BY CHRIS NWOKEJI (nwokeji.chris@yahoo.com)
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| CHRIS NWOKEJI |
“To educate the masses politically
does not mean, cannot mean, making a political speech. What it means is to try,
relentlessly and passionately, to teach the masses that everything depends on
them; that if we stagnate it is their responsibility, and that if we go forward
it is due to them too, that there is no such thing as a demiurge, that there is
no famous man who will take the responsibility for everything, but that the
demiurge is the people themselves and the magic hands are finally only the hands
of the people.”-Frantz Fanon in The Wretched of the Earth.
Despite the glibly
speeches of those at the helm of affairs in Imo State, there exist stark
empirical evidence of preponderant poverty and increasing excruciating poverty.
That the rate of unemployment has increased astronomically, basic social and
economic structures to enhance the basic needs of the population have been
dismantled is glaringly obvious. To say that Imolites as never before, lack the
basic needs of life is not incorrect. To say that the life of average citizen
has taken a deep plunge into abysmal poverty since the rescue mission
government of Rochas is also an understatement.
Public water supply
which has been sustained for ages abruptly ceased under the rescuer. Funding
for primary and secondary healthcare services has completely been withdrawn.The
quality of education provided by public schools is now in doubt.Prices of
commodities, especially food stuff are soaring due to un-receding high cost of
petroleum products in the state. Whereas governments of neighboring states
strictly enforce the pump prices of petroleum products, in Imo it is alleged to
be adjusted to fit the greed and selfishness of marketers and government
officials.
Looking at the entire
scenario, one may be compelled to conclude that whereas previous
administrations tried to alleviate or reduce the incident of poverty, the
present government finds joy in increasing the burden of the people by
implementing policies seen as tools to deliberately create and spread poverty.
It is almost a general
opinion that poverty in Imo State is politically induced to create a population
of very malleable people that may not have the strength to challenge the excesses
of their political leaders and as such, ever ready to take the crumbs and do
their biddings. Anyway, what do you expect when rather than standing with the
masses and positively influencing the actions and thoughts of the political
leaders most of the clergies seem subservient and influencedby these renegades
and deviants?
Since the inception of
this government I am yet to note any tangible foreign investment attracted for
the interest of the Imo people. No new structures that have practically created
jobs for our teeming youths. Rather, immediately on assumption of office as
governor, Okorocha was said to have sacked about 58,000 workers employed in the
Local Government system,10,000 Imo citizens properly engaged in the state civil
service through standard civil service procedures and many more. Is government
no longer for the happiness and security the governed? I doubt if it is so in
Imo.
In fact, Imo people
have no business sinking to the present abysmal level of poverty. As a matter
of fact, Governor Rochas confirmed this fact when he came to power few years
ago. It saddens me to see children and adults die of hunger and frustration
every day in the state under his watch; a state where teachers and workers are
not paid regularly, pensioners and disable die everyday for their inability to
get medical attention for obvious reasons.
For instance, sometime
in October last year, a young man walked into a pharmacy and asked them to
check his blood pressure count. The staff obliged and the man’s BP was so high
that they asked him to take some drugs and make arrangements to see his doctor.
He refused to take the drugs. The pharmacy people did not know that he had no
money to pay for the drugs. He left and had crisis that night and died. Many
similar happening were also recorded in other parts of Imo State, one involving
a couple who were both pensioners. They died as a result of inability to
provide themselves with medical needs and food.
In Imo
State, and beyond, nearly 4 out of every 5 citizens live in abject poverty, hunger,
and hardship. However, these frustration and fatigue are growing concerns among
parents in all the communities across the country. It is about time our state
governors steer clear of managing fund allocations and revenues accruing to all
the local governments.
We can no longer settle
for lack of food, power, potable water, ill equipped schools and poorly built roads.
We must elect leaders who have the best interests of working families at the
top of their agenda. The incidence between the Imo State governor and labour
was an eye opener for all the citizens of Imo. It is clearly a wake-up call for
all Imo State citizens to stand up for their rights.
A situation where healthy youths in 21st
Century world were said to have been hired to confront the Labour Union
physically for #1,500 each is very obnoxious. Is this how cheaply Okorocha has
reduced the youths of his state? Habba! We even heard that some were conned
with the prospect of paying them arrears of their stipends only to come to
Owerri to meet a completely different scene. Quite unfortunate!
Just as the opening quotation pulled from Frantz Fanon’s heartrending title, “The Wretched of the Earth” aptly
suggests, to stem poverty and deprivation the political leaders should be made
to understand that the people are now wiser and can no longer pander to their
dirty antics; they should be made to know that the magic hands are the people
alone, and they will waste no time to dispense with any government which lacks
human face and as such, is bereft of common initiative to properly employ the
scarce resources of the state to create economic values for the betterment of
the citizens and residents.
As a
way to improve the conditions of the people, majority of who live in the
villages and know the 3rd tier government as the government closest
to them, the excesses of the state governors must be checked. The federal
legislative chambers should consider making a law stipulating that any state
government who does not conduct local government elections would not receive
federal allocations until elections to produce those to legitimately man the 3rd
tier of government are properly carried out. In fact, development of Nigeria
would only be possible when all the state governors conduct election in
all the 774 local government areas of Nigeria.
Perhaps,
Nigerians need to understand the importance of upholding the Constitution of
Nigeria. In America, a constitution is a plan for running the government. For
example, the freedom of speech, press and politics are of those rights. It
guarantees the voting rights of men and women and also protects citizens’
rights in every aspect. Also, in advanced countries, the constitution states
that all government officials must align themselves with the Rule of Law.
As
politicians, we must encourage each other to voice out our concerns.
Politicians need to recognize we can no longer make do with a broken political
system that has widespread examples of corruption, inefficiency, mediocrity,
unproductivity and of course, an utterly disorganized and ignorant people
parading as leaders.
In
America, for example, there is a connection between education and political
development. For us to succeed as a nation, we need, to, understand the
relationship between education and politics and how we can use both to develop
our states and local government areas.
v
Nwokeji, a Public Affairs
Analyst and Commentator wrote in from New York.
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