Fellow Nigeria, lets go surfing for Sundry issues. We will touch on a few topical matters, the things that at times threaten to raise our blood pressure and some other times make us laugh, yes laugh at our misery. Mine is going to be a top/bottom approach and not bottom/top approach a’ La’ Governor Rochas Okorocha. My top/bottom approach is simply this: we will start with the issues that affect Nigeria; hereto referred to as top and at a later date deal with the matters of state concern, hereto referred to as bottom.
Disclaimer: My top/bottom approach is not in any way, shape or fashion intended to render obsolete or obliterate Governor Okorocha’s bottom/top approach. The Governor’s mantra of Ohashieremism is still intact. On that score, however one is still pitched by the edge of the seat, listening, trying to understand it relates with our dear CGC, we may yet get to that but it remains an issues for another day. As I am not challenging the voracity of our Governor’s bottom/top approach, it then stands to reason that I am only trying out my own theory. With time, I will do an indebt analysis of my own theory and approach with the aim that Imolites will fall in love with it and with me and drafts one to run for Governorship in 2015 and this time, give me more votes than they did in 2003 when I first ran for Governorship in the state and also protect their votes.
Let us being.
I do not really understand the criteria for awarding oil blocks to individuals and to corporate bodies. I am done wasting my time trying to understand or Justify this practice of what I call captivity of negativity. I have now decided that instead of joining fellow Nigerian in the cry and due over this, I will simply ask for my own oil block, afterall, I am immensely qualified for consideration. I will as a mater of formality reel out my credentials here: firstly, I am a Nigerian, a patriotic one at that and therefore deserve an oil block. Secondly, I come from Imo State, an oil producing state and by the virtue of that, should get my own share. My claim of Imo citizenship stems from the fact that my parents are from Imo State and by the law of natural Justice, I am qualified.
Thirdly, I am from Rivers State you see, I was born in Port Harcourt and that makes me a Rivers man. Yes, I am Amaechi’s brother, ‘so therefore’ I want my own oil block. I am consequently calling on my Bayelsa State cousin to extend a cousinly hand of fellowship to me, my Cousin happens to be the almighty, very influential and pardoning Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan (some mischief makes call him Ebleme Azikiwelomo Jonathan). Mr. President Sir, I want my own oil well and now. Cousin me, no mind bad belle people, me boy na your man now. Thank you bros.
On a more serious note, the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) is not addressing what I consider the pertinent issues. Also, Nigerians are missing the point by questioning the rationale behind the formular of 83% of individuals owning oil blocks coming from the Northern part of Nigeria. Methinks that there is no justification what so ever for giving individuals so much undue and undeserved advantage over others. How does one rationalize using our collective patrimony to vulgarly in rich a select few, are their fathers named Nigeria. Statistics has it that the greater percentage of the oil blocks are given to foreign oil companies and a few to a select few for a sharing formular of 55% of the accruing funds to the Federal government, 30% shared between the multinationals and to the select Nigerians and the rest 15% to the host communities. I guess the 15% goes into funding NDDC etc. This whole process emanates from the petroleum Act of 1969 and the land use act of 1978 both of which permits the government to take over any land where crude is found, well and good.
Question is, instead of ceding such huge and vulgar opportunity to a select few in the guise that they are prospecting oil, why can’t the Nigerian government get into the business of oil prospecting. We can partner with known and established oil prospecting companies for a lesser consideration.
Another issues that tends to threaten heart attach is the current idea of privatizing the Nigerian Prisons. Bad more. Ethymologically, prison privatization started in the United states in 1984 in Hamilton country Tennessee. This was mainly as a result of the overflow of the Prisons. In Britain, the England Ashfield prison was the pioneer. What is instructive and note worthy is the fact that these pioneers are today reversing that policy, they are banning prison privatization. The banning started from the State of Illionis, United States in 1990, New York in 2000 and Louisiana in 2001, just to mention a few. Now then is if the pioneers, United States and great Britain are today banning it, why are we considering starting it? What we need is to de-emphasis our punishment orientation of our prison system and make it rehabilitative in every sense of the word. If we can do this, the prisons will decongest itself due to a great reduction on the rate of recedivism. I am an American trained criminologist with emphasis in penology and should know what I am saying.
Closely associated with the afore discussed is our policing system. One was trained to believe that the Police is meant for the protection of the larger society. That is to say, in addition to manning their posts, the police are also sent to patrol certain beats. How come then we never see our policemen on foot patrol? How come we never see our friendly Policemen around when we need them. Big question, is the Nigeria Police meant for the protection of only the high and mighty of our society.
Today, the vips (mostly in their own minds) use our Nigerian Police as a status symbol. It is embarrassing that today, almost half of our policemen are assigned to mostly undeserving personalities. The irony of the situation is that often, those assigned these police officers are if truth must be told, people that the rest of us need protection from. This ridiculous trend must be looked into as a matter of great national concern.
One remembers with fright the flood menace of last year. The fear has been recently heightened with the focast of NEMA (National Emergency Management Agency). Recently, NEMA focasted that the country will experience a quantum amount of flooding this year in 28 sates. This is a nightmare yet to happen. This wake up call should not be taken lightly as is our usual practice. The government should assemble environmental experts and where need be, elicited the help of countries that are flood prone to help us. We must not wait for the flooding to commence before acting.
We will rest our pen for now white we promise to surf Imo State next time.
