Elections the world over are usually characterised by mouth-watering campaign promises by politicians and their Political Parties with a view to out-playing their opponents.
These campaign promises vary from people to people, nations to nations and again, depending on the peculiar needs of the electorates and that is why one cannot think of having a promise of clean and portable water, good and Motorable Roads or even provision of electricity from aspiring political office holders in countries like France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, America, UK, Russia and the likes. Aside the provision of welfare for Citizenry and other talks on issues of international relations, talks on petty promises like roads, electricity and others as mentioned earlier could only make sense in developing countries like Nigeria.
And talking about Nigeria, the last general elections made a very great news in terms of campaigns and the usual/unusual promises that came along with it.
From party to party, state to state and from candidate to candidate, electoral promises kept thronging the polity.
At the Federal Level, some mouth-watering promises were made by APC, the eventual party which resulted from the amalgamation of ACN, CPC, fAPGA – meaning factional APGA and other parties of like minds, (like minds at least as of then). These ranged from Decisive fight against corruption, provision of meal for young learners of public schools, provision of employment for the growing army of jobless Nigerians, all of which are now very controversial because of the perceived government’s apparent jettisoning of the promises but most controversial of them all is the #5000 promised the legions of the jobless Nigerians which ostensibly was meant to serve as palliative pending the “arrival” of the jobs that are NOT there and which might NOT even come unless a very decisive and obviously pragmatic step is taken.
This is a country where once upon a time, jobs cum works were searching for workers and in a good number of instances, many would-have-been serial applicants had their employment letters delivered to them few months or weeks ahead of the completion of their studies. Information has it that some prospective workers even had more than one job waiting for them as they prepared to leave the citadel of knowledge. This magnanimity from the then corporate world did not result from the nicety of the employers of labour but the prevailing circumstances of the then Nigeria compelled the hirers to seek for the workforce commensurate to the harvest and the various processes leading to the harvest.
Some of these favourable circumstances include but not limited to functional infrastructural facilities and social amenities like electricity, good roads and favourable investment policies that made it not only easier but also attractive for entrepreneurs both from within and outside the country to practice their trade without fear of loosing their capital.
Aside the policy of the government on trade and investments, the very major factor that determines the level of industrialization of any country is POWER in the form of energy and whenever and wherever this is nonexistent or in short supply, the result is what a country like Nigeria has suffered for more than two decades.
There are some schools of thought which believed that upsurge in population is one of the reasons for the massive unemployment in the land and much as one might want to align with this fact, one would be quick again to juxtapose the Nigeria’s situation with that of any other nation with serious-minded leaders, the superior argument which would puncture that line of thought.
We cannot talk of dearth of infrastructures without talking about the hydra-headed problem of corruption in the land. As a matter of fact, this has being the bane of the country as every government has since independence (with the exception of a few) neglected the collective welfare of the governed which is the primary purpose of governance. They have instead looted and so massively too, the Treasury housing our common wealth and this has over the years led to massive misappropriation of a very large chunk of the national resources into private pockets thereby leaving little or nothing for the purpose of depopulating the unemployment market.
Now that the new administration of Muhammadu Buhari had deemed it fit to help alleviate the suffering of the innocent Nigerian youths as obtainable from the APC campaign promises, it would be a disservice to the entire good people of Nigeria if the imminent danger posed by the proposed gesture is not critically analysed for an informed decision to be made thereby placing both the government and the governed at a vantage position such that posterity would have good tales to tell about the country and her leaders at a critical time like this.
A careful calculation of the monthly financial commitment of government to this obligation shows that a whooping sum of #125,000,000,000- One hundred and twenty five billion Naira (and I won’t be tempted to add the word “only” ) would be needed to pay a paltry sum of #5000 to a maximum of 25 million “unemployed” Nigerian youths.
Now there are many questions begging for answers viz:
* Who truly are the Nigerian youths?
* Are they only 25 million jobless among them?
* What happens to those yet jobless outside the 25 million brackets, though they are youths?
* How about those above the age brackets of youths, does the electoral promise leave them out?
* What is the criteria for singling out each payee for the stipend?
* What is the fate of those left out viz a viz their loyalty to the state, would decedents not arise from disgruntlement?
* What is the data management capacity, capability and competence of the government/the handlers to execute this HUGE payment project to forestall multiplicity of enrollment?
* For how long can our economy sustain this “horrendous” nonproductive payouts?
* If the entire process is so well designed to be completely error proof even as it takes care of all legitimate beneficiaries, what can a daily allowance of #167 do in the life of a living soul and this pertinent question cuts across all ages, from age Zero to hundred, it would definitely take exceptional frugality for any human to survive, let alone leading a meaningful life with such?
* Isn’t there a better way of handling issues of this nature?
And from the last in the series of questions begging for answers come the panacea to what might end up a debacle if this is allowed to kick off at all and consequently, a near-perfect solution here surfaces and believably would suffice.
One problem, the resolution of which would bring multiple relief is Power and when Power sector receives life, every other business which hitherto had been pronounced and certified dead would definitely obey the command of “Lazarus, come back to life” and when they so “resurrect”, the multiplier effects of such massive revamp would definitely transmogrify a larger chunk of those very poor at the bottom of the ladder to such a region where self sustenance would no longer be an issue. At this point, majority of the small and medium scale enterprises whose owners had been living like applicants would bounce back to life and their dependency on friends, families or relations to survive would die a natural death.
This one is thus solved of the many problems be devilling the nation.
How do we get Power to Power these businesses might be the next question on the minds of many and to this, I humbly refer to my letter to Mr President on HITTING THE GROUND RUNNING.
The article talks on how the entire country could be electrified effectively, yet affordably and within the shortest time ever.
Whilst the Super Minister, Mr 3-in-1 is busy finding lasting solution that might gulp some billions of Dollars to give us Light, just an equivalent of a month allocation to the jobless youths would provide every state of the federation including the FCT with constant Power Supply.
To a maximum of 25 million youths of the many jobless Nigerians would the sum of #125,000,000,000 be allocated at the rate of #5,000 per person effective January 2016 and judging by a pilot that has provided some Nigerians with maximum comfort since this project was test-run, a paltry sum of #3,378,378,378 (i.e. #125b÷36 states and Abuja) which is the equitable share of every federating state, this would provide alternative electricity to every state of the federation including Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory.
Now to the jobless youth themselves, a great deal of favour would be done them if same amount (2nd month allocation for instance) is invested in each state BUT through the Federal Minister of Labour and Productivity for the sole purpose of creating job opportunities for the jobless and when a whooping sum of #3,378,378,378 gets invested in Agriculture and perhaps Textiles, the results of this would definitely save the APC Federal Government the trouble of sourcing funds perpetually to fill the hole which by default remains unfilllable.
If my calculations are anything to go by, a figure of NOT less than #1.5Tr would be needed to keep ONLY one aspect of the electoral promises and we all know what damage an unwise sharing of #6Tr would do the nation in a period of just 48 calendar months.
One of the very serious issues that would naturally crop up if the proposed “sharing” is allowed to commence at all is the parochial politicking that would characterize the process of distributing the stipend.
The possibility of having political godfathers cashing in on the gullibility of the poorly informed Nigerian masses to milk the project dry at the expense of the bona fide beneficiaries should also be given a thought and if this is care in the real sense of the word care, for how long can we care by providing these downtrodden ones with annual #1.5Tr that might NOT go round and what happens a month after government decides to stop the scheme for whatever reason, top amongst which would likely be lack of fund, the more reason why we should AVOID The #5,000 DEBACLE because the consequences of stopping the scheme prematurely and without having achieved its aim are better imagined than experienced. The power of the youths should NOT be underestimated, neither should the opposition be expressly given the opportunities of taking the government to the cleaners.
The above solution does NOT require #6Tr and neither does it ask for the annual Budget of #1.5Tr to feed the youths, it ONLY requires a holistic review of this Unique Option, its honest implementation and with sincerity of purpose cum honesty of intention, only 2 months allocation for the youths would solve their problems and maybe permanently as well. The other promise of a lunch per day for learners of public schools could benefit immensely from this noble investment in Agriculture and talking about how this “Agromoderm Ventures” would work to achieve the set objectives, a talk with a specialist in our Team would definitely provide the Magic Wand that would help in taking Nigeria out of the woods.
God bless Akin-Ayoade Omotayo Chris,
God bless President Muhammadu Buhari,
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Yours Sincerely,
AKIN-AYOADE Omotayo Chris
Tel: 08023087097, 08173087097
Email: Akindgreat777@yahoo.com
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