By Zik Gbemre

There was a period in this country where the virtues and values of hard work, integrity, sincerity, honesty, punctuality, accountability, patience, brotherliness and so on, were the guiding principles of our everyday life as a people in a common geographical entity. Not that the evil of corruption and what have you, were not there then, but it was not that predominant and pervasive as it is in our current society. Today, we have ‘exchanged’ all of that virtues and values with the most ‘self-centered’ corrupt tendencies and mediocrity of highest proportions. That is why the present generation of Politicians and society Elites have failed, and are still failing the people and the society at large. They have become leaders that are more interested in their well-being than that of those they are meant to ‘serve’. And until we go back to these virtues and values that helped shaped/built self-reliance, confidence and self-development amongst our people, especially the younger generation, which is geared towards bettering the society for the good of all and sundry; we might forever be classified as a ‘developing nation’ or ‘third-world’ that will never attain any significant bearing in global affairs. Rather than this current mindset of ‘free and quick money,’ or making it big without actually putting in the hard work, we need to go back to what made us once, one of the top rising industrious nations in the world before we came down crashing.

In another recent well-thought-out piece by a public affairs advocate, Mr. Smart Ofugara, gave a vivid analysis of the subject issue we are trying to paint here, and proffered some solutions on the way forward. In what he titled: Empowering One Another The Local Way- Ofugara noted that: “Confidence building, and self-reliance seem to have been on a journey away from our society for some time now. It took on the negative turn in 1999 when very many of us abandoned the self-assurance strategy for the timidity of politics. Politics gained a very strong foot hold on the society after journalists, activists and the international community chased away the military from our polity into respecting constituted civil norms and society, as being the only vehicle for socio-economic and political development. Unfortunately, a new set of goon and racketeers adorn in civil clothing, emerged to thwart the supposed right median for true growth and empowerment with a clear vision on a milestone basis for development of society and her people. How have we fared so far?

“Perhaps a child delivered in 1999 whose development has not been hampered by external forces like strike, poverty, illness, accidents, or death should have earned a normal four-year Degree or near graduation if you would agree with me. Therefore, true responsibility is awaiting him or her, depending on the prowess earned or embraced.  In the current situation where adults have managed the nation these past twenty years, and are still managing it, what do we have? Some said it is the full entrenchment of yahoo-yahoo; others called it ‘I am loyal’, emigration in droves by both legal and illegal means, legions of Special Assistants (SAs), career politicians on a full-time scale, civil service as the only employer of labor, strikes or outright closures of schools with dilapidation as the order of the day. How long can we continue to sustain this situation where the by-products from this situation is insecurity and murder, kidnapping and obtaining by force, poor health facilities, frustration and increased poverty with increases in prices for basic goods and services, homelessness especially with manufactured crisis and the development of “shantytowns”.

“Are we going to wait for the government whose ineptness is seen in only election struggles and the retaining of power at all cost, are we going to watch the already bad situation get out of control into a chaotic stage? I say this because the ever-sprouting places of worships have turned the reality and challenges of life into “claim it and miracle expectation” for development and empowerment that will fall from above to solve the crucial and persevering issues of our time.

“This brings me to the crux of this discourse which is the empowering of our people. How can we empower one another at the community or individual level by ignoring our government? The Igbo man’s model readily comes to mind and is to be admired and copied. An Igbo man would train his ethnic or younger brother in the act of whichever business or profession that he is engaged in and grow till graduation. It sounds local, but it has worked and with all the abandonment faced since the end of the civil war, the gullies and erosion ravaging most communities, they still go home every Christmas to celebrate and be grateful.

“They undertake self-help development projects by levying themselves over a period to provide amenities that is beneficial to their communities. They do it with dedication and you can see it been done in some of the communities where they have resided and grown economically. Can we encourage every form of production and fabrication? Since politics and short sightedness has taken over governance, shouldn’t the “Odjogu” (blacksmith) method be revived? Can the coal which has given the United States and many other countries hard currency with electricity be revived until their campaign for wind and solar sources of energy catch up with our permanent lifestyles of dependence and direction from them? Can we embrace the things that we once produced with pride and harness them to optimal?

“Where is palm oil in Our economy? Can we list the by products from palm oil that we import? When are we going to stop importing furniture’s of all kinds from China and develop our own timber and steel with accompanying finishing industries? When will the lost and stolen money find its way back to the economy? Is it possible to copy from the Swedish how they have simplified the furniture making process into large scale production thereby satisfying demand and supply? When are we going to copy the health care models and research of the Indians whom we now patronize and replicate it for the benefit of our society and her people? Venezuela as a country owns CITGO gas or petroleum filling stations in the USA. When and where is our own gas or petroleum filling stations in African countries competing with the other major marketers? Did we try and fail? Of course, we killed our refineries since we were waiting for Dangote to refine for us as if he was the first person with the initiative for a private refinery…. when are we going to look inward to retrain ourselves for the ever-changing world with its challenges?

“My people, none of these legislators, councilors, governors and the president (past & present) have ideas to turn the society around. They’re all used to free money from crude oil sales. They are bereft of progressive ideas to put society on the path of growth. Have you bordered to ask yourself this question: why is it that the roads constructed by colonial masters and Shell (SPDC) with a few military governors who governed till 1975, have stood the test of time? These people cannot deliver anything good my people. Stop fighting yourselves and embrace what’s beneficial for the common good of all. Do not use your selfish greed to fight and drive away investments because you are concerned with “what is in it for me or better still, wetin be my own. “

“From 1999 till date, take a stock of all the promises that have been made and the ones fulfilled, take a stock of the lip-services paid to sustainable development, job creation, or the cosmetic called corruption. Be honest with your assessments and provide an answer.  The vocational training which was once synonymous with Christianity and empowerment of the individual is a welcome model for building upon and expanding our frontiers to new and greater heights. It was not a miracle and claim it preaching that was done in the time of old. Housekeeping, sewing, catering, bricklayer, carpentry, mining, teaching, agriculture, and trading were some of the skills learnt and taught to converts. Schools and hospitals were built, and nursing and dispensary of drugs were taught and administered by missionaries and professionals in those days.

“The time to re-trace our steps to the good values, ethics and principles that place man and society on the right path is now. One pick one up is the best way to go. Waking up and just doing the bidding of the politicians is not the way to go. We end up teaching nothing other than to be stock at where our forebears left us. Maybe this might unify us and drive a common goal for the benefit of humanity.”

No matter how we look at it or try to justify it, we really do not have any iota of excuse to be where we are presently as a nation that is replete with all kinds of ills making life daily miserable for its common citizenry. Like we have often reiterated, no foreigner will effectively and efficiently develop our country for us. That onerous task, no matter how challenging it might seem, only belongs to us and can best be done by us. So, it is high time our political leaders and all citizenry as followers stop making excuses and start using their ‘thinking faculties aright’ in developing this nation and get it out of the league of Third World countries in no distant future.

We need more Godliness than religion; more work and less hope; and more action and less words. LET EVERYONE TIDY UP HIS OR HER CORNER FIRST AND DEMAND FERVENTLY THAT OUR POLITICAL LEADERS TIDY THEIR AREAS OF GOVERNANCE. Our nation is degenerating at a fast pace and we need to save it now. We as a people must positively change our attitude towards our dear country!

Zik Gbemre.

National Coordinator

Niger Delta Peace Coalition (NDPC)

We Mobilize Others to Fight for Individual Causes as if Those Were Our Causes