By Solihu Woru Mohammed
All over the world, the course of stable and peaceful nationhood has not always been smooth. Instead, there are usually obstacles at different points of nation building. In Nigeria, the story is the same. Sixty years on after independence, we could not boast of a stable, peaceful and developed country. This sends a key message to us a nation. One germane message is for us to go down the historical lane and trace the country’s socio-political and economic trajectory up to the recent times and see where and how we have missed the road. Within this context, the problems can be addressed.
Education
Education is an underlining factor for the socio-economic and political development of every advanced country in the world today. As it is today, education is at the lowest ebb in the right path, there is a need to re-invigorate our system of education to be able to have Nigeria of our dream. Nigerians are yearning for education system where our youths would become a baker of economy not a consumer.
Economy
The country’s economy need to be strong and buoyant to provide employment for the teeming youths that are graduating from higher institutions every year. This will get them pre-occupied with little chance for anti-social behaviours. Under a good economy, there should be several empowerment programmes for the youths and the general populace. Policies on N-power, Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), social insurances schemes, unemployment benefits among others should be stepped up in order to limit restiveness in the land.
Politics
The process of our politics needs to be drastically reviewed. The win or die syndrome should be totally eliminated. There should be ceiling to how much can be spent for political campaigns. In the same vein, the political policy of not-too-young to rule should be implemented to the letter. If this is done, some level of political stability will exist in the country. Of course the cost of funding the salaries and allowances of the political appointees is rather on the high side. A downward review of the allowances would ease political tension in the country. Also, social vices like nepotism, tribalism, sectionalism, thuggery, assassination, arson etc, should be eliminated in our politics. Nigerians are looking forward to new government policies where huge numbers of political appointees i.e. ministers and others are reduce drastically to accommodate our present economic realities. There is urgent need also to merge some of the government agencies together to save cost of governance while the present high number of legislators on both federal and state assemblies needs to be drastically reduced. This is achievable by amending our constitution.
Resource Control
Resource control has been a burning issue in the country for some time now and should be applied generally across the country without bias or discrimination. If it is holistically and faithfully implemented, ethnic agitations would be minimized if not totally eliminated.
Federalism
The principle of federalism should be truly adopted. Under true federalism, every ethnic group must be captured. This should reflect in employment opportunities, distribution of social amentias, political patronage and access to economic benefits, educations and health facilities among others.
Insecurity
Security is very crucial to the stability of any society. As it is now, Nigeria is not well secured as there are many security challenges facing the country. Therefore, more should be done in restructuring the country’s security architecture. Security threats such as Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping, armed robbery, cultism, drug addiction, human trafficking, tribal rebellions for autonomy, banditry and other divisional tendencies should be fully combated in order to achieve a peaceful and stable policy. In other to arrest the present security threat comforting our nation, traditional rulers must be involved in combating criminality in our society. In this direction, both federal and state governments should encouraged all first class traditional rulers in the country to established security committee in their various domain mainly for information gathering on crime and criminality. Such information must thereafter be passed to the appropriate authority. I must say that there is urgent need for massive reorganization of the Nigeria Police Force at least to accommodate serving indigenes to serve in their various state since local knowledge could be an advantage in crime prevention and detection. All armed robbery unit sections of Nigeria Police must be supervised by the Commissioner of Police in their various states in the command rather than centralizing such an assignment to the office of the Inspector General (IG). In nut shell, the Commissioner of Police must be allowed to function properly in all area of administration of their commands.
Judicial System
The system of getting quick dispensation of justice in our various courts in Nigeria appears cumbersome and challenging. As I write, there are two years old pending and sometime even more cases for trial in some of our courts. Fifty years after our hard earned independence, large members of our judges still write in long hands during court proceedings, thereby resulted to delay in dispensation of justice. To arrest this ugly situation, more judges or magistrates should be appointed by the Government. In addition, the government should invest in modern equipments and machines to achieve reduction in large numbers of awaiting trials in our correctional centres in remind homes. It is suggested that NYSC lawyers be engaged in trying minor cases (suspects). The judiciary must be encouraged though funding to settle the transport allowance of state prosecution witnesses, more judges and magistrates to be appointed while massive reorganization of the judiciary be conducted by the federal government to pave way for quick dispensation of justice. Also government at all levels should always endeavour to comply with all court judgments whether favourable or not to avoid anarchy or chaos in the land.
Food Security
Both the federal and state governments should declare a day as farming day. Civil servants of all categories must be encouraged by the government to procure farms which our teeming jobless youths can be encouraged to work. This will no doubt bring about the much desired food production.
Appreciation
Let me use this medium to appreciate the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari GCR, and his fine breeds of political aids for their laudable achievements in all area of good governance so far. With the zeal and focus displayed thus far, other areas of their interventions that need improvement will be addressed and to consolidate their achievements.
Conclusion
The dream of the country’s founding fathers should continue to be the platform on which to build a stable, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria. In this respect, political, socio-economic inclusiveness, equality, justice and equity should be the driving force for a united and stable Nigeria.
Mohammed, is the Mogaji Nda of Ilorin and Zana of Okuta Emirate, writes from Ilorin
