Getting Out Of The Woods - Fenny J. Fwa

Friends I don't know if these issues bother you they way I feel. My concern today is the attitude of our leaders and politicians to poverty and insecurity that pervade the land and to a large extent extent were brought about because of their failed policies, selfishness, greed and unbridled corruption. Yes the revenue accruing to the govt has declined occasioned by fall in prices of oil, but that could have been mitigated if we had saved for the rainy day, didn't mismanage the stupendous resources raked in for more than three decades and had used the available resources to put in projects and programmes that could have brought about economic growth.


Now that we are in recession mostly brought about by our irresponsibility what are we suppose today. Instead of putting on our thinking cap, we still engage in crude politics which do not put food on the table of our people.


The infighting in the ruling party has broken into various segments with each group fighting dirty. Governance has been relegated to the background while altercation has taken over with each group fighting for the soul, body and spirit of the party. The major opposition Party PDP that is supposed to keep the ruling Party in check has become totally fractured in to two with each dagger drawn. Consequently our lot as citizens have turned for the worse.


Please for the peace, progress and stability of this nation, we enjoin the politicians both the elected and appointed should jettison the in fighting and proffer practical and result oriented solutions to the myriad of problems that are bedeviling this potentially rich nation.


This first approach is to to have a summit of all the elected and appointed public functionaries and also invite a special committee of economic experts, technocrats, captains of industries and academics to fashion out a blue print that will be executed immediately. Here are some synopsis.

1. Agree on the banning of the importation of food items and luxury goods. If because we have signed trade treaties that prohibit such policy, then raise high tariffs making the purchase of these goods unattractive and when the generality of the people insist on buying them it will generate enough revenue from tariffs to be Channelled in the execution of viable projects.
2. Issue waivers or reduce drastically the cost of goods and machineries that will be used in local production, especially farming inputs and implements, medical equipment and pharmaceuticals etc.
3. Work tirelessly to map out strategies for diversifying the economy which the president promised to raise agricultural production and the exploitation of vast solid mineral resources which are yet to hit the ground more than one year after taking over the mantle of leadership. This should be done In View of their enormous potentials to bring about quantum leap in the growth of the economy.
4. Identify other money spinning projects that will rake fantastic revenue such as transportation and power supply. It will be a good idea if our air and sea ports are modified and new ones constructed. Mass transit, especially railway transport should be completely overhauled and new projects executed. Power supply is the life of the economy. Plenty of power sources are available in the country are yet to be tapped. Working extra hard to get these potential power supply sources of the ground and completed in a short time will go a long way in enhancing our industrial and commercial growth.
5. The issues raised above will require a lot of funds. It's the responsibility of this body to identify sources of funding both domestically and internationally that will not enslave the nation and cause collateral damage to the economy. Such funds should be Channelled to projects that will enhance economic growth and not to be spent on social services and conspicuous consumption.
6. Having generated such ideas, a special committee of experts identified earlier should be put in place as economic team at federal and state levels. They should be mandated to ensure the meticulous and transparent execution of these noble ideas that will get us out of the woods.

We have no time to waste. If we have to survive as a nation, then something drastic along these lines or other lines must be done and fast.