In my fifth year in the secondary school, my father wrote me a letter from which I got two expressions that have sustained me. First, he said the task before me; to make a good grade in the then coming School Certificate Examination was an 'up-hill task' but that I should always remember that 'the darkest hour was that before the dawn'. Nigeria is in a similar situation where we have the up-hill task of developing our economy. The questions are whether the leadership has the will and vigor to push us up this hill and whether the follower-ship will stumble in this darkness and never get to the dawn. Nothing good or beneficial comes easy!!
Ifedioramma Eugene-Mary NWANA
Professor of Agriculture and Economic Entomology
On Tuesday, 12 January 2016, 17:54, Emmanuel Udogu <udoguei@appstate.edu> wrote:
A POSSIBLE STRATEGY FOR COMBATING CORRUPTION
To reflect on and paraphrase Professor Wole Soyinka's opinion on
corruption in a recent interview, it's obvious that "those unpatriotic
compatriots that have been robbing our country of it economic
greatness in Africa and the world will fight anti-corruption crusaders
like a wounded lion. Consequently, all patriotic Nigerians must remain
vigilant and be prepared to fight with resilience or toughness these
enemies of our country." This struggle against corruption is going to
be a protracted one; nevertheless, what is remarkable is that the war
has begun in earnest with the unflinching support of the president,
his cabinet and a majority of Nigerians.
How might our president and anti-graft campaigners go about this
noble task of freeing our country from the ogre of corruption other
than those strategies that have been outlined by government? In my
judgment, this "war against corruption and indiscipline" should not be
visualized as the "usual national decree." It should been seen, in my
view, as a national war of survival that we can't afford to lose.
Accordingly, it is crucial for all of our leaders, ordinary citizens
and Nigerians in the Diaspora to be summoned to take up "arms" against
the plunderers of our national treasury.
I would argue that a major tactic to win the hearts and minds of all
Nigerians on this war should be based on friendly, honest and
persuasive communications with all Nigerians on this matter. Thus, I
would like to suggest the following steps in my menu for combating
corruption:
1. Mr. President should invite the 36 state governors to a special
meeting in which he should carefully and methodically outline his
strategies for combating this cancer in our society called corruption.
By way of persuasion (with figures and illustrations to show the harms
that corruption have done to our society) plead with them as patriotic
Nigerians and leaders to join him and fellow Nigerians in the war
against corruption and indiscipline.
2. Mr. President and members of his cabinet should immediately arrange
(with the support of the 36 state governors) town hall and village
hall meetings throughout the country.
3. In each state, the president's representative, governor of the
state and city/local government counselors (as major actors) should
invite chiefs, elders and citizens to town hall and village hall
gatherings to explain to the community why government is fighting
corruption and strategies to win the battle. It is critical at such a
meeting to inform and persuade these fellow citizens about how
government will appreciate their support on this "mother of all
battles" against corruption.
4. Because we have innumerable villages, it might be necessary for
such conferences to be held within the local government areas. In this
way, our fellow compatriots in rural Nigeria will see themselves as
stakeholders in this project and consequently give their blessing to
it.
5. Mr. President should find some time from his hectic schedule to
pop-up at some of these meetings around the country. I maintain that
such surprise visits of the president (as an observer) could have
powerful effect on the legitimacy of this war against corruption and
the Nigerian state itself. Also, it could bring government closer to
the people who frequently see it as "an alien."
Ike Udogu
--
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
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To reflect on and paraphrase Professor Wole Soyinka's opinion on
corruption in a recent interview, it's obvious that "those unpatriotic
compatriots that have been robbing our country of it economic
greatness in Africa and the world will fight anti-corruption crusaders
like a wounded lion. Consequently, all patriotic Nigerians must remain
vigilant and be prepared to fight with resilience or toughness these
enemies of our country." This struggle against corruption is going to
be a protracted one; nevertheless, what is remarkable is that the war
has begun in earnest with the unflinching support of the president,
his cabinet and a majority of Nigerians.
How might our president and anti-graft campaigners go about this
noble task of freeing our country from the ogre of corruption other
than those strategies that have been outlined by government? In my
judgment, this "war against corruption and indiscipline" should not be
visualized as the "usual national decree." It should been seen, in my
view, as a national war of survival that we can't afford to lose.
Accordingly, it is crucial for all of our leaders, ordinary citizens
and Nigerians in the Diaspora to be summoned to take up "arms" against
the plunderers of our national treasury.
I would argue that a major tactic to win the hearts and minds of all
Nigerians on this war should be based on friendly, honest and
persuasive communications with all Nigerians on this matter. Thus, I
would like to suggest the following steps in my menu for combating
corruption:
1. Mr. President should invite the 36 state governors to a special
meeting in which he should carefully and methodically outline his
strategies for combating this cancer in our society called corruption.
By way of persuasion (with figures and illustrations to show the harms
that corruption have done to our society) plead with them as patriotic
Nigerians and leaders to join him and fellow Nigerians in the war
against corruption and indiscipline.
2. Mr. President and members of his cabinet should immediately arrange
(with the support of the 36 state governors) town hall and village
hall meetings throughout the country.
3. In each state, the president's representative, governor of the
state and city/local government counselors (as major actors) should
invite chiefs, elders and citizens to town hall and village hall
gatherings to explain to the community why government is fighting
corruption and strategies to win the battle. It is critical at such a
meeting to inform and persuade these fellow citizens about how
government will appreciate their support on this "mother of all
battles" against corruption.
4. Because we have innumerable villages, it might be necessary for
such conferences to be held within the local government areas. In this
way, our fellow compatriots in rural Nigeria will see themselves as
stakeholders in this project and consequently give their blessing to
it.
5. Mr. President should find some time from his hectic schedule to
pop-up at some of these meetings around the country. I maintain that
such surprise visits of the president (as an observer) could have
powerful effect on the legitimacy of this war against corruption and
the Nigerian state itself. Also, it could bring government closer to
the people who frequently see it as "an alien."
Ike Udogu
--
Listserv moderated by Toyin Falola, University of Texas at Austin
To post to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue@googlegroups.com
To subscribe to this group, send an email to USAAfricaDialogue+subscribe@googlegroups.com
Current archives at http://groups.google.com/group/USAAfricaDialogue
Early archives at http://www.utexas.edu/conferences/africa/ads/index.html
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