"In summary, the government of Nigeria is not rich enough to provide all that each and every Nigerian needs in a lifetime. Nigeria at best should aim at developing a robust capitalist economy with a strong social conscience. The private sector should be allowed to fill in the gaps wherever the government (s) is/are unable to provide the available amenities.
But first we must stop day dreaming! Nigeria is not a wealthy nation; she is also not a middle income nation.
As painful as it is to admit Nigeria is one of the poorest nations in the world. Currently we are close
to the bottom 1/3 of the ladder in the annual per-capita income and Wellness Index Statistics of Nations.
Nigeria has a potential to be a rich and great nation in the next 25 years if we start turning things around now!
However we won't even get started if we do not jettison the entitment mentality that is currently a burden on our national psyche.
Our ancestors not only survived they managed to build robust empires without a having access to a single drop of oil. The idea that the government owes me this and that and everything is a recent
phenomenon that dates back to the early 1970s. We must regain self reliance, one family and one person at a time.
There are approximately 150 million mouths to feed, clothe and house in Nigeria. It goes without saying that the goivernment cannot do it all. It can not run our households !"
--Ola Kassim --excerpt from below
JUI:
Aside from the rampant kleptocracy which siphons most of the funds that could be designated for public infrastructure
projects into private pockets, It would appear that the basic ideas underpinning the planning,financing, construction
and maintenance of public infrastructure projects is completely lost on Nigerians, the leaders and commoners alike.
Nigerians have a split personality relationship with our governments at all levels. At once each and every Nigerian wishes that the government could provide all that he or she and his family would ever need during their sojourn in life--a yearning for that could be likened to a wish for a cradle to grave welfare system. Such cracle to grave welfare systems which exist in countries like Sweden and Switzerland come with high rates of taxation--sometimes edging close to 80% of the taxable income. For the amount of taxes paid, those in government promise to deliver to all bonafide citizens all the amenitiess of a welfare state to the citizens during their lifetimes.
Now switch back to Nigeria and Nigerians, where our people especially those who can afford to pay loathe to pay taxes.
They will rather pay up to 50 to 75% of the taxes owed in bribes so that the Internal revenue officers could issue them some
fake tax receipts. The overall effect is that the only people paying taxes in Nigeria are government workers, those working for medium or large registered corporations and market men and women who are taxed at their stalls either by LGA officials or the area boys.
Yet the average Nigerian still holds onto the false belief that he or she lives in a 'rich' country because we can drill and sell barrels of crude oil on a daily basis. The reality however is the opposite.
. Nigerias high GDP relative to other sub-Saharan countries (with the exception of South Africa), translates to a per capita GDP of only about $900-$1000.00 per annum which means that the average Nigerian citizen survives on less than $3.00 US per day.
The raw deduction from such a low per cpaita GDP is that the FGN of Nigeria which is funded primarily with resources from a mono-economy-
the crude oil --cannot afford to provide every amenity that would be needed by each and very Nigerian during his or lifetime--even if by a magic wand
or a decree of the Almighty God corruption is completely eliminated in Nigeria tomorrow.
One would be hard pressed if asked to state categorically which kind of economy we run in Nigeria. Is Nigeria pure capitalisst economy,
a pure socialist state or a mixture of both?
After experiencing daily the failures of of government to provide for amenities in all facets of life, the average Nigerias dreams, or aspires and occassionally for those with means succeeds in becoming a pseuo-government for himself and his household. He becomes his own NEPA to provide electricity through generators or by tapping power illegally from NEPA lines; he becomes his own Public Works department by drilling boreholes so he could provide wholesome water for his family; he becomes his own department of education by sending his or her childrne to private schools. He or she abandons the killer roads and takes to flying around the country just so he.she could avoid deadly road accidents and
keep safe from the kidnappers and the armed robbers. For security he hires either body guards or me guards.
This is the way things are in Nigeria. Probably less thna 20 to 25% of Nigerians really live what one would describe as a healthy life style--one that is not only free of disease but also free of the stress of having to worry about little and simple things that are taken granted in other regions of the world.
How does a country like Nigeria ameliorate some of these shortcomings, even after we have taken some corrective measures to curb corruption in our public and private lives.
We might begin by first facing the reality--that Nigeria is in aggregate a POOR and for empahasis I repeat a POOR country, even though our land is blessed with abundant natural resources and a large population which we can put to good use--but which we are not! Successive generations of Nigerians are becoming less well educated notwithstanding the numerous newly created public and private universities.
We must admit that the government cannot provide all that the peoples of Nigeria need for a healthy life in the 21st century.
This is where Public Private Partnerships--a cooperation between the governments at all levels with domestic and foreign private sector companies become important in solving some the problems posed by our infrastructure deficits:
a) reputabl;e and well financed privately owned corporation hardly ever willingly go into businesses in which they would lose money. The Benin-Ore Highway and other major arterial roads in Nigeria should be built by a private-public sector continuum and leased at competitive rates to a company that could successfully maintain the road for at least 50 years.
A major problem with roads in Nigeria is the lack of a maintenance culture. We do not believe in the adage that a stitch in time saves nine. Little cracks in the asphalt or cement roads could be fixed for small amounts of money if they are discovered and fixed in time before they become bigger pot holes. The construction and maintenance of the roads should be financed through Tolls which will be paid by the users of the road, with both private and commercial motorists paying for the segement of the road that they use on a particular journey.
b) paying Tolls might be considered as hardship on the poor --but the greater hardship comes with not having safe roads. As road transportation becomes more expensive with the payment of tolls, the railway transportation option will become even more attractive. As the rail system takes off, more traffic especially heavy duty truck traffic will be diverted to the railroads--where such transportation will be cheaper. The commericial rail transportation would in turn stimulate the resurgence of passenger cross countyry rail transportation..
In summary, the government of Nigeria is not rich enough to provide all that each and every Nigerian needs in a lifetime. Nigeria at best should aim developing a robust capitalist economy with a social conscience. The private sector should be allowed to fill in the gaps wherever the government (s) is unable to provide the available amenities.
But first we must stop day dreaming! Nigeria is not a wealthy nation; she is also not a middle income nation.
As painful as it is to admit Nigeria is one of the poorest nations in the world. Currently we are close
to the bottom 1/3 of the ladder in the annual per-capita income and Wellness Index statistics of nations.
Nigeria has a potential to be a rich and great nation in the next 25 years if we start turning things around now!
However we won't even get started if we do not jettison the entitment mentality that is currently a burden on our national psyche.
Our ancestors not only survived they managed to build robust empires without a having access to a single drop of oil. The idea that the government owes me this and that and everything is a recent
phenomenon that dates back to the early 1970s. We must regain self reliance, one family and one person at a time.
There are approximately 150 million mouths to feed, clothe and house in Nigeria. It goes without saying that the goivernment cannot do it all. It can not run our households!
Bye,
Ola
---- Original Message ----
From: Igietseme, Joseph (CDC/OID/NCEZID) <jbi8@cdc.gov>
To: NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com; NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com; NaijaObserver@yahoogroups.com; Nowamagbe Omoigui <nowa_o@yahoo.com>; naijaintellects@googlegroups.com; nigeria360@yahoogroups.com; nigerianid@yahoogroups.com; edo-nationality@yahoogroups.com; afenmai@yahoogroups.com; usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Cc: dandalin-siyasa@yahoogroups.com; naijaelections@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tue, Mar 1, 2011 12:55 pm
Subject: [dandalin-siyasa] RE: Benin-Ore-Lagos road: FG may opt for PPP - Minister
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From: Igietseme, Joseph (CDC/OID/NCEZID) <jbi8@cdc.gov>
To: NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com; NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com; NaijaObserver@yahoogroups.com; Nowamagbe Omoigui <nowa_o@yahoo.com>; naijaintellects@googlegroups.com; nigeria360@yahoogroups.com; nigerianid@yahoogroups.com; edo-nationality@yahoogroups.com; afenmai@yahoogroups.com; usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Cc: dandalin-siyasa@yahoogroups.com; naijaelections@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tue, Mar 1, 2011 12:55 pm
Subject: [dandalin-siyasa] RE: Benin-Ore-Lagos road: FG may opt for PPP - Minister
Idowu,
My query is directed to the ENTIRE NIGERIAN LEADERSHIIP FROM THE 1970S, not JUST PDP Govt you are focusing on! The conditions are still the SAME from the military to civilian. There is no single major city with mass transit in Nigeria; it is not because it is not needed or there are no funds to actualize the dream. There is no single City, town or village in Nigeria that can boast of regular pipe borne water, sewer-waste management system or regular electricity. There is no single direct North-South or East-West Highway in Nigeria. Nigerian cannot be dreaming about meaningful development without these BASIC UTILITIES/INFRASTRUCTURES. The rampart cash and carry business and the relentless pursuit of personal generators, boreholes, and fleets of used Tokunbo vehicles won't make it in Nigeria. Reliable basic amenities/infrastructures are what will sustain the personal wealth. That is the TRUTH of History of societal development. So somebody(ies) should say HABA in Nigeria!!!! NIGERIANS should initiate DAILY MASS PROTESTS until the goal of building the BASIC UTILITIES/INFRASTRUCTURES is achieved. Over to Prof Wole Soyinka! Take care. JUI
From: NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com [mailto:NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of idowu
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2011 12:08 PM
To: NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com; NaijaObserver@yahoogroups.com; Nowamagbe Omoigui; naijaintellects@googlegroups.com; nigeria360@yahoogroups.com; NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com; nigerianid@yahoogroups.com; edo-nationality@yahoogroups.com; afenmai@yahoogroups.com; usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Cc: dandalin-siyasa@yahoogroups.com; naijaelections@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [NIgerianWorldForum] Re: [Naijaintellects] RE: Benin-Ore-Lagos road: FG may opt for PPP - Minister
Sent: Tuesday, March 01, 2011 12:08 PM
To: NaijaPolitics@yahoogroups.com; NaijaObserver@yahoogroups.com; Nowamagbe Omoigui; naijaintellects@googlegroups.com; nigeria360@yahoogroups.com; NIgerianWorldForum@yahoogroups.com; nigerianid@yahoogroups.com; edo-nationality@yahoogroups.com; afenmai@yahoogroups.com; usaafricadialogue@googlegroups.com
Cc: dandalin-siyasa@yahoogroups.com; naijaelections@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [NIgerianWorldForum] Re: [Naijaintellects] RE: Benin-Ore-Lagos road: FG may opt for PPP - Minister
| JUI: The next thing they will do is to import froeign experts to manage the roads and infrastructure budgets. They are all failures, what we are hearing and seeing are symtoms of a failed administration with no one in charge. Pronto!!! Idowu "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God." --Thomas Jefferson "There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest." -- Elie Wiesel http://www.bezalelskills.com --- On Tue, 3/1/11, Igietseme, Joseph (CDC/OID/NCEZID) <jbi8@cdc.gov> wrote:
|
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