Columnist: Iyeomoan Emmanuel

At a time like this when it seems like “the center can no longer hold” as the glue that bonds us together as a people is loosing its grip and “things are falling apart”, many a political thinkers believe that a National Conference is never too late a time like this.  History is rich with meetings of this magnitude, not in the caliber of prominent public figures that acted on the stage, but in the errors and blunders of past conglomeration of ideas on the national table.

In this first edition of the series on the National Confab, Polity Police observe with clarity of purpose, some salient issues to be addressed; challenges to be faced and anticipated credits to be gained from a national conference of this nature. For content’s sake, let’s concentrate our energies on the salient issues that will draw the collective attention of Nigerians, in the course of the national conference.

SALIENT ISSUES ON THE NATIONAL TABLE

It’ll be nonchalance on our paths to shut our eyes to realities, and negate the wind of change that is about to blow the Nation to its near-eldorado. Before we envision reaping the fruits of a national get-together, conscience-searching questions geared towards placing us on the right direction of change must be asked. Progressively, answers to these questions must be offered with respect to: where we were before; where we are now; and where we intend to be after the conference? Having conducted an online poll on the social media, Facebook to be precise, the afore-stated “conscience-searching questions” are presented in no particular order here-under as follows:

• What were the results of past conferences of this nature?
• What were the demands of citizens of the country at those times and what are their demands now?
• Would a national conference procure curative measures to the maladies eating the nation’s health? Has it ever resolved issues in the past?
• What are the costs and benefits to society of this national conference?
• Why should it be a national conference, and not a sovereign national conference?
• What happens to Nigeria if a breakdown occurs in the process of national conferencing?

The Polity Police as well as other public affairs analysts anticipate probable success on this matter that has, and is still trailing the polity (National Confab). We expect partial success outcomes on the basis of a negation of salient issues of national interests. These issues must, and should be tackled headlong before the ship of a successful national conference is set to sail. They include, and yet are not limited to:

• Deteriorated state of the education sector
• Heated polity ahead of a pregnant 2015 general election
• Poverty in the midst of resource-surplus
• Unemployment in the presence of massive capital flight
• Population issues and its surrounding problems

Deteriorated state of the education sector: Aggrieved quarters (undergraduate and lecturers) sneer at the drama of a proposed national conference by the Jonathan-led administration, tagging it a “dance of shame”. If we are objective enough in our judgments, we can’t but agree that the education sector has reached its boiling point. Our institutions of higher learning which were initially set-up for research and development, have been reduced to a state akin to livestock-pens; laboratories are as empty as caskets, without basic facilities and chemicals necessary for experiments; lecture theaters are like town-halls, that you could count the few available seats; students hang on windows like bus-conductors, just to receive lectures that sometimes span for hours. Furthermore, our libraries are archaic and hive a crop of outdated intellectual properties; hostels are unavailable or insufficient, and where they are available, are worse than Nigerian prisons (you know how our prisons look). Ultimately and most painfully, the academic calendar is stylishly truncated by incessant and concurrent seizures in the form of labour strikes- courtesy of government insincerity in meeting up her obligations.

Heated polity ahead of a pregnant 2015 general election: Many wonder why the polity is unnecessarily heated by power-hungry and greedy politicians, when the 2015 general election is still pregnant; though, we can predict what the outcomes will be.  It is unsurprising to expect that most of our elder statesmen who are expected too act as glue to uniting the diverse interests of Nigerians, are at the forefront of this shameful act. Isn’t it needful to repair these broken edges of our walls before thinking of a national conference? Why don’t we organize a conference of elder statesmen to settle their differences before lowering this boat called “National Confab”?

Poverty in the midst of resource-surplus: How can we be talking of a national conference when the stomach of the common man is empty? Are they going to seat on the national table of resolution with hungry-looking eyes? Or, probably, they will be cut out of the scheme of things by inequitable representation. Their interests will be represented, or better still, misrepresented by the over-satisfied few, who do not know how it feels to be hungry. It’s an irony that the gap between the haves and have-nots widens with successive increase in the GDP- this is not funny at all!

Unemployment in the presence of massive capital flight: Many employers of labour argue that the problem of unemployment in the country isn’t unavailability of jobs, but unemployability of job seekers. I fail to accept that cheap claim owing to the fact that present day youths and prospective job-seekers are more intelligent than those of the 60s, 70s and 80s (the youthful times of our fathers) respectively. It amazes me that most of the big government employees, who preach “unemployability of this generation” are half baked intellectuals. The media can support my claim with many incidences of multiple errors in communication and lack-lustre presentation of ideas by the so-called government big-boys (the public servants). For instance, the “oga at the top saga” on Channels TV is still fresh on our minds; the grammatical blunders of the president’s wife, who was at one time the controversial head of service of Bayelsa State; the most recent is the Anambra governorship debates aired by African Independent Television (AIT) on 31^st October 2013, and the Abia national conference forum, where working-class citizens couldn’t communicate their ideas to the public without reading unending manuscripts, even when time was allotted to them on that regard. Or is it in Edo state, where a government employed head-teacher couldn’t spell her name in the presence of the Comrade-Governor? Let’s tell ourselves the truth and stop living in deceit. With this revelation, what are the reasons for high unemployment statistics, if not bad government policies as well as capital flight? Money that would have been invested here in the country are transported to foreign lands and imprisoned in their banks. Our leaders should tell themselves the truth- that they are the cause of our problems and not the harmless youths who are out there to better their lots. We complain of unemployment, yet public officials buy private jets, armored cars, and build sophisticated houses. Come to think of it, majority of the masses have no rooftops to hide their baldness, yet all governors have private lodges in Abuja; they are virtually 35 governors lodge in the FCT. What message are they sending to the youths? Why won’t they (the frustrated youths) take to crime to better their lot, when our fathers (the politicians) disappoint them with their reckless spending? Much is left for another day.

Population issues and other surrounding problems: Last month, the NPC’s boss resigned from service after some months of his appointment without any important reason. It was a true test of integrity and is rather un-nigerian to remove one’s tongue from a honey-pot, but he did and posterity must remember Francis Odimegwu for that. After analyzing the circumstances surrounding is resignation, I gathered that population issues are more political than I envisaged. The 2006 national census was marred by irregularities in the figures, which alone was enough to break the country. Many states had their figures over-stated, with expectation of higher shares from the national treasury. How can we grow in the midst of these insincerities?

The polity police have sufficiently touched some of the salient issues that must be put before the cart, for an effective national conference. We continue this series next time by treating challenges to be faced. Watch out for part 2!

© IYEOMOAN EMMANUEL,

UNIVERSITY OF BENIN, NIGERIA.

 

          A story was once told of a Jewish man who spotted a swampy area in a part of Lagos Nigeria.  He made a move for its purchase and the owners (Nigerians) laughed at him saying “can anything good come out of this”, that why would such a man indicate interest to purchase a swampy land.  After all said and done the land was sold at a give away price.  That same land was developed and today, it’s what is popularly referred to as Victoria Garden City.

          It is not just large companies that are finding opportunities in Africa, but also visionary entrepreneurs.  Success has been the testimony with the likes of Innscor, who leveraged on the poor socio-economic state of Zimbabwe and has successfully built conglomerates.  Bidco in Kenya has created an oil business with more than $160 million turnover, while building over 51 percent market share in Kenya, and the company exports oil, detergents and other products to more than a dozen African countries.  Bill Lynch, CEO of South Africa’s Imperial Holdings transport group, with annual turnover of $6.2billion, was born in rural Ireland.  Lynch was named Ernst and Young world Entrepreneur in 2006, He told the Financial Times in 2006, “if South Africa grows at the expected rate of 6percent, his business should grow at 15 – 20 percent over the next few years.

          As previously noted, Asian governments and companies have recognized the opportunities in Africa, as Chinese merchants and products are evident across Africa, from low-cost televisions, to generators, clothing, shoes and other appliances.  Jincheng motorcycles race across the roads and in Nigeria.  Indian and Pakistan traders sell leather, clothing etc in Johannesburg South Africa.  The same is being repeated in Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, etc.

          “The growing African trade and investment by China and India, particularly in sub-Saharan countries, is one of the most significant features of recent developments in the global economy”.

Harry Broadman

World Bank Economist

          A sino-African Summit in 2006, brought representatives of virtually all African countries to Beijing, China, where she pledged $5 billion in loans and credits to Africa during the summit.  The same was duplicated in New Delhi, India, in an organized India – Africa summit in 2008, which brought about the set up of major companies like Tata, Mahindra, Kirloskar and Ranbaxyin Africa.

          We have been known to be a consumption economy, thereby managing depreciation, without a steady increase in production.  The real sector has been seen to be a major driver of growth, and whose opportunities can be leveraged upon for poverty reduction, unemployment reduction etc.  A few Nigerians are actively involved in productive activities while some lack the touch of excellence, others are not appreciated by the market.  Findings reveal that Nigerians prefer the purchase of foreign items compare to locally made goods. As we continue on this track, we would experience increased capital flights, where foreigners invade our markets, employ Nigerians to seat in offices and work under unhealthy weather conditions, make their money and repatriate these funds to their home country, at the expense of the growth of the Nigerian real sector, which is spurred by poor discretionary policy measures. Please ponder on these things, as we continue next week under the same discourse.  Have a great week ahead.

Obele Gospel Jesuite

CRO-Project Change Initiative

A 21^st Century Leadership, Organizational and Economic Development Strategist

For Comment, please visit Obele Jesuite on Facebook,

@ OBELEObele on twitter, Gospel_Obele@yahoo.com for emails,

or contact 08130070991.

Columnist: Iyeomoan Emmanuel

In this maiden edition of the “POLITY POLICE”, let us together address some contemporary political issues that affect the economy and bring to light the forces of darkness militating against sustainable development in third world countries; Nigeria in particular. “For every aspiring-to-thrive nation, marriage between the economy and the polity must be blissful; a divorce of opinions between these two would mean a disintegration of growth-interests”. Any “aspiring to grow economy” can do so only in a system of administration and distribution having appropriate checks and balances.
The economic “big wigs” in this epoch of information; the US, Great Britain, France, Switzerland, and a few others, are at the fore-front due to the watchful eyes and critical minds of the populace. Thus, our contribution to political cum economic discourse determines the pace with which the economy grows. The growth of every modern economy like Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil, to mention but a few,  are evident from the contributions of individual Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs); Corporate bodies (the private sector) and the government (in terms of creating the enabling environment). I observed that the contribution of the government is infinitesimal relative to the private sector. That notwithstanding, provision of basic amenities like electricity, water and housing by the government, are the motivators to economic vibrancy of the public sector; Nigeria should borrow a leaf from that. On that respect, “policing the polity is the surest-bet to securing economic harmony” in a country with divergent interest groups with diversified demands. Painstakingly, this article is tagged “irresponsive polity in a responsive economy”, as I bring to bare the nonchalant behaviour of actors in the polity that repel economic growth.
REDUNDANT HEALTH IN THE FACE OF ABUNDANT WEALTH
Third World countries will continue to grow retrogressively even in the face of “myriads of natural and human resources”, so long as there exist barricades to economic growth. I call problems- barricades, because I believe that they are propellants to growth. These “barricades to economic growth” are multifarious in nature and ubiquitous in our socio-political and economic terrain; vis-à-vis:
• Information secrecy: Many a public analysts will agree with me that the passage of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill is a camouflage; and illusion from reality. How many political officials openly declare their financial worth, on assumption of office? Can an ordinary Nigerian walk into the Chief Statisticians office, or the Auditor-general’s, to gather information pertaining to the real state of the economy? All we see are media propaganda that gives a wrong impression on the health of the economy.
• Socio-political cum economic illiteracy: It is no news that Nigerians are becoming aware of happenings in the political sphere. Conversely, if you conduct a referendum, you’ll be shocked to know that majority of the youths (“would-be leaders” of tomorrow, which never comes) are ignorant of the devices of government mal-administrators and policy makers. During the “subsidy protest” in Lagos, I asked a handful of youths clustered around the Oshodi area of Lagos if they know the meaning of “subsidies or deregulation” and to my displeasure, I got a “no we don’t” answer for a reply. What a pity!
• Bureaucratic Insincerity: Due to the prevailing level of information secrecy, government officials pervert their political offices and get away with it; only those who refuse to play to the gallery of the “shadow godfathers” are probed and found wanting; James Ibori, the former Governor of Delta State is a case-study. For instance, we can remember the not too long cases of persons robbing the government and bailing themselves by settling an arm of the government; the judiciary to be precise. The bureaucratic nature of the civil service is another pain in the neck, as insincerity is brought to the fore on a daily basis. For example, a lump-sum meant to be distributed to some quarters, say, the local councils, pensioners and contractors, may loose the value of its zeros as it is transferred from one location to another. What can we say to all of these?
The Nigeria we are in today is just a mere delusion; a proper makeshift and a deviation from the master-plan of our founding fathers, who acted true federalism on the stage of economic abundance as we still have it today. Our resources are normally distributed, though there are some random disturbances to our growth model, which can be traced and treated with care.
Presently, the economy is caught in a web and the future looks bleak due to weak political and economic institutions and untreated issues of national concern; namely:
• Insecurity: Insecurity is a direct foe of investment and an indirect enemy of economic growth; it affects the GDP on a negative scale. The alarming state of insecurity in Nigeria is a topic on its own that this article is insufficient to expedite action on; that’s a topic for another day.
• Unstable supply of basic amenities:  The economy stagnates due to the insensitivity and insincerity of government to providing basic and essential amenities, which have a direct effect on economic growth. Thanks to the September 30 handover of ownership and distribution of electricity to the private sector; though, with unpaid remuneration of “to be laid-off staff” of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN), which is an issue that may shake the foundations of the polity sooner than expected. Like every Oliver Twist and as the “oracle of the masses”, I say- ‘it is not enough to deregulate the power-sector without creating alternative jobs to laid-off workers”. Other sectors like the Petroleum sector still need then ever-ready helping hands of the private sector (deregulate at least, the downstream sub-sector of the petroleum industry). The reason why government would grin at deregulation of the petroleum sector boils down to greed. One the fastest means of lifting an economy from the dungeons of poverty is by government provision of essential amenities to the masses. The cost of doing business in Nigeria is fueling a generator, which is capital intensive. How can we grow in the face of these easy to be solved problems? Is the provision of basic amenities the citizens’ rights, or are they privileges enjoyed relative to their paid loyalty to the government of the day in terms of votes during elections? We all know the truth; let’s not shy away from it.
• Inconsistency of government policies: Since there is no friend in business and no permanent friend or enemy in Nigeria politics, policies are bound to change with each change in government. Uncompleted projects of previous governments will remain so with the inauguration of a new administration. We all know that the Yaradua’s 7-point agenda was replaced by the transformation agenda of the present administration. The next administration’s “agenda” is like a pregnant woman- we don’t know the name and form it will take; it may be a “national-restructuring agenda”. The government is dexterous when it comes to conning audibly-appealing acronyms and names for an agenda. How “sure” is “SURE-P” (Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme? The shocking thing is that policies are changed, even when the same political party still controls power. What an ambiguity!
THE WAY FORWARD
Since the problem of the country is multi-faceted and thus, can’t be treated with a single blow, I make this clarion call to all Nigerians to stock themselves with information necessary to improving their lots in particular, and the nation én-large. The only way out of this cobweb-trap is personal capacity development. We can’t be waiting for an irresponsive government to put food on our tables. The Bible and Qu'ran posit that, “whatsoever your find your hands to do, do it with all thy might…” lets stop waiting for the government to tar the roads, build the bridges or give us pipe borne water, when we are uncultured. A defunct governor of Edo-state, Samuel Ogbemudia puts it this way; ‘if the government tar the roads and fail to tamed the persons that will ply the roads, the roads will be destroyed in a short-time, but if the government train the minds of the masses, they may end up building the roads themselves’. What a powerful quote! You all will agree with him.

Polity Police is your economic-watchdog of the polity and unravels the hidden secrets of government which are anti-growth. Remember, Nigeria was not built in a day and cannott be destroyed effortlessly. Together, we shall collectively build a virile economy, a steady polity and a better Nigeria anchored on sincerity of purpose and truth. In this regard, your comments and suggestions are anticipated and will be treated with umpteen confidentiality, if you so desire.
Thanks for your shared time.

© IYEOMOAN EMMANUEL EHIZOGIE
DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS,
UNIVERSITY OF BENIN, NIGERIA.