General Muritala Mohammed during the liberation of Midwest
November 10, 1995, the execution by hanging of Ken Saro-Wiwa, and eight other members of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People by General Sani Abacha and the people of Ogoni driven away from their ancestral land to the extent United Nation created a refugee camp in Benin Republic and other African countries to prevent their extermination.
On November 20th, 1999, the massacre of the Odi old men and women by President Obasanjo government.
February 9, 2010, the killings of the Fulani cripple, blind, and lame by the Nigerian government as reported by Aljazeera and London BBC
Which ethnic group is next?
I use this medium to appeal to President Buhari to convene a national dialogue on peaceful coexistence of Nigerians.
6 National Work-Program
Nigeria should initiate two different youth programs:
I) An annual work program for the Senior Secondary School (SSS) during their 3 months school break, where all students in that age range are sent to perform minimum jobs (payment of N10,000 per month recommended), such as helping farmers harvest their crops. This will also be educational so that they can grow up to the true meaning of the Nigeria anthem “Help our youth the truth to know, In love and honesty to grow” and
II) Advanced National Work Program for the University, Polytechnic youth, and the military. They should be encouraged to build roads, bridges, landfills, sewage systems, parks and also lay the nation electric grids during their 3 months’ school break.
To achieve this, I recommend the President hold a heart-to-heart meeting with the Nigerian youths – the University and Polytechnic students. In the meeting, the President should plead and request their cooperation to help build Nigeria.
The slogan should be “Operation Build the Nation – a national challenge.” I recommend N2 trillion from the yearly budget be devoted to this national work program. There are about 5 million universities and polytechnics students.
Each should be paid N90, 000 for the 3 months for the National Work Program. Inclusive, an equal number of temporary workers should be employed to work alongside with the youth. In all, about 10 million workers at N90, 000 for 3 months would amount to N900 billion.
The other N100 billion should be set aside as insurance money for any eventuality or accidents. Then 1 Trillion Naira should be used in buying equipment and materials for the work. The Students will not only participate but also supervise the construction, especially the engineering students. After all, the future belongs to them. The benefits of these programs are:
reduction in hardships of the parents who would otherwise have to provide their children with money and thereby resorting to bribes and other ills that prevent growth in the country.
reduction in hardships of the University and Polytechnic youth, many of whom are struggling to afford the minimum living standard,
unity of Nigerians across ethnic groups,
the building of good roads, bridges, landfills, sewage systems, parks, electric grids at minimum cost,
the prevention of corrupt government officials from siphoning Nigeria money and transferring them to overseas through third parties they award contracts at exorbitant cost.
I recommend Nigeria should stop borrowing money from outside for projects. When the British fully colonized Nigeria, they used local Chiefs to build the roads that link the entire nations that Nigerians now enjoy. According to records, Chief Obaseki (the author’s grandfather) constructed 32 miles of roads.
7 Energy
Pursue green energy such as hydroelectricity, wind and solar. Nigeria should convene Africa Energy Sufficiency Conference to evaluate the continent energy requirements. Assemble a team of Professor Emeritus knowledgeable in energy and charge them to champion Africa Energy Sufficiency.
Nigeria should fund the construction of hydroelectricity in Africa and discuss revenue sharing with the African host countries. There are so many rivers fall and mountains in Africa for hydroelectricity, especially in East and Central Africa with high elevations.
Africa can easily generate enough hydroelectricity to power Africa and sell the surplus to Europe and Middle East. Where ever there is an elevation more than 60 meters and the volume of river is sufficient, dams should be built.
Students and unskilled workers under the supervision of Engineering Professor Emeritus should be utilized to construct dams. This should be a part of the National Work Program. All that is needed are earth moving machineries, cement and reinforcing steel.
Nigeria should only purchase generators, and other electric producing equipment from outside, that is the equipment Nigeria cannot have produced. There are many qualified Nigerians who have helped built electric generating plants in advanced countries, their expertise should be solicited.
They should be encouraged to come back to Nigeria and help built them. Also, solar panels, coupled with batteries should be utilized to provide 24 hours’ electricity in both urban and rural areas.
8 Arts and Sports
On Arts and Entertainment, Federal Government should spend a minimum of $10 billion to develop a Disney and Hollywood type movie producing complex in Nigeria. Nigeria Nollywood has successfully developed an acceptable industry that provides entertainment for Nigerians and Africans.
However, this must be taken to a higher level to enable Nollywood products become acceptable internationally. A 260 square kilometer should be demarcated and the $10 billion used to develop the land for movie production.
Establish an Endowment Funds for this and have experience and respected Nollywood stars head this program. Arts and Entertainment industries can create between 5 and 10 million jobs for Nigeria.
On Sports, Federal Government should assemble a panel of experts to design a sport roadmap for Nigeria. The appetite of Nigerians for soccer is a potential gold mine. Nigeria can easily generate millions of jobs across the nation when sports are properly organized.
Every city in Nigeria should have a stadium and the private sector should be encouraged through loans and other forms of incentives to build and own them. It was very disheartening to watch the empty stadiums during the African Cups held in Angola, when Africans should have been struggling for tickets and hotel spaces.
The same empty seats were seen in South Africa. I strongly believe that sports will unite Africa when roads linking the Countries are properly constructed and maintained. Therefore, I recommend Nigeria government seriously considers the execution of the National Work Program in Recommendation 6 as it ties in with Sports.
When successful, other African Nations will emulate Nigeria and also challenge their youths to do the same. Thereby, Africa will have highways and good roads for easy communications, trades. In this effort, Nigerian should help other African nations with loans and other incentives to develop their roads and stadium.
9 Agricultural Roadmap
Nigeria should develop a sound Agricultural Roadmap to generate at least $200 Billion annually by cultivating 50% of Nigeria arable land. Nigeria should adopt a food self-sufficient philosophy and spend less on importation.
Between the 70s and 90s, many false attempts were made to develop agriculture, such as: operation feed the nation, the green revolution, operation breadbaskets and all other bogus slogans.
However, only the crooks enriched themselves with the exorbitant loans disbursed by the governments. Many of these crooks built houses, married more wives and bought expensive cars with the loans that were never paid back.
The country continues to import foods to feed Nigeria’s increasing population. Nigeria should adopt Agricultural zonal approach – the 36 states should be demarcated such that farmers travel less than 24 kilometers to take advantage of the Agricultural processing centers.
For example, 10 zones should be established in Edo State, 11 zones for Cross River, 9 zones for Delta, almost 43 zones for Niger State the biggest in the nation and so on. Establish a processing center for the crops grown in that zone equipped with silos, tractors and other storage facilities to cope with the huge influxes of the produce.
If grains are produced in a zone, provide grain drying equipment and silos for storage equipped with aerators. The slogan should be common cultivation, common processing, common storage so that the ordinary farmer can process their crops.
Doing this will help farmers and alleviate their suffering. Big time farmers do not need the government; it is the poor rural farmers. For example, 10-zonal structure for Edo State Government would
Help farmers generate produce for international exports. The taxes on revenue from Agriculture can be directed towards industrialization. From extensive studied carried out on Edo Agricultural produce, it is recommended for Edo State to adopt the following 10 Agriculture zones:
Summary and Recommendations for Edo State:
This is a 10-zone Agricultural proposal for Edo State
The slogan for this “Agricultural Roadmap” proposal is Common Cultivation, Common Processing and Common Storage.
The first stage is to lease farming equipment to farmers, irrespective of income or means of repayment; that is every farmer would have access to farming tools for the period of cultivation through harvest.
The second stage is to assist the farmer during harvest, utilizing common equipment; trucks are provided to farmers to transport their produce to the processing centers.
The third stage is to process farmers produce at a common center, especially for crops such as cassava that needs immediate processing within 2 days to prevent rancid.
The fourth stage is to adequately store the processed products until sale or transport those requiring immediate consumption to the market. An example is grains that must be stored in the silos and aerated till needed or vegetables that must be consumed within certain period.
The fifth stage is to help the farmers sell their produce in bulk to industrial and international buyers
Technical designs of the Storage facilities, equipment, electrification, water systems are reported elsewhere; almost every produce can be processed and adequately stored.
Safe insecticides to combat pests would be supplied to each zone
Water conditioning equipment – Locally Developed
Rice machinery harvesters, processors – Locally Fabricated
Rice field flooding equipment – Locally Fabricated
Electricity (A Cogeneration plant in each zone) – locally built (expertise among Nigerians abroad and at home)
Food drying and processing equipment – local and foreign aided (few foreign aids needed)
Grain drying equipment – locally built (Blue Prints are available)
Equipment for corn meal for muffins, biscuits, etc (Some locally produced and others imported)
Large Refrigeration Units – local and foreign aided
Benefits of Agricultural Roadmap program.
Enriched rural areas capable of sustaining their own development, irrespective of the Federal, State, or Local governments.
The money from agricultural produce could be used to fund industries through farmer’s banks saving; and also help create funds abroad for equipment purchase.
The reduction in importation of agricultural produce to meet the ever increasing population.
Help accelerate the industrial take-off of Edo State
10 Industrial Roadmap
Nigeria should develop a National Industrial Roadmap, allocate up to $60 Billion revenue generated from Agricultural export to address the high unemployment in the country. The starting point should be the Universities and Polytechnic graduates.
To achieve this, a separate College of National and Personal Advancement (CONAPA) should be established in all the universities and polytechnics. CONAPA is similar to other colleges such as Engineering, Business, Agricultural, etc., and shall be the entrance for all freshmen and exit for all graduating seniors.
Freshmen shall have their one week orientations in this college and be advised on the needs of the societies, areas of prospects, etc. Then they shall commence on their line of studies for the next 3 or 4 years and upon satisfying their colleges or department requirements return to CONAPA for the final year. All the disciplines shall converge in CONAPA, synergize and work on their future careers.
Their final year shall be devoted to entrepreneurship, building projects, planning, designs, marketing, etc and they shall be guided by emeritus from various colleges of that particular university. The $60 billion shall be devoted in helping them establish their business which will be mainly manufacturing.
Examples of areas for professional development are food production, Marketing, Auto components production, Medical equipment, Constructions, etc. Emeritus shall provide support for them and help them succeed.
From time to time, CONAPA shall invite paid consultants from advanced nations such as United States of America, European Countries, Japan, etc. to help guide some of the programs. The duties of CONAPA shall be to:
act as a bridge between the academia and the society.
help shape a good working relationship between the outgoing graduates
develop a good technology stock market solely for the development of industries
establish a good link with the banks and encourage them to fund the industries
work out modalities, ethics and rules to guide all industries established through CONAPA
provide support and guide the industries to ensure they do not fail
Conclusion:
Nigerian leaders need to eschew corruption and put the country first. I compare Nigerians to the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ who doubted and foot drag during Jesus sojourn here on earth, but only to believe after the crucifixion and resurrection convinced them that the gospel was real.
Once they were convinced, almost all Christ disciples were martyr in their determination to spread the gospel of Christ against all odds. Most Nigerians have loose loyalty to Nigeria, because Nigerian leaders have not given then the cause to be patriotic.
Over 50% of Nigerian leaders have their wealth stock outside the Country and as the Bible states in Matthew 6:21 “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Most Nigerian leaders do not believe in Nigeria nor do they expect the Country to last, hence their treasures must be stock outside. So, until Nigerian leaders put the Country first, there will be no progress.
Kienuwa Obaseki, PhD, is Secretary-General of Edo Okpamakhin Worldwide and Board Member of Edo Arts and Cultural Institute
