Says Igbos are the obstacle to Restructuring
Caption:Arch Taiwo Kara
He is as sharp as sharp could be.
At over 70, he has traversed most parts of the World having received Education in the best of schools.
For him, lack of planning and foresight is the real reason a region like South West which was ahead of some western nations now has to depend on those living in the desert to feed itself.
Architect Taiwo Kara, a Howard trained Architect and Urban planner, once contested primary election in 2015 for office of Lagos Governor.
That he has to step down at the behest of the party leadership has not in any way reduced his love and passion to serve Lagos in form of advice and make the city a pride of place
He spoke on the nations Food crisis, demands of running a city like Lagos and need for Nigerians to give President Bola Tinubu enough time to fix the country .
Excerpts:
Ques.
*How do we get out of the food crisis in the country?*
Ans. It’s interesting to note that the desert is the one feeding people that lives by the water, it is interesting and becomes abnormality by any definition.
In the 60s, during the time of Obafemi Awolowo as Premier of Western Region, Western Region lend money to World Bank. Awolowo had Farm settlement all over the towns and cities of Western Region. Even France during this period did not have coloured TV, Under Awolowo, with Agricultural money, even to establish Stadium, University College Hospital (UCH), TV Stations, France didn’t have all these at that time, but today France is a world power, where did we get it wrong?
Food scarcity now the bane of SE
Everybody vacated farming for education, yes education is good but without food, there is nothing we can learn that will assimilate, you must eat and be healthy to be able to learn.
Even at that time Awolowo was doing everything pari passu (side by side). We had Primary, Secondary, Modern Schools, the Polytechnics and the Universities, Housing Estates, Cocoa and Rubber Plantations, Palm Trees, Palm Oil, Animal Husbandry Poultry etc.
We had all our Modern equipments to process all our farm produce and products. It is interesting to know that we vacated that Program for other things.
Now we are crying of hunger, we now depend on desert to raise food for people that lives by the waterside, isn’t that questionable.
We have to go back to the land to sustain food security and enjoy exportation of our products to earn foreign currency.
At that time also, we had Industrial Estates all over the Country, but now all the Industries have turned to Churches and Mosques.
It is interesting that we have to go back to farming to sustain ourselves.
Firstly, let’s have food security, without this, we can’t make any meaningful development, otherwise it’s an invitation to famine and insecurity.
Question: Have you seen any sign on the path of our leaders toeing this path of Western Devt. Agenda especially in the South/West?
Where is Odua Investment today, moribund, something is really wrong with us in Western Region, I refer to Western Region because we have many States in the region. Where is our investment, we keep on criticizing without bringing anything to the table to improve our economy, we blame our economy, blame government for all our predicaments, whereas we are the problem of our own development.
We must all go back to the farm. As a matter of fact, on the issue of banditry and terrorism, I expect government to acquire hectares of land, build it’s military base within the farmland and Primary Schools for the farmers so that there will be some good level of security within the farmland Estates.
Question: Still on the issue of insecurity, Boko Haram started over 21 years ago and it’s still going strong by turning into banditry, armed robbery, do you see govt having the political will to terminate this?
Ans. In my own opinion, everybody is at fault, we must go back to the issue of Industrialisation and general development, scarcity of job encouraged people to go into all sorts of vices.
Our leaders should be questioned, how did banditry itself get to Nigeria, who is responsible and what are the consequences.
Why do we have all the necessary instruments to find out the causes of banditry and failed to use it.
what are the penalties, is there any big fish that the govt. cannot handle, are we afraid to bring people to book. As long as we fold our hands we’ll keep on having these crisis and this might lead to war if care is not taken.
Question: What is your take on the issue of restructuring, and how prepared are the Regions for this?
The federal govt and the South West is prepared for restructuring as well as the Northern leaders, but I’m not sure if the Eastern Zone is prepared for restructuring because they keep on threatening cessation.
Unfortunately we are yet to even recognise what they are bringing to the table, all they are bringing is crisis.
Under this new administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, I believe he’s ready, serious to make positive change for all to enjoy. Though there are lots of bottlenecks, the issue of fuel crisis which is global, level of illiteracy very high meaning many people will never understand, even if he’s doing his best to rationalise the economy, hence there is need for palliatives in all areas of development : ranging from food, tuition fees must be reduced, govt should create more railways and mass transit, to avoid all the exploitations of Union of Road Transport Workers.
Using Small buses (aka Korope or Keke Bus) is very unfit for human transportation, it should be banned.
We should also adjust and embark on educating as many people as possible on the importance of Agriculture, we cannot abandon it, no matter how educated you are, without food, you cannot sustain any quality living without food, food first.
But according to reports, federal government has allocated N5BN to each state to create palliatives, and they need to do more because the palliativeu has not been felt along the echelon of the people, meaning that people are not feeling the impact of the palliative down the ladder.
Govt. can create Bulk Purchase Centres where people can go and buy certain things at highly subsidised rate, to calm nerves.
In my own opinion, the federal government is trying but we need to allow time to heal what the present government met on ground.
Question: You mentioned earlier that the Eastern Region is not ready for restructuring because they are threatening cessation, what do you expect them to do?
Ans. Well if you have a family, where a larger percentage is talking about the way forward and very little number is saying the opposite, it means something is wrong with the system, it’s either they aren’t ready to be part of Nigeria or they’re ready but pretending so that they can get more than they can chew because there is some percentage of sharing for all, and am sure Federal government is trying it’s best.
So whatever they want, they should put it on the table because their attitude are not helping matters at all.
For now, the Eastern Region is heating up the political situation of the Country.
They need to come on board so that the Country can move forward.
Question: Is it in the area of Sit-At-Home or the area of violence?
Ans. Well I’m not the judge but they have instructors like Nnamdi Kanu, Simeon Ekpa who lives abroad but calling for separation, he should come home so that we give him a voice be it positive or negative, but as it is, the South/East is not cooperating.
If the North is ready and the West is also ready, the Eastern region should also be ready if the Country must move forward.
Question: How best do you think Lagos State Govt can control the influx of people into the state and how can they improve the infrastructural problem which is on the rise?
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Well, give it to past leaders of Lagos state, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu inclusive, so whatever we are enjoying today is under their leadership, but the people must co-operate, there are infrastructural codes that people must adhere to, when you block the drains and there’s heavy rainfall, where you’ve blocked becomes a major disaster for the whole State. Hence residents living in Lagos must follow due process on town planning regulations, and comply with the set rules.
So really, the challenge is lack of compliance on the part of residents in the state.
Question: How best can the State control the influx of people into the state for proper planning?
Ans. Everyone want to move to a place where there is civilization.
in my own opinion, Lagos is the only place where there in civilization in the country and everybody wants to come and live and take the best of the situation.
Hence, Govt. should make it compulsory for Lagos residents before they can do anything, to have Identity card, it means a lot in terms of development, crime detection, prospects, failures, infrastructural development etc. it’s all encompassing, everyone wants to come to Lagos, but if the state is not developed nobody will want to come.
I give kudos to all the past leaders in the state for making it a centre of excellence that everybody wants to come
Question: The local government autonomy is no doubt a welcome development, what are your expectations from the local government?
Yes, a lot is expected from the local government. The local government autonomy will bring the local government closer to the people they govern.
We expect to see a lot of development and improvement in terms of infrastructure, they are the one closer to the grassroots, they can identify their problems and proffer lasting solutions to people’s problems.
It will assist in the employment, food security etc.
Question: So how do we ensure good performance on the part of local government?
They will definitely perform because they are closer and answerable to the people. If they don’t perform, the laws are there to curb their excesses. This will enable the state governments to concentrate on other things.
