So, as we were saying before we ran out of space last week, jobs to keep able bodied men out of trouble is not rocket science. These are jobs that do not require foreign investors. It is only when our country is safe and secured that foreign investors will come. It does not matter how many trips we take to China, India or even Afghanistan, no sane businessman wants to come where he could be kidnapped or his teenage daughters lured into baby manufacturing. When the snakes on our roofs have been taken care of, the investors would feel safe enough to visit and even spend the night.
Now, apart from the Grains Brigade, how about creating Flood Guards. These are the men and women who will go from street to street to ensure all drainages are draining what they should drain. They will clear and clean gutters and ensure that plastic water bottles, sachet water and akamu and moin moin wraps are not clogging waterways. These men would be empowered with fine tickets, which they would issue to erring residents who throw refuse into the gutters. Because of the nature of their jobs, they would need warm clothing, boots and rubber gloves. They would work in the rain sometimes and patrol the streets even during dry season, to keep an eye on filth merchants.
Is there any state that does not need extra hands to control traffic, even if only in the state capitals? We all see the volunteers who help out when crazy city drivers drive N10m SUVs against traffic, don't we? Even I had once or twice had to grab my FRSC Special Marshall jackets to whip drivers into line. And you know what, once they saw the blue and white jacket, even the most recalcitrant Nissan Armada-driving driver backed his vehicle into the right lane. Nigerians respect uniforms. Once the words 'arrest' or caught' resonate in their heads, they become good boys and girls. So what's wrong with spending extra money on smart uniforms if it would bring sanity on our roads and keep young men and women out of trouble?
Horticulture Corps. Our streets, cities, highways need beautifying. In 2006, I still remember vividly now; our tour (luxurious) bus, driven by a beautiful black American woman from Washington D.C to Annapolis and Maryland and then back to Washington, stopping over at beautiful spots along the highway for us to stretch our legs and use the convenience. Beautiful walkways, well manicured lawns on the highway. And I know Nigeria has better vegetation, more lush greenery to create our own highway paradise. We also have the manpower. So what's stopping us, greed, lack of initiative, plain stupidity?
Nigeria is still a largely dirty place. It could be cleaner. What's wrong with employing daily cleaners, not just for the major roads but even the inner ones?
And then there would be the Tailors Guild that would make the different uniforms for the different guilds and guards.
A little training, smart uniform, monogrammed straw hats and we would have retrieved thousands of Nigerians from the Devil's Brigade. We don't have to pay them N100,000 per month. This is like social security, something to ensure that there are no idle hands for Satan to recruit, no idle minds to consider suicide bombing. This is an everyone-is-invited initiative. This is an initiative to decongest the unemployment market, to deplete the growing army of criminals' brigades, disarm the battalions serving the crime kingdom. Yes, it would mean extra budgeting. So what? Isn't that what we do every year with that thing called supplementary budget? And I am sure as heavy-rain-will-cause-flooding, that this initiative will produce better result than more investments in sophisticated arms and ammunition. It is also a bloodless, violence-free way of calming the nerves of angry crime-prone Nigerians.
It is also my idea of amnesty, for all.
Re: Snakes on our roofs (1)
Deadly co-occupants
You are truly a mind blower! You can't imagine the number of recesses you sent my reasoning with your concept of "snake on our roof". There couldn't have been any better metaphoric illustration for the hopeless theatre we have all been trapped in this 'God-so-well-designed' country called Nigeria. I just couldn't wait for your concluding publication. The Picture scares the living daylight out of some conscious liberty. I have a friend who, once, killed a small snake in the core of his rented accommodation and every calculable respite was distanced from his family until he relocated the family to another accommodation. I imagined that my friend would have fumigated the house, ransacked it to be sure that the brothers, sisters, uncles or parents of the snake were not lurking anywhere in the house and reclaim the sanctity of the house but the impatience of the family left him no choice. What bothers me in your qualified snake is its hydra-headed profile. This wonderful canvas on which you painted the revealing scenario in the country is truly vivid and enduring. Surely, I am of the view that the thought of a snake in the house must dislodge everybody and compel all and sundry to be overwhelmingly committed to scrutinising every crevice in the compound to completely rid the house of such deadly co-occupants. An honest food for thought for every living soul in the "compound", Nigeria.
(Arc. Emmanuel E. (RISTEL) ristelresourcesltd@gmail.com
Leaders with sinister motives
I'm fascinated by your "snake", "roof" and the "house owner" metaphor. It's ingenious of you. I had, severally, spoken on the effectiveness of "state farm" scheme, both as a revenue generator and a means of taking our youths off the streets. I have, severally, criticized the "okada" means of giving "dividends of democracy". To me, it's a cover-up for more sinister motives. Chief Awolowo's state farm experiment, which I always cite, in my discussions, was a huge success. I'm actually, beginning to believe that these "leaders" know what to do, but have their hands tied by friends, business-partners and electoral financiers and godfathers. –William Aborisade oosha53@rocketmail.com
Your piece on snakes on our roofs is yet another powerful thesis on our current security challenges in Nigeria. Our past leaders were not proactive in address the problem until it went out of hand. There are snakes of all sizes and shapes on every roof in all states of the federation which portends greater danger in future. Your suggestions are basic and will yield multiplier results event better than the much talked transformation agenda. –clemchigbo@yahoo.com
Are our leaders listening?
I just went through your Sunday column. How did you do that? You just hit the nail on the head, you told the exact problems facing our beloved nation and I love the way you told the story. Ma'am, you are the boom. I really appreciate your work and I hope you will keep it up. I wish most of our leaders, if not all, are listening to our story because it's not your story alone. It's our story, the story of Nigeria and I can't wait to read the other part.
–Aliyu Y. Idris. aidozay91@gmail.com
Don't blame the President but...
It is wrong to blame the president for the insecurity in the country. It is also wrong to shield him from the vices that plague the society today. If it is impossible to fight corruption, clear the rot in the oil industry, build refineries and stop the importation of our God-given resource, embark on the Grains Brigade as you have been advocating, massive infrastructural reform- direct results which would be significant reduction in unemployment and youth restiveness, then we should go back to nature where it is every one to himself and God for us all. For it would be foolhardy to expect people to look sideways as we progress in societal decay while someone is elected to preside over our affairs even with our enormous resources left for him to superintend. Or are we not entitled to get corresponding returns from the huge cost of governance in this country? –ann.muoh@gmail.com
Brilliant solution
I concur with one of the brilliant ways out in your very highly inspiring and brilliant write-up, and I just wonder how many of these suggestions have been published over the years, still our leaders turn deaf ears, choosing to play politics with everything including our lives which is why we are where we are today.
The most painful thing to me however is the frequent trips our leaders over the decades make to developed countries at the expense of taxpayers. They see and know too well how leaders in those countries get results and what they do. But when they return to Nigeria, they prefer to line their pockets, acquiring stupendous wealth for their generations unborn to be comfortable, all at the expense of the development of Nigeria.
The way to go is for us to wake up from our deep slumber of many decades and get leaders who are patriotic enough to go the whole hog to rescue Nigeria from bad governance and poor leadership.
God bless Nigeria, but we must first help ourselves.
–Demola Akinyemi,Ilorin. demolaakinyemi@yahoo.com
Via: Sun News Online