Now that Crude Oil Prices are dwindling at the global market place and the Petrodollar is collapsing precipitously at home, the doctrine of True Federalism that has eluded the attention of the over-bloated central government - deliberately, though - since the collapse of the Second Republic, is now daring us in the face when we are least prepared. Thanks and no thanks to the COVID-19 outbreaks.
Right now, no Governor is safe. The Federation Account is no longer as robust as it was a few months ago. And we are now back to the pre-civil war of regional autonomy model. In spite of everything, we must move forward. First, we must revisit our ingenuity at the regional level, specifically, the stellar exploits of the Awoists in the old Western region before the Treasonable Felony Trial. And before the oil boom. We must also not forget the allures of the groundnuts pyramids of the Kano Skyline.
The day Chief Obafemi Awolowo was sent to Jail was the day Nigeria died. And like the eclipse of the sun, true federalism, egalitarianism, decentralization of power, and social welfare package were buried alive. Also, buried alive, were the spirit of regionalism, of equal rights and justice, and of the extension of the social/economic ladder to the middle-class and the less-privileged. Thus, signaling an end to the making of a dream.
Before the incarceration of Papa Awo and some of his lieutenants, Ibadan, in the present Oyo State, was an ultra-modern megacity. It was an industrial hub, and one of the three largest cities in Africa. The other two being Cairo in Egypt, and Johannesburg in South Africa. But Ibadan had more to its elegance than these two giant cities. The Cocoa House (the tallest in Africa at the time), the Olympic Size Stadium (first in Africa), a Television Station (first in the developing world), and the present Nigeria House in London, England were acquired by the Government of the Western Region under Papa Awo. Surprisingly, crude oil plays no part.
In addition, the Western Region boasted of a thriving agro-based economy that was the envy of the Western World and surpassing those of Portugal and Spain. It was a center of excellence in education, playing host to one of the best organized free educational programs in the whole world. Yet, no handouts came from the Federation Accounts. IGR - Internally Generated Revenue was the vogue.
Today, like the city of Camden in New Jersey, the Ibadan of the great Oyo Empire, of Papa Awo and his Action Groupers, is a shadow of its former self. And that's the Nigerian tragedy in every respect. The Ibadan story is the Nigerian story - the killing of a dream.
What did they do right that we are not doing now? Simple.
Chief Awolowo was never given to asking: "What percentage of the projected revenues are we expecting from the Federation Account." Rather, it was all about "how much can we generate internally to fund this and that specific project." That's audacity. And that was the culture. "I want free education at all levels, how do we generate the funds to implement it?" And his "Boys" were ever ready to go the long hull to develop models for the funding processes. And that's what is missing today.
Thanks to crude oil and the monthly allocations from the Federation Accounts, all the Governors are now indolent, hiring unproductive aids and advisers to expedite the process of spreading and sharing the petrodollars.
In 1952, confronted with the enormous task of fulfilling his free education program, Chief Awolowo, working with his men, embarked on a massive recruitment drive for future Teachers into the newly established Teacher Training Colleges all over the region. He did that knowing full well that he would need Teachers to populate the new classrooms coming up shortly for the emerging free education program.
And by the end of 1956, they were able to raise elementary school enrolment by more than 75%. To the extent that my village, Ewohimi in Esanland, as far back as 1959, had about sixteen elementary schools, two Modern Schools, and the Great PBGS - Pilgrim Baptist Grammar School.
As a recap, the foundation for the popular free education program of the old Western Region was laid in two years - between 1952 and 1954. Yes, two years. That's what true leadership is about. And that's what vision and team building are about. Awo did not have crude oil while building the Western Region. But he got vibrant brainpower. And he got the foresight to go for the best catalysts at home and abroad.
If you come here to read some obscure theories about macro and microeconomics mumble jumble, forget it. Awo hired his critics in graduate schools overseas and brought them home to Nigeria to implement what they theorized. That is what is missing now.
Bendel Brewery or Edo Brewery is lying dormant, unutilized, not necessarily because the people of Edo, Ondo, Delta, and the Bayelsa States have given up on the consumption of beer. The trouble is that the political leaders in the state are having difficulties going beyond their circle of friends and political allies to recruit capable hands and credible candidates to manage the Brewery for profit. This is not a joke; the problem is management, specifically, manpower related.
What about the Cement Factory at Ukpila? The same story. They sold it, not necessarily because Nigerians have placed a moratorium on the building of new projects and no longer in need of cement. The successive administrations in Edo State don't know how to go outside of the usual networks of friends and political operates to recruit credible candidates to run the Cement factory.
The boom in the building culture all over Nigeria remains unraveling, and cement is an essential component of that culture. If you have the market and you are not profitable, something must be wrong with your team. Who builds the team? The State Governor, his Commissioners, and Advisers.
Lastly, the Ewu Flour Mills. They couldn't manage it, either. They sold it, not necessarily because the Bendel people have given up on eating Ema or no longer in need of flour for baking purposes. The same reasons that plagued the Brewery and the Cement Factory, took a flourishing market out of the Flour Mills. Thus, prompting Dr. Chris Oyakhilomen to acquire the relics from the government.
What we have before us is management crisis - human resources related and organizational behavior, motivated by greed, inefficiency, and a culture of political godfatherism.
Today, an economic team, whether at Abuja or in State capitals, is about strategies and tactics for borrowing money from China. If not about China Multinationals, but developing aggressive measures for raising money from Market Women and Drivers at the State Motor Parks.
True leadership is about dreams (visions). The Blueprints (a strategic approach). The audacity (the, yes, we can attitude). And the wisdom to identify and select those best fit (the catalysts) to help in pushing the dreams to fruition. And that's what is missing today in Nigeria - at the Federal, State, and Local Govt levels.
You don't have to like IBB or Atiku. And that's fine. But they know much about Team Building, Management Re-engineering, and placing square pegs in square holes than any Nigerian political leader living today. I rooted for Mr. Atiku Abubakar in the last Presidential election, not because I am a PDP sympathizer, but convinced without any doubt that Mr. Atiku is better prepared and will not have difficulties assembling a formidable economic team.
For instance, how can we forget the hiring of Dr. Chu Akongwu by IBB? Dr. Chu Akongwu, as the Minister of Finance in Imo State under Governor Ike Nwachukwu, was the one who invented the Imo Formular. The program works so well in Imo State that IBB wasted no time recruiting him into his cabinet. Mr. Atiku Abubakar played a similar role while he was the Vice President in the Obasanjo Administration.
Don't be deceived; Abuja symbolizes the divide - of the haves and the have-nots. It is not your Kano. It is not Benin City, and it is not Ibadan. It is not an empire, and certainly not a product of an industrial revolution, championed by any of the major players on the scene today. It is not Maiduguri of the Great Idris Alooma. It is a fraud. A citadel of the stolen wealth.
So, here is my thesis. If you want to replicate the old Ibadan dreams and the exploits of Papa Awo and his men, you need a visionary leader, one imbued with impeccable managerial acumen, audacity, and the ability to identify great minds in the larger society and push them to the limit in the pursuit of the enumerated promises. It is about great expectations.
Papa Awo and his Action Group Apostles built the Western Region and the present Edo and Delta States without proceeds from the crude oil. Therefore, our Governors and LGC Chairmen must be proactive, inward-looking, and self-sustaining.
Regionalism and Semi-autonomous status made it possible for Awo and his men to place Ibadan on the global stage as an economic powerhouse. And we cannot afford to do anything less this time. Today, Regionalism and Decentralization of power no longer need any agitation or prompting; circumstances have unleashed them on us. The 1963 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria remains the best road-map.
I beg to conclude.
Mr. Alex Aidaghese
Now that Crude Oil Prices are dwindling at the global market place and the Petrodollar is collapsing precipitously at home, the doctrine of True Federalism that has eluded the attention of the over-bloated central government - deliberately, though - since the collapse of the Second Republic, is now daring us in the face when we are least prepared. Thanks and no thanks to the COVID-19 outbreaks.
Right now, no Governor is safe. The Federation Account is no longer as robust as it was a few months ago. And we are now back to the pre-civil war of regional autonomy model. In spite of everything, we must move forward. First, we must revisit our ingenuity at the regional level, specifically, the stellar exploits of the Awoists in the old Western region before the Treasonable Felony Trial. And before the oil boom. We must also not forget the allures of the groundnuts pyramids of the Kano Skyline.
The day Chief Obafemi Awolowo was sent to Jail was the day Nigeria died. And like the eclipse of the sun, true federalism, egalitarianism, decentralization of power, and social welfare package were buried alive. Also, buried alive, were the spirit of regionalism, of equal rights and justice, and of the extension of the social/economic ladder to the middle-class and the less-privileged. Thus, signaling an end to the making of a dream.
Before the incarceration of Papa Awo and some of his lieutenants, Ibadan, in the present Oyo State, was an ultra-modern megacity. It was an industrial hub, and one of the three largest cities in Africa. The other two being Cairo in Egypt, and Johannesburg in South Africa. But Ibadan had more to its elegance than these two giant cities. The Cocoa House (the tallest in Africa at the time), the Olympic Size Stadium (first in Africa), a Television Station (first in the developing world), and the present Nigeria House in London, England were acquired by the Government of the Western Region under Papa Awo. Surprisingly, crude oil plays no part.
In addition, the Western Region boasted of a thriving agro-based economy that was the envy of the Western World and surpassing those of Portugal and Spain. It was a center of excellence in education, playing host to one of the best organized free educational programs in the whole world. Yet, no handouts came from the Federation Accounts. IGR - Internally Generated Revenue was the vogue.
Today, like the city of Camden in New Jersey, the Ibadan of the great Oyo Empire, of Papa Awo and his Action Groupers, is a shadow of its former self. And that's the Nigerian tragedy in every respect. The Ibadan story is the Nigerian story - the killing of a dream.
What did they do right that we are not doing now? Simple.
Chief Awolowo was never given to asking: "What percentage of the projected revenues are we expecting from the Federation Account." Rather, it was all about "how much can we generate internally to fund this and that specific project." That's audacity. And that was the culture. "I want free education at all levels, how do we generate the funds to implement it?" And his "Boys" were ever ready to go the long hull to develop models for the funding processes. And that's what is missing today.
Thanks to crude oil and the monthly allocations from the Federation Accounts, all the Governors are now indolent, hiring unproductive aids and advisers to expedite the process of spreading and sharing the petrodollars.
In 1952, confronted with the enormous task of fulfilling his free education program, Chief Awolowo, working with his men, embarked on a massive recruitment drive for future Teachers into the newly established Teacher Training Colleges all over the region. He did that knowing full well that he would need Teachers to populate the new classrooms coming up shortly for the emerging free education program.
And by the end of 1956, they were able to raise elementary school enrolment by more than 75%. To the extent that my village, Ewohimi in Esanland, as far back as 1959, had about sixteen elementary schools, two Modern Schools, and the Great PBGS - Pilgrim Baptist Grammar School.
As a recap, the foundation for the popular free education program of the old Western Region was laid in two years - between 1952 and 1954. Yes, two years. That's what true leadership is about. And that's what vision and team building are about. Awo did not have crude oil while building the Western Region. But he got vibrant brainpower. And he got the foresight to go for the best catalysts at home and abroad.
If you come here to read some obscure theories about macro and microeconomics mumble jumble, forget it. Awo hired his critics in graduate schools overseas and brought them home to Nigeria to implement what they theorized. That is what is missing now.
Bendel Brewery or Edo Brewery is lying dormant, unutilized, not necessarily because the people of Edo, Ondo, Delta, and the Bayelsa States have given up on the consumption of beer. The trouble is that the political leaders in the state are having difficulties going beyond their circle of friends and political allies to recruit capable hands and credible candidates to manage the Brewery for profit. This is not a joke; the problem is management, specifically, manpower related.
What about the Cement Factory at Ukpila? The same story. They sold it, not necessarily because Nigerians have placed a moratorium on the building of new projects and no longer in need of cement. The successive administrations in Edo State don't know how to go outside of the usual networks of friends and political operates to recruit credible candidates to run the Cement factory.
The boom in the building culture all over Nigeria remains unraveling, and cement is an essential component of that culture. If you have the market and you are not profitable, something must be wrong with your team. Who builds the team? The State Governor, his Commissioners, and Advisers.
Lastly, the Ewu Flour Mills. They couldn't manage it, either. They sold it, not necessarily because the Bendel people have given up on eating Ema or no longer in need of flour for baking purposes. The same reasons that plagued the Brewery and the Cement Factory, took a flourishing market out of the Flour Mills. Thus, prompting Dr. Chris Oyakhilomen to acquire the relics from the government.
What we have before us is management crisis - human resources related and organizational behavior, motivated by greed, inefficiency, and a culture of political godfatherism.
Today, an economic team, whether at Abuja or in State capitals, is about strategies and tactics for borrowing money from China. If not about China Multinationals, but developing aggressive measures for raising money from Market Women and Drivers at the State Motor Parks.
True leadership is about dreams (visions). The Blueprints (a strategic approach). The audacity (the, yes, we can attitude). And the wisdom to identify and select those best fit (the catalysts) to help in pushing the dreams to fruition. And that's what is missing today in Nigeria - at the Federal, State, and Local Govt levels.
You don't have to like IBB or Atiku. And that's fine. But they know much about Team Building, Management Re-engineering, and placing square pegs in square holes than any Nigerian political leader living today. I rooted for Mr. Atiku Abubakar in the last Presidential election, not because I am a PDP sympathizer, but convinced without any doubt that Mr. Atiku is better prepared and will not have difficulties assembling a formidable economic team.
For instance, how can we forget the hiring of Dr. Chu Akongwu by IBB? Dr. Chu Akongwu, as the Minister of Finance in Imo State under Governor Ike Nwachukwu, was the one who invented the Imo Formular. The program works so well in Imo State that IBB wasted no time recruiting him into his cabinet. Mr. Atiku Abubakar played a similar role while he was the Vice President in the Obasanjo Administration.
Don't be deceived; Abuja symbolizes the divide - of the haves and the have-nots. It is not your Kano. It is not Benin City, and it is not Ibadan. It is not an empire, and certainly not a product of an industrial revolution, championed by any of the major players on the scene today. It is not Maiduguri of the Great Idris Alooma. It is a fraud. A citadel of the stolen wealth.
So, here is my thesis. If you want to replicate the old Ibadan dreams and the exploits of Papa Awo and his men, you need a visionary leader, one imbued with impeccable managerial acumen, audacity, and the ability to identify great minds in the larger society and push them to the limit in the pursuit of the enumerated promises. It is about great expectations.
Papa Awo and his Action Group Apostles built the Western Region and the present Edo and Delta States without proceeds from the crude oil. Therefore, our Governors and LGC Chairmen must be proactive, inward-looking, and self-sustaining.
Regionalism and Semi-autonomous status made it possible for Awo and his men to place Ibadan on the global stage as an economic powerhouse. And we cannot afford to do anything less this time. Today, Regionalism and Decentralization of power no longer need any agitation or prompting; circumstances have unleashed them on us. The 1963 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria remains the best road-map.I beg to conclude.
Mr. Alex Aidaghese
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