Sunday, January 23, 2011

Africa's HERBAL Therapies

Some days ago, a Nigerian scientist cried out over the inability of his group to secure government support for the commercialization of a drug that cures sickle cell anaemia! Over the last two decades, we have had numerous such cases, including possible cure for HIV/AIDS and total eradication of malaria through herb-based extermination of mosquitoes. Of course, this is in sync with our public policy which proclaims one thing and practises another - usually the direct opposite!

What baffles and should rankle us is the kind of people who populate our governments at all levels who allow such contempt to persist. You wonder whose interest they are protecting by blatantly denying Nigerians so many Nigerian solutions to critical problems, and stopping brilliant Nigerian inventors, scientists, creators and investors from contributing our quota to humanity. Yet you hear of our failed annual multi-trillion budgets, of failed projects, of humonguous overhead costs, of worthless foreign trips, of regular overseas treatments for the ruling elite, and our world-famous multi-billions in loot! Sad.

Do not think this phenomenon is peculiar to my country. It is a “Third World Disease” much exacerbated and exhibited by African leaders. Here in Nigeria, we lament because it is unwarranted and now very worrisome. As the, em, Giant of Africa, we expect that between Presidents Yar’Adua and Jonathan - two postgraduate scientists! - this rot ought be stopped. It hasn’t. Yet they had/have several professors in their cabinets! Sad.

Africa has huge, proven and sustainable herbal resources and natural therapies for the good of the world. Many of these have been certified by WHO and other credible bodies/agencies over the years. We should bring them all to our common humanity and make them economic assets as the Chinese and Indians have so patently, proudly, professionally and patriotically done - despite previous derision and western disregard! Yes.

Let’s call on Nigeria’s President, Dr Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan to ACT now! He should also, as Chairman, lead ECOWAS leaders to do same. And, then, jointly take the crusade to the African Union.

Monday, January 03, 2011

Give WINGS to our BEST, please!

Never before did we need the kind of citizen-action that today’s world demands, and that is absolutely crucial to The NIGERIAN Project - creating and keeping the country of our dream. Before we can have a nation we must have nationals and vice versa. To ask for patriotism the country must provide the pillars - a platform worth running on, a flag worth flying, a land worth dying for. This is what the great nations we so admire are!

For anyone to succeed in helping Nigeria through private enterprise or scholarship is Herculean. You will hit your head against so many rocks and surmount forbidding government-erected obstacles! Numerous quality reports and recommendations have been presented and accepted over the years but the situation keeps getting worse. It is difficult for anyone (except our civil servants and their masters) to understand this.

If you enjoy and celebrate the contributions of Aliko Dangote(Dangote Group), Mike Adenuga(Globacom), Wale Tinubu(Oando), Femi Otedola(Zenon), Ms Opeke(Main One) as well as our Artistes in Music, Comedy, Arts, Fashion and Nollywood (Entertainment & Culture) to Nigeria’s development go find out what they have and still go through! Go ask Jimoh Ibrahim, the mercurial owner of Global Fleet, NICON Group and Air Nigeria, Stan Ekeh (Zinox) and Florence Seriki (Omatek). Just a few examples.

If you lament the failed businesses, both public and private, that have ruined so many lives and livelihoods, do some quick investigations: you will be depressed and disgusted. Take Ajaokuta Steel, Railways, Media (led by Daily Times), Shipping, Defence Industries, Textile Mills, Paper Mills, Airlines (led by Nigeria Airways), Local Contractors, Consultants & Suppliers, and Nigerian Farmers to mention a few. This country simply kills its own - whether public or private! It is scary and scandalous. Hard to believe.

Now that we are singing Vision 20-20-20, I hope the government people know what they’re getting themselves into - considering the outrageous cost of running our largely unproductive federal MDAs and various under-performing governments nationwide. As we speak, the vision document remains a mystery to most Nigerians - hoarded and guarded by the system!
If we are serious, it should be common place by now, including in schools, churches, mosques, libraries, the media, palaces, NGO offices, political parties, entertainment facilities, and diplomatic missions. We should be unable to avoid its ambush anywhere we turn, with its numerous translations.

The OAU failed because of hoarding public information and distrusting Africans as stakeholders and owners of Africa. NEPAD is in the same quagmire. ECOWAS has been tottering for the same reason. Nigeria is so painfully underdeveloped because of this same “Them vs Us” mentality. Clearest evidence: The Budget. People sit in Abuja and write whatever catches their fancy, and facilitates looting, without true stakeholders input or ownership! Same at state and LGA levels. In the end, they chop the bloated overheads 100% while the capital(i.e. development projects) votes remain underutilized, leaving The PEOPLE wondering where all the trillions went! It’s been happening for decades.

Solution: We must reduce both the size of government and the cost of governance by 50%. Downsize and rightsize vertically (Three Tiers) and horizontally (Three Arms). Only the Judiciary needs expansion as we all have since been advocating - to include specialization and strategic expansion, reduce the high cost of litigation, embrace Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), deploy modern technology and guarantee speedy dispensation of justice. This should also cover the Police, Civil Defence and Prison Services for both federal and states - let’s amend the constitution and revenue allocation formula accordingly.

From this year, after the general elections, things MUST change. We all have a duty to put people in office who WILL serve Nigeria rather than starve Nigerians. Let’s give wings to our best and brightest TODAY! No more excuses.

First step? Dear Nigerians, go out and register. Your VOTE is Your POWER!