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Only extra-ordinary measures that solve extraordinary challenges
By Adewale ADEOYE
Nigeria is facing extra-ordinary challenges. How can prices of foodstuff go up almost every week? This is dangerous. The Government is facing serious criticisms.
Those who criticise governments do so for varying reasons. Some do because they are out of power and have lost access to pecks and privileges; some do out of hate and avarice, some for ethnic logic, some for national patriotism while many attack governments because they are paid to do so.
What is important is that genuine critiques driven by the love of the masses should throw punches but must be prepared to offer superior alternatives.
WHAT IS TO BE DONE?
Below is what I think the President, the State and Local Governments can do to offer succour to a country that seems tumbling off the cliff edge.
In historic context, no doubt the past years have been filled with laid explosives and dynamites planted to explode one after the other as soon as a new government emerged last year.
The Buhari regime was extremely poor in managing the economy. The regime left thousands of non-state actors heavily armed and prowling in the forest of indigenous peoples, not to talk of billions of cash stolen by spineless officials.
Emefiele offered his conscience for sale and deliberately destroyed the already thin fabric of the economy. The regime left a car without engine, without tyres and without tools to even repair the car.
President Bola Tinubu- options for survival
But that was just the continued agenda of an irresponsible ruling class that destroys everything including its own future.
Nigerians are not looking for excuses. They want results, they are desperate for transformation of a country left to rot, in the cesspool, for many years.
FOOD AND LIVELIHOOD:
Nigerians are hungry. Tonight, President Tinubu should announce his setting up of his private farm in Abuja or Abeokuta.
He should, in the next few weeks plant tomatoes, onions, maize and others. He should then direct the Vice President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Chief of Staff, all his Ministers, heads of parastatals, elected and unelected APC leaders in all wards and Local Governments to do the same. The first lady should do the same.
In the next few months, We want to see their pictures working on their private farms, if only for 20 minutes. Nigerians need this kind of motivation to rekindle hope and lift them up from nostalgia and melancholy. Hope is the evidence of things not seen and the substance of things hoped for. Hope can lift and transform Nigeria from stupor. At present, there is no inspiration, no straw for the masses to hold on to.
LEADERS NEED TO MAKE SACRIFICES:
Nigerians have been making sacrifices for generations. We are exhausted and down. We want to see our leaders make just a little sacrifice to reenergise us again.
All the 36 State Governors should announce and create personal farms. The Deputy Governors, Speaker and all members of the State Houses of Assembly, Commissioners, aides of Governors should do the same.
The Governors should direct all civil servants to take three-day off to set up farms or poultry in their villages. Majority of them have ancestral land.Even if it is one plot of land, let them farm. We want to see the Governor of water-rich states like Bayelsa and Lagos own fisheries. We want to see Sanwo-Olu create a small farm at Epe and build a cottage there.
We want to see his picture spending one night in the cottage, eating roasted yam with village folks.
In each state, every public school should go into farming, poultry or fishing. Some secondary schools in this country once fed their students.
I belong to that generation. We owned farms. Each child brought one tuber of yam, grain and tomatoes seedlings from home which we planted on the plots allocated to each class. We can do it again. This is the time.
Traditional rulers should not just watch.
They should create community farms, especially in rural areas.Those young men loitering around should be asked to go to the farms and work twice in a week. In one year, each community will be able to provide free lunch for pupils in community schools and for the elderly. The civil servants should work on Saturdays on their farms. Police should provide security on the farms where necessary through intensive patrol and monitoring. Vegetables, onions,tomatoes, lettuce, pepper, maize, take between 30 to 100 days. Yam is 5 months. Fish cab reach adult size in 12 weeks. Chicken can reach adult size in 4 to 5 months. Some can reach market size in 8 weeks. So what are we talking?
IF WE DO THIS, IN SIX MONTHS, THERE WILL BE FOOD GLUT ACROSS NIGERIA AND PRICES WILL GO DOWN.
SUBSIDY FOR STRATEGIC SECTORS
TRANSPORTATION:
WE cannot totally remove subsidy for all Nigerians. A few sector need subsidy and the impact will be felt by all.The Federal Government should identify Intra-State public transport services. The transport owners in collaboration with Nigerian Union of Road Transport Services, NURTW and the NNPC should provide fuel subsidy for inter-state public transport owners. This will be a major intervention in cutting down cost of transportation across the country.
INDUSTRY AND LOCAL PRODUCTION OF GOODS
There should also be fuel ad diesel subsidy for strategic industries and manufacturers involved in the production of the essentials of life-those producing medicine, shoes, textile, food and beverages.
In this way, transport costs for inter-state travels will go down. This will relief transporters of agriculture products and also alleviated the suffering of the masses. Lennards Shoes came to Nigeria in 1953. Bata came to Nigeria in 1932 and established a factory in Kano in 1935. They manufacture world class shoes, but we still import shoes. Secondary schools, the military, police, immigration continue to import shoes that Lennards and Bata can produce. This is a shame. The Government should immediately ban Government parastatals from importing what they can buy locally like martial booths etc. It is time to empower the shoe makers of Aba. Give them loans and assist them to produce quality products.
MINISTERS SHOULD BE ON THE FIELD.
The Ministers of Finance, Minister of Interior, Minister of Industry should be on the field. They should visit the countries industries,inspect them,ask questions, find out how the Government can assist them Do not just sit down in the office and expect change to come. You have to go to the streets and encounter the industrial stakeholders to appreciate their fears and aspirations.
The ministers should hold meetings with Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, MAN every week. Through this the Government will discover the solutions to the country’s industrial problems lay in the heart of many Nigerians on the streets, it lie with the captains of some industries who understand the challenges and are ready to share their experiences if the Ministers can go to them and constructively engage them. Time is running out and the masses are losing their patience.
