WHO DO THEY REALLY SERVE

Why do they keep making policies or pronouncements that the generality of Nigerians cannot identify with? Why are we so insignificant in their eyes?

The other day I was listening to someone analysing Nigeria and making allusions.  According to him, Nigeria has joined the unenviable ranks of failed nations.  It is number nine now in the list he said. Listening to him, a very faint feeling of anger was growing inside me, but on a second thought, I simply nodded my head in agreement. I will only be deceiving myself refusing a spade its name.

On a different day, but not too far off, right on my TV, GEJ was telling Nigerians how his administration has made giant strides in bringing development to Nigerians. According to him Nigerians are now enjoying uninterrupted power supply because his administration has increased generation to 4,000 megawatts. My first reaction was to turn and look at my wife, just to check if I heard him well.  My wife’s reaction was dismissive. She simply told me not to mind them.  We were running on generator, and it’s been like that for three straight days.

These issues and several others, especially the new thinking by the government to buy mobile phones for 10 million farmers in Nigeria informed this piece.

Strange and bizarre things will not seize happening in Nigeria, at least for now.  Sometimes one wonders if our leaders’ brains still function in a manner that can be called sane.  Else how can a government enact a policy that supports expenditures that the eventual benefit is at best flaky?   Even a ‘no-brainer’ knows that buying mobile phones for farmers can only in the immediate, promote their social status and in the long run burden them financially, because of the recurring costs of buying recharge cards that are so expensive in Nigeria.

Considering the myriad of challenges that farmers face in Nigeria today, mobile phones are what our political leaders thought as the silver bullet.  What about infrastructure, ie., storage facilities, good roads, tractors, etc. Can't they even think of bringing back extension workers who in those good old days used to advise farmers on new methods?  How about fertilizers???

Sometimes one will be forgiven to think that our leaders approach to policy issues is guided by pure malice.  If not, how do you explain government’s pronouncement to buy 10 million mobile phones for farmers? What purpose will it serve? Will it solve the problem of failed crops? Will the farmers use it to weed their farms? Will it preserve yields that go bad before the next session? Will it fix bridges that stop farmers from taking their yields to the market themselves for better value? Will it provide them hospitals to treat themselves and save them from missing a farming season because of ill health?

Let's even go back to the basics, how did the government come to the figure of 10 million phones? Is this the number of farmers without phones or the number of entire farmers in Nigeria?  And why expend N60 billion on phones when the total budget of the Agric Ministry is a paltry N81 billion.  If it is a case of stealing through contracts that you guys are interested in, don't you think you are all been lazy even in the act of stealing? If you use your heads very well, you will make more money providing tangible things.  For instance, should you decide on a policy that will move say 10,000 small scale farmers to a mechanized level, don't you think you will make more money from that initiative, using the same resources you are planning to waste on phones that will not get to the farmers? And above all, you will receive several accolades from Nigerians.

Another basic issue to consider also, is that for decades now, the government cannot successfully distribute fertilizers to farmers; their usual claim is that the fertilizers are hijacked by middle men.  On the remote premise that we even agree that the phones are necessary, what guarantee do we have that the same middlemen that have refused fertilizers getting to farmers for decades will not put on their best acts of hijacking the phones again?

Mr President Sir, the actions of our representatives in government are becoming shameful to us, we are finding it very hard to defend you or your actions.  Please stop these nonsensical policies and channel the money to services that are beneficial to Nigerians. A stitch in time, wise men say, saves nine.