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Apr. 19, 2007 Cities and countries are said to be great by the strenght of the infrastructural development found within their territories and the human development index of their inhabitants. In global perspectives the availability and functionality of those established and developed monuments, industries, companies (public and private) educational institutions and other infrastructures that aid the classification and statistical evaluation of steady rise from present and immediate realities are yardsticks used to monitor or rate improvement or regression. That is why yearly or quarterly these indices are applied to continue to measure how far nations fare in the global ecomnomic, social and political spheres. In America, Europe and some other Asian Tiger countries the ability and capacity of governments to discharge their responsibilities toward achieving these lofty ends or goals or maintaining the tempo are prerequisites for success of stewardship in the course of their leadership passages administering both resources and human capitals necessary for pushing together the engines of overall transformation of conscious societies. In Africa the sad story of human misery told by many (with some biased and prejudiced) remains the tragic lot of countries that make up the third world found mostly in sub-saharan equation. The embarrassing backwardness finds expression in the way and manner we treat each other. That Africa is still having serious development problems could be linked to her weak resourceless governments. From Nigeria to Kenya, Zimbabwe to Uganda the story of human degradation is the same exposing the barbarism and mediocrity of the black man to rise above his environment in the challenges of general development. Africa is a continent of twisted fate held in bondage and living in same by combined failures of politicians and the people themselves whose complicity in these horrible times must pass off as a classic example of a people unprepared to face up the challenges of our times in a world on a fast lane. In Nigeria the lack of maintenance culture has killed every other infrastructure built with tax payers' huge funds when governance has not been reduced to a macabre dance of witches and wizards. Public edifices and monuments have been left to depreciate and degrade because government is busy channelling its efforts on oil and the huge revenue derivable rather than maintaining or improving on the already achieved infrastructures. The military regimes of Generals Ibrahim Babangida and late Sani Abacha cared more for their personal wealth acquisitions than taking care of huge capital projects realised by saner governments before them. During my recent visit home earlier this year I was pained to see the federal roads in serious states and stages of devaluation. Take for instance the Lagos-Benin expressway. That major gateway to many states of the federation in the east, west and south and north remains the busiest highway in Nigeria; this situation of importance of the expressway ought to spur the Obasanjo administration to commit resources toward it's maintenance at all times but what do you have? We have a major motorway (especially from Ore to Benin City) left to wear out by combined forces of constant pounding by motorists and users. The road has become a death trap which kills Nigerians daily yet the government after many appeals has not done anything to improve the road rather what we are always told is that the govt. has released funds outside the budget for the ministry of works to embark on massive rehabilitation of the road and other irresponsible buck-passing by those whose responsibility it is to rehabilitate the expressway. Many other federal roads from the east to the south, down to the west and up north are in various states of delapidation. Politicians mouth improvement on their states but year after year until their mandates expire we are confronted with how empty promises can only best be promises. When after the expiration of their terms in office election time comes around the same politicians that fail to deliver any democracy dividends would be seen canvassing for votes and still making the same promises made four years before. Ditto the National Arts Theatre in Iganmu Lagos. When the Theater was built before Festac 77 it was a huge monument that was a landmark in Lagos. From Ijora Causeway whoever is coming to Lagos for the first time would marvel at the architectural masterpiece realised at a huge expenditure in a swamp around Iganmu. But today the national theater is a shadow of it's former glory and acclaim. But why you may ask? Simply because the government having shifted base to Abuja has almost abandoned Lagos to her fate leaving it to the succeeding governors to take care of. The national theatre is a federal infrastructure managed by the federal ministry of arts and culture. And with Obasanjo interested much more in oil and it's petroleum ministry which he siezed (like a military tyrant he is) upon assuming power and role of "father of modern Nigeria" the national theater which I had visited more than once for musical concerts in the 80's like other federal infrastructures has been abandoned to the wear and tear of terrible times Nigerian. The Nigerian negative negating factor in everything positive that aims to improve the lives of the people has really succeeded in drawing back the hands of the development clock. If the national theater is found elsewhere governments and institutions there would have taken it upon themselves to maintain and even improve upon it. But in Nigeria maintenance culture has been choked to death by petro-dollars due to the ease with which cash flows and corruption perpetrated. Ditto National Stadium. The national stadium in Surulere Lagos is a multi-purpose imposing sports facility but lack of it's maintenance has seen the sports complex that has seen it's best of times living in it's past glory. Since Obasanjo is not interested in sports but in farming or road-side mechanic local industry the national stadium has suffered over the years and with the appointment of politicians whose sporting pedigrees are questionable as sports ministers or the politics of appointments in NFA or NSC one sees the rot of the national stadium from afar. Ditto River Niger bridge in Onitsha. The river niger bridge is the only gateway to the east from the south Lagos-Edo-Delta axis. The gigantic bridge due to heavy traffic has survived the physical and environmental vicissitudes of time thus far because it was massively constructed with good materials by first-class engineers unlike now when even the third mainland bridge in Lagos which Babangida constructed few years ago using Juluis Berger is showing early signs of defects and alarming poor execution. River Niger bridge which is more than sixty years old is still going strong but it is begging for an alternative. A nation like Nigeria with huge oil reserves and resources should have since built another top-class bridge across the river to complement the overload which the river niger is forced to support year after year. Promises have been made but action has not been met with oral promises of profligate politicians. The major problem with Nigeria is Abuja, Ajaokuta and oil. Abuja because those living there and administering Nigeria from there are cut off from realities Nigerian. Abuja as a 5-star city is a haven for unpatriotic elements masquerading as leaders. They only see the splendour of their immediate environment going from Sheraton to Transcorp Hilton hotel down to Aso Rock or Asokoro district without any modicum of knowledge of how other cities and towns and villages in Nigeria fare. Ajaokuta is a problem because ever since I was born I have been hearing of Ajaokuta steel industry project but no day has been said of it's commissioning like Tinapa in Calabar. Ajaokuta becomes an avenue for siphoning off public funds in the name of building a steel complex that will change things and make things happen development wise. Oil in the Niger Delta! Oil has been described as less of a blessing than a curse for Nigeria and Nigerians. This black gold has led to the wasting of many lives, yes blood has been shed and continues to be shed in the battle for control of this God-given resource that should have assured our development like Saudi Arabia, Libya, Venezuela and Kuwait and Iraq. While those whose territories host this natural resource are suffering untold hardship and pollution of their lands Abuja is using some of the billions of dollars obtained there to buy up weapons to maim and kill those Niger Deltans who dare challenge the status quo of crass injustice and subjugation. Petrol has since become our undoing. Whereas we have it in our land we can no longer afford it's refined products like fuel, kerosine and gas and diesel due to increment upon increment on their pump prices. Whereas we have the resource it is always not available even when the price is nothing to be cheerful about. Contrived criminal scarcities especially during the end of year festivities have made the product the curse of a nation. There's no nation in this world that has oil that suffers as Nigerians do! Sometimes the world is served 'gory dishes' of thousands of frustrated Nigerians burnt beyond recognition from Lagos to Kaduna to Niger Delta when pipelines explode while scooping for fuel that is made scarce. In all these time seems to be running out on Nigeria and her lack of preparedness to confront head-on challenges thrown up by her huge population and demands of civility and justice for all in a true federal systemic structure where merit and equity reigns supreme. The democratic deficits of the present nothwithstanding there's greater hope of a greater Nigeria emerging from the ashes of despair and human misery. Our nation is from every objective indication, at war! At war of course with beckoning greatness!! Warring among diverse groups and nationalities to extricate itself from self-imposed burden of mismanagement and leadership deficiencies. She needs prayers! May the gracious God save her and us as well as we blindly move ahead in the hope that our (hopeful) tomorrow will be better than our (hopeless) today. ------------ About the author: Sunny Chris Okenwa is a U-K contributor based in Abidjan Cote d'Ivoire. Email: soco_abj_2006_rci@hotmail.fr Comment on this article here! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com. Please link to this article rather than copying and pasting it onto your site (which would be unauthorized and illegal). |
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