Nigeria’s seven shameful practices that need change

The current Nigerian federal government came to power promising ‘change’. And I believe that some effort is being made by the government to bring change to our nation, though many Nigerians are yet to see this change in their lives. In fact some claim that the change they have seen is negative change, that their lives and circumstances were better before the ‘change’ promoters arrived. Some others however counter that things need to get bad, before they become better, that if you want to eat omelette, you must be prepared first to break the egg. Well, while the argument rages, I believe there are certain shameful things which have been with us for so long that we must bring change to. While the government is grabbling with the economy and other pressing issues, we as well need to make determined efforts to bring change to these other issues which make our country look bad and bring shame to many of us- that is those who are still able to feel shame in Nigeria.

 

1. Franchising our healthcare to the international community

It is embarrassing to me that government officials have to be ferried overseas each time they are sick. The late President Umaru Yar’adua had to be taken all over the world to be treated. Our current President has gone abroad at least three times in the last two years on medical grounds and one of them was just for “ear infection” As a healthcare professional I feel diminished that my country cannot treat even an ear infection. The amount of money we spend treating our officials abroad and the cost of all those who fly abroad as official and unofficial delegations to go visit our sick leaders can build several international healthcare centres in Nigeria.

I have often wondered what would happen if the international donor agencies stopped supporting our healthcare. HIV/AIDS control and treatment in Nigeria is funded by American Organizations- PEPFAR, Harvard University, US centre for disease control (CDC), etc. The Fight against malaria, tuberculosis and other endemic diseases are funded by the Global fund, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation etc. The vaccines for the immunization of our children against six common childhood diseases are supplied almost exclusively by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the World Bank, the GAVI Fund and other multilateral global donor agencies.

What actually do we do with the annual health budgets? Pay salaries and allowances? And yet our public sector healthcare personnel especially the doctors go on strike more than any other group in the world for poor pay. Or are we not budgeting enough? May be it is time that we began the implementation of the National Health act so that sufficient funds can be provided. This shameful practice of being a burden on the world for our healthcare needs must stop.

 

2. Insecurity of lives

One stigma that has remained with Nigeria for a long time is that it is an unsafe country. From the military era till date, Nigeria has been seen as an unsafe place. Way back, it used to be mainly armed robbery, then kidnapping joined, which was accentuated by the Niger Delta militants before it became a national malady. Thereafter the Boko Haram terrorists joined, first blowing up churches and passenger buses from Abuja to Plateau to Kano, before they retreated into full insurrection in the North-East region of Nigeria where they kill innocent Nigerians virtually every day in the last 5 years or so. Then the mother of them all which started as some kind of inter-ethnic conflict in the North Central, but which turned out into full terrorism called the Fulani herdsmen invasion. This has turned out to be about the worst security challenge of the country with these marauders invading villages and killing, maiming, and pillaging from the North central to the South East and to the South West. Whereas the military is fighting the Boko Haram in the North East and the Police is fighting the kidnappers all over Nigeria, the Fulani herdsmen seem to be having a field day, operating with total impunity.

I feel really ashamed to belong to a nation that cannot protect lives, where live is cheap and where people are killed with impunity and not much happens. This is loudly calling for change!

3. Police & other security personnel collecting bribes on the roads

It is so heart-wrenching to watch our security officers openly collect bribes from road users on the high way. First it was the practice of the Police who even shoot for N20, but now some men in military uniforms have imbibed this shameful habit. When they cannot pin you down with any traffic offence, they solicit for gifts- “Chairman, your boys are here”. If you do not respond, they find ways to delay you. I felt like crying the other day when I saw a policeman collect money from a commercial bus driver and as we waited in the queue, he returned change to the driver, rummaging in his pocket and bringing out different denominations, some rumpled and some half-torn to make up the change. He seemed not to care who was watching. Inspector-General, after inspector-General, commissioners after commissioners since I was a young man, this sickening practice continues even in this Buhari’s anti-corruption Nigeria. When will this sickening and shameful practice cease for God’s sake?

 

4. Unbridled migration/emigration of desperate Nigerians to hell

When you go to any embassy in Nigeria you will see Nigerians in long queues, some waking up at 4am to be on the line. What is driving them out of Nigeria? I was shocked to hear that Nigerians constitute a significant portion of the illegal immigrants that drown daily in the Mediterranean Sea. Recently I watched loads and loads of Nigerian evicted from Libya. Libya?

I am told of the numbers of countless Nigerians languishing in foreign jails and many are on the death roll in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Africa and China for drug- trafficking. I am thoroughly ashamed to be said to belong to a country where some young people prefer to migrate to hell than live in their country.

Is there nothing really that we can do to stop this national disgrace?

 

5. Street trading, begging, hawking and refuse dumping on highways

Though my heart goes out each time I see young men and women crisscross the highways to sell their wares to passengers in moving vehicles, I have always wondered if there is nothing we can do to give these young and often not-too young folks who risk their lives and demean their personalities a decent chance to eck out a living, to do more decent jobs or ply their trades in a proper market? Then I am bewildered that in many cities, everywhere is turning into markets especially in such places as Aba, Portharcourt, Kano and Ibadan. Then the whole environment is littered with refuse. On the highways these days you find new trading settlements in places like Ogere in Ogun State, Lokpanta in Abia State and Obehie in Rivers State and the whole road median is covered with refuse and the people continue to buy and sell  on the refuse, day in and day out.  Have we lost our sense of decency or what?

 

6. Barbaric ways of tax/levy collection and enforcement

In many states of this country, it is very embarrassing to see so-called revenue collectors jump on to the road from hide outs or put dangerous spikes to force vehicles to stop. Many accidents have occurred from this type of ambush. Sometimes, revenue collectors or regulatory agents scale fences to shut down factories for alleged tax evasion. Can’t we stop these barbaric acts of impunity? The governments at all levels should ensure that they use due process of law to enforce any mandate, including ejecting illegal squatters. Many foreign businessmen and visitors are alarmed at this lack of due process in regulatory enforcement. Nigeria must stop these rofo-rofo practices as they bring shame to our country.

 

7. Politics without ideology and political harlotry

I am ashamed of the level of primordial politics played in Nigeria – politics of stomach infrastructure. Elected and non elected political office holders switch parties at the drop of a hat. No ideology, no principles. What matters is temporary relevance and access to the national wealth. If you cannot beat them, you join them. When can we stop this political harlotry in Nigeria? It demeans the political class and rubs off negatively on the image of our nation. Let us get elected officers to resign their positions and return to the electorate, if they must cross carpets. Some deterrence is badly needed to help stop this political harlotry.

 

Mazi Sam I. Ohuabunwa OFR