Birthday Resolutions for all Nigerians and Bayelsans

October 1 2011 will bring another birthday celebration for Nigeria and Bayelsa State. The Nation and the State shall be 51 and 15 years old respectively. Birthdays are generally times to reflect on the past year and plan for the new year. In Nigeria this year, we voted in a new government by an election that has been internationally hailed as free and fair, certainly a plus for our democracy. The downside for the year was the killings by "enemies of Nigerians" as I call them because you cannot kill innocent people and say you love your country. We are onto a good start in our Federal Government for this upcoming year- we have a President that appreciates our country's major problems (power, education) and has prioritized them, an Executive team with great potential, a National Assembly that has no fear to carry out its duties, as can be seen from the team investigating BPE's sales. As for the judiciary, let us hope the newly appointed CJN will rectify the dents on the judiciary’s once stellar reputation, caused by the shameful mudslinging we recently witnessed amongst these “supposed to be pristine” law interpreters.

In Bayelsa, there were occurrences that gave us much hope - CDA STARS Project (the Bayelsa Government's investment in the future of our children, visit www.bayelsacdastars.com) was launched and is being implemented successfully, transportation (and employment) was boosted with Keke Sylva and taxis made available to private individuals for their use as commercial vehicles on a lease hire type arrangement. As an aside, I met a lady with 3 children who was driving one of these taxis she obtained under the scheme and she narrated how when her marriage fell apart and she was left to look after her children, she had to provide for them from different jobs including frying buns for hawking. She was filled with praises for the Governor for making these taxis available. The commencement of the Brass Shipyard Fabrication Project projected to create 2000 jobs was another highpoint, as was the graduation of Bayelsan students sponsored by the Government to study in Belarus and Thailand. We also received “Justice's” coverage when the Court of Appeal ruled that the Governor's tenure will not end till 2012 as opposed to the 2011 date Professor Attahiru Jega's INEC announced. Although the Governor was ready for elections, the judgement was welcome as it erased all feelings of one’s mandate being stolen. The dark areas of the year showed up during the political season when the kidnapping and violent incidents increased and the recent cult activities in the State.

 

The upcoming year in Bayelsa will commence with election activities, as primaries for the gubernatorial seat will hold shortly, followed by campaigns. Despite the election activities, the Bayelsa Government is poised to continue its work in project implementation, as contractors have been mobilized and directed to complete ongoing projects. The Government is set to launch a few of these projects including: hospitals, health centres, housing facilities, amongst others.

Nigerians and Bayelsans are asking for more and more milestones on the development ladder to be accomplished urgently. Guarantee of good education, youth employment, power, infrastructure development are some of the needs that comprise the cries of the people. Whilst the shoes are pinching and frustrations growing, the efforts of the Governments towards attaining these milestones should not be ignored. We should not focus on the dark sides only and refuse to see the silver linings in the clouds. The burden we feel from the loads of the problems we face cannot be removed immediately. It will be eased off slowly until we do not remember it was once there. How many of us remember the pains of making a call on analog lines in those days? How about having to go to NITEL building to queue up to make an international call? Now we have our digital mobile lines and those days are long gone. Do we also remember how we used to fast and pray for days before making a domestic flight? Today the fruits of capitalism and good regulation in the aviation sector are being felt. How about the fact that it was safer to hide our money underground than in the banks? Today our banks are being highly rated internationally. Let us remember all these “developments” did not just happen at once.

 

As we celebrate another year, let all Nigerians and Bayelsans resolve to walk side by side with our Governments towards the light of development. Let us resolve to criticize our Governments to agitate change and not just for the fun of it or to incite others to act violently. Let us pat our leaders on the back when they bag some of the achievements we seek and remember these successes when the down times come. Let us believe in these leaders we voted in and give them a chance to fulfill their promises. Remember Rome was certainly not built in a day that is why it still stands tall today. Let us unite not just in celebrating the birthdays of our Country and State but in ensuring our development goals are attained.

Happy Birthday to Nigeria and Bayelsa. Congratulations to every Nigerian.

Bringing "Sexy" Back to Farming

 

When George Washington said - I know of no pursuit in which more real and important services can be rendered to any country than by improving its agriculture, its breed of useful animals, and other branches of a husbandman's cares. - believe me, he knew exactly what he was talking about.

    Farming is important to any nation. The cry for bread culminated in the French Revolution, proving that a hungry man is indeed an angry man. Why then are people running far away from farming in Nigeria? I mentioned in one of my past blogs how none of the students in the schools participating in the Bayelsa CDA STARS Project (see www.bayelsacdastars.com) were interested in becoming farmers or fishermen when they grow up. They all wanted to be doctors, lawyers etc. Even in the North, where majority of Nigeria's farmers reside, it is said that the youth are moving away from farming and embracing other types of work. This "farming emigration" has contributed to the drop in subsistence farming, which is the predominant type of farming in Nigeria today. The decline in farming from before the oil boom till date is truly significant.

    It is certain that Nigeria has the resources to make it one of the world's leading exporters of agricultural products. The Goodluck Jonathan led government has realised this and is taking the right steps to achieve this status. I listened to a speech delivered by the current Minister for Agriculture where he declared that Nigerians were "eating beyond our means". The Minister stated that the high importation of rice, wheat and marine products into our country renders the local farmers useless. He exclaimed that "our farmers sow in hope but reap in tears!". It is thus not difficult to understand why the young people are running away from farming. The Minister identified that food security in Nigeria is now a matter of national security and advised that the country must learn from Asian countries by tapping into all the resources of its farmers across the nation and deliver a green revolution that will make Nigeria self-sufficient in food production. His wise advise was that: “We must turn Nigeria into a bread basket – a power house for food production. To do so, we must make a fundamental paradigm shift: Agriculture is a business, not a development programme. It must be structured, developed, resourced and financed as a business,” I couldn't agree with him more.

Subsistence farming

    We need to get professional about agriculture. The World Bank and CBN are aiding increase in commercial agricultural production with the various loans they have made available to the State Governments for use by local farmers. This support should however, not end there. Farmers' training programs should be enforced for the farmers to access a higher amount of funds. This way, local farmers will develop themselves to get more money for their businesses. The Government should work with various agricultural bodies to make these courses available. Subsistence farming is just what it is - farming to subsist! Whilst I am in no way condemning small scale farming, as large collections of small scale farmers play a great role in feeding our nation, I believe farming will be more attractive as a career path where the potential of getting rich is high. For wealth to be made, medium - large scale, mechanized, commercial farming is the way. The machinery for largescale farming requires huge capital, so one understands why most local farmers just subsist. The question is: "why have not many of our wealthy Nigerians invested in farming?" Do they think it unproductive or is the capital tied in for too long before profits start to roll in? A young friend of mine recently left her higly placed job with an international organisation to invest in farming. She has taken a few courses and participates in many agricultural related workshops that have exposed her to the numerous funds available for structured businesses engaged in farming. I tell you, she has not looked back for one minute. More people that understand the importance of acquiring skills in whatever endeavour one embarks on, need to take this path. When our students of today see that there are young, trendy, professional farmers that are doing well, they will consider becoming farmers.

    In Bayelsa, with Sagbama being designated as our agricultural estate and with the various fishing projects that the Government has invested in, we are anticipating that in the next few years, the State will reap more farming products in joy. We however, do not want the Government to be the major player in farming, we need our influential people to invest in farming too. Where a few more medium- large scale farms spring up, there will be jobs for more of our youth. Where these unemployed youth take these jobs, even if as last resort, they may subsequently see the possibility of making money from mechanized farming and be encouraged to pursue more agricultural related courses and establish a career in this sector. Just as the "rebranding Nigeria" project, the Government needs to commence a "rebranding farming" project towards making farming attractive - Operation "Bringing Sexy Back to Farming" will certainly catch our attention. We definitely need it.

Nigerians, Celebrate Your Great Ones

    I have always wondered why in Nigeria, we do not celebrate those who fought for this country in the manner the Americans rever their founding fathers and great leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King. How many of us compulsorily learnt about Ahmadu Bello, Awolowo, Nnamdi Azikiwe? We know of them but do we know how they helped in bringing about this great country called Nigeria? I recall during the 2011 elections, I mentioned something about the Great Awo and his laudable policies and someone asked me "this Awo sef, what did he do for Nigeria?" Where do you begin to tell someone that schooled in Nigeria all her life that Awo's educational legacy is still being enjoyed in South West Nigeria. If we do not encourage feelings of pride in our own people, who will do so for us? Perhaps it is the ethnicity problem again rearing its ugly head and preventing us from giving credit where it is deserved, regardless of what ethnic group we and the deserving person belongs. Well, we need to start engendering feelings of pride amongst ourselves for our people that have excelled, especially, those who fought for us.

   In Niger Delta too , we have our own leaders that fought for the the oil producing regions to have control over their resources or at least enjoy from it small. Leaders like Isaac Boro, Ken Saro Wiwa, to name a few. How much do we celebrate these leaders? I must praise those who have organised the Boro Day in different parts of the world to ensure that the Boro legacy lives on. There was a Boro Day held in London sometime in August. Who was Major Isaac Adaka Boro? As Wikipedia, the internet encyclopedia explains, Isaac Boro was a university leader, a teacher, policemen, army officer who believed that the Niger Delta people should benefit from their oil wealth. He led a militant group, The Niger Delta Volunteer Force, who declared a Niger Delta Republic in 1966 and clashed with the Nigerian army for 12 days until the Niger Delta Volunteer Force was defeated. He later fought for the Nigerian army, delivering the Niger Delta from Biafra's hands but was subsequently killed in mysterious circumstances. When you visit the website of the Adaka Boro Centre, it features his book "the Twelve day Revolution" which sheds more light on Isaac Boro.

    The struggle for control being enjoyed by minority groups, like the Ijaws, certainly did not start today. It did not start from the days of Ken Saro Wiwa, as many believe. As far back as 1966, Isaac Boro was fighting for this. Is it right for us to ignore him now that the Ijaws have some measure of control over their oil. Should he not be acknowledged? You look at the self called "militants" of today and you wonder- "whose cause are they fighting?" Why are they still kidnapping anyone today? Can they honestly say they are fighting the same cause Isaac Boro fought? With there being an Ijaw State (Bayelsa) and an Ijaw president, is this not the time for these "militants" to drop their guns and see how they can work with the Governments to ensure the Ijaws use this opportunity to attain the goals the fight for resource control sought to achieve.

    His Excellency, Chief Timipre Sylva, (Governor of Bayelsa State) attended the Boro Day in London and his speech was a challenge to all of us aggravating for change. He clearly pointed out that educational empowerment is the tool for the kind of change the Niger Delta currently needs. Yes, we have some resource control, however, if we do not have the know how needed to manage these resources, we will lose it all and the whole struggle would have been in vain, indeed. I recall seeing many youths in the various Bayelsa communities I visited during my tour of the schools participating in the Bayelsa State Child Development Account Project (see www.bayelsacdastars.com) sitting and in some cases swimming, idly, at 11 am in the morning. There were some that just could not get jobs after graduating (and we tried to encourage these ones to be patient for the Bayelsa State Government to implement its job creation goals) but there were those who dropped out of school believing that: "why should we go to school when we have oil in our State." That kind of thinking is certainly the one that we should all fight against. This is the thinking His Excellency believes should be exorcised from the hearts of any Ijaw man, any Nigerian. The victory does not lie at gaining control of the wheel, it lies at where you take the resources. We should all collectively work at ensuring we employ the resources effectively to transform our State and lives.

   Nigerians, we need to celebrate our leaders and inculcate feelings of pride in the young ones on the achievements of these leaders. Our education curriculum should include our history from a young age. It amazes me that most of our schools -secondary schools too- today embrace British and other curricula exclusively to anything Nigerian. Who are we telling these children they are? As part of the CDA STARS Club curriculum, we identify some Bayelsa Heroes (Heroines) and discuss their achievements with the CDA STARS during the after school classes, to encourage the students that with hard work they can indeed be stars.

    As adults enjoying the legacies of these past great leaders, let us find new ways of ensuring we will constantly be victorious in our search for a better world.  I agree with His Excellency- education is the only way we will discover levels of victory that today seem beyond our reach.