The clarion call by Traditional Rulers call to make Nigeria great again cannot come at any other time than now. That Traditional Rulers as the Elders of the land should be given the honour of coming to the rescue. Thus this appropriate intervention factor should be given the maximum public notice it deserves.
As a member of Ibadan Northwest Traditional Council and accorded the honour of presence as a Special Guest at this gathering, I consider it a duty to make my own humble contribution to the redemption project of this country.
The word AGAIN depicts the fact that this country has been great in the past. Hence I crave your indulgence to title my submission to be setting Nigeria back on the path of greatness.
In the absence of enough time for elaborate presentation, all I am confined with is to make highlights of my points.
Great is the faithfulness of God that even though during the Civil War, many people died yet the whole country was not consumed.
Nigeria depended on Agriculture, from the Western Region, Groundnut-pyramid from the North and Oil Palm, Tin and Coal from the East. We were adjudged very Great and Rich in every aspect – Commerce, Culture, Tradition and United Patriotic instincts and actions. Greatness means to have an Attitude of Excellence, Honest Magnificent recognition of the Majesty of God who created Nigeria.
Nigeria has no need to record poverty in the midst of plenty of Human Resources Vegetation of different types and Mineral Resources. Even though we have more than 250 Ethnic Groups and Two Major Selfish Religions (Christianity and Islam) we need to manage these two areas properly and with patriotic instincts.
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Within the ethnic groups, we have three major languages: Hausa, Igbo and Yoruba. These three languages should be made compulsory in all Schools and Colleges. To make any foreign language other than Nigerian language compulsory over these three languages is not to forge unity among the citizens. WAZOBIA will make us understand and accept the different Cultures, and Traditions of ourselves.
Nigeria is a pulsating power house if well harnessed being the most populous black nations on the continent of Africa. Out of every five blacks, one is a Nigeria. It therefore beggars on us to respect Nigerian flag and for every Nigerian to be an ambassador of greatness. Greatness of a person and or a country depends on how well the gifts of god in us is harnessed and used for the collection benefit of all. Stevenson developed railway for the benefit of the world. Three young Nigerians by name Hauwa Ejirim and Ekezie Joseph received award of recognition from the queen of England some month ago.
Nigerians are the most educated – immigrant community in US (search it on Google). 60 per cent of Nigerians in US have college degrees this is far above the American national average of 30 per cent. The Ivy league of schools in Europe and America have Nigerians routinely out person their peers from other nations.
A Nigerian family by name Imafidon, has officially been named the smartest family in the UK. The designer of the famous car cherolet volt is a Nigerian by name Jelani Aliyu from Sokoto State. The world’s fastest super computer was designed by a world renowned inventor and scientist by name Phillip Emeagwali a Nigerian who got the patents of his work in 2015.
The wealthiest black man on earth Aliko Dangote and wealthiest black woman Mrs. Folorunso Alakija are both Nigerians with no criminal records.
Over 500 years ago, Benin casted metal alloys to create magnificent arts including the world famous queen Ida Mosh.
The greatness of Nigeria did not leave Queen Amina who was a warrior and ruled Zaria emirate in Kaduna State North Western Nigeria about 400 years ago in 1610 (see what she means to Africa in Google). On the 7th of May, 2016, at one of Americas’ most respected university, Howard university in Washington DC, out of 96 graduating Doctors of Pharmacy, 43 of them were Nigerians and out of 27 awards, 16 went to Nigerians.
To make Nigeria Great Again, we need to review the type of Government we are running. The centre is too powerful and wealthy leaving the state to go cap in hand to the federal government for federal allocation. The restructuring that most people clamour for would get rid of ethnicity, religiosity and all forms of discrimination. Each state will develop at its own pace and scrambling for federal jobs.
Politics
Judging from our past political experiences, I think option A4 seems to be the best that can unite the country. Option A4 will encourage mutual understanding and public and human relations in politics. The MKO Abiola/Kingibe election is a living example of option A4. Religious intolerance will be banished during the primaries and election.
- Our Unity should be forged by making the Houses of Assembly to be a part-time basis.
- The present American system of government is too expensive for Nigeria as a country and it encourages corruption. People who could not afford to buy a bicycle become millionaires overnight, because of the income they earn. Whilst the minimum wage being asked for by workers could not be approved and or passed by the National Assembly.
Importation
To make Nigeria great again, the leadership of the Nigeria project should copy from the history of other countries like Japan or Russia. The bomb on Hiroshima made Japan to look inwards to develop what they needed to be called a developed country. The same applied to Soviet Russia. There was no going in and out for about 14 years. The citizens were not allowed to import anything from anywhere. They developed most of all the things needed by the country and it was not easy for other developed countries like America to know what the Russians were up to – hence the tag of the nickname – the country with the Iron Gate. By the time the world knew it, Russia had been so developed to compete with USA in the space race.
To make Nigeria great again, we must stop importation of virtually anything including and excluding foodstuff of any type, furniture, footwears, clothes of any type. Nigeria should disallow closing down of industries due to lack of power supply, excessive tax, gift items and decoration products.
We can make Nigeria great by keeping faith with our MOU with other countries – in the establishment of industries. Otherwise, industries like Volkswagen, Leyland Motors and so will not close down.
To make Nigeria great again, all the oil block owners must sponsor from their profit a Football Team from among secondary or University and or Technical Colleges. Even the police had good athletic teams. Like it was years ago, we also had the Nigeria Railway Football Team; The ECN football Team, Ibadan University Athletic Team, which won International laurels for Nigeria and from among them we had world renowned people like (Thunder) Teslim Balogun , Adeniji etc. This call is for people and or companies making huge profits in the country.
All secondary school must have good libraries. These will encourage book reading for the students. The libraries should be sponsored by Book publishers like University Press, Evans etc. The books must not be of ethnic and or Religions bias but be based on official recommended books.
Security
State Police should be allowed as it existed in the past as (constabularies). It becomes easier for criminals to be traced and checked. Strangers/foreigners sneaking into any can be easily traced.
All states in Nigeria must ban street-begging of any sort. All street and sedentary beggars of any sort MUST be deported to wherever they come from, because street begging constitutes security risk. One is never sure of who is a beggar or a night marauder.
For Nigeria to be great again, we must be law-abiding. The 1969 High Court judgment on open Cattle Grazing in Western Nigeria has not been repealed. It must be followed by all. The decided case by Hon. Justice Adewale Thompson on Open Cattle Grazing – Suit No. AB/26/26 on the 17th April in 1969 at Abeokuta division of the High Court read thus: “I do not accept the contention of the Defendant that a Custom Exist which imposes an obligation on the owner of farm to fence his farm whilst the owner of cattle allows his cattle to wander like pests and cause damage to the farm and be indicted. “Such a Custom, if it exists, is unreasonable and I hold that it is repugnant to natural justice, equity and good conscience and therefore unecforceable in that it is highly unreasonable to impose the burden of fencing a farm without the corresponding obligation on the cattle owner to fence in his cattle. Sequence to that I banned open grazing for it is inimical to peace, tranquility and the Cattle owners must fence or ranch their animals for peace to reign in these communities.”
The above is the law and open grazing of animals is a violation of the law. The Nigeria government must publicly denounce the Fulani Herdsmen and labelled a Terrorist Group. Too much blood of innocent blood has been shed; we must avoid the wrath of God, which says thou shall not kill.
Inherent Action on a property is where the onus is on the owner of the property to prove how he owns the huge property. It is not on the prosecutor to prove that the property was illegally owned/or purchased.
Members of Economic Intelligence Unit should not be limited to PhD, or University College Certificate Holders alone but some members of the public including traditional Rulers should not be exempted. Abandon projects should be avoided and be aberration and made illegal. The guilty party of any contract should be liable – Contractors must be made to suffer for lack of competence to complete the job. Our Bankers should stop encouraging fund siphoning.
Since we are yet to see people involved with election and practices jailed. Even with the presence of security men, one can see Ballot Boxes destroyed by supposed big men in the society and nothing is done to book them. To make Nigeria great, election thughery must be met with prison.
For years, we have been watching the Custom Officials seizing caches of ammunition – guns of various types being imported into the country. The importers of these illegal products have never been punished publicly as a deterrent
to make Nigeria great like the few mentioned individuals above, the Federal Government should not dabble in the following aspects of our lives which should belong to sates as they were years ago: agriculture, mineral resources (states only pay royalty of certain percentage to the Federal Government), university education, sports, development of cultural affairs such as festivals (if there is the National Festival of Arts and Culture – each is state only to contribute what she deems to be best of its culture to the Exhibition and or National Festival).
It is also of importance for Nigeria to stop borrowing in order to build our roads – infrastructures and other big industries. If any of the foreigners want to build industries and or roads and they believe in the feasibility reports of the projects.
To make Nigeria great again; we must stop playing God father to other countries. We must feed and empower our own people. To make Nigeria great again, we must consider devolution of powers from the Federal Government and allow states to develop at their pace. To make Nigeria great again, restructuring is the answer.
- Being the contribution of the Baale of Ekotedo of Ibadan and member, Ibadan North-West Traditional Council, Elder Dr Taiye Ayorinde, at the 10th National Development Summit of Traditional Rulers, held at the Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.
and then