TWITTING TIPS

For a long time, I kept a twitter account which I did not quite know how to use and of course like every new thing, it appeared to be quite complex.

A friend told me that as soon as I got the alert that someone followed me on twitter, I should be respectful enough to follow the person back. And so I waited patiently and after a very long time, it occurred to me that I need not wait to be followed first before following back.

I followed some people on twitter and they also had the sense to follow back but a lot of people did not and I quickly unfollowed them. I am working at building a reputation and it is essential I link up with people who are enlightened and fully liberated from egoistic misconceptions.

It is like a crossword puzzle to me when I tick and cross out and I feel very satisfied performing these mental exercises every week. Then it occurred to me that some “important” people follow some other people they consider worthy of following. I follow these “important” individuals and endure them until I have time to run through the list of people they follow and take out the names of people I believe I like to follow.

Some people by virtue of the name they have built for themselves over time have earned a large followership and still gain more followers without much sweat and of course the type of messages and propositions they receive puts them in a position where they don’t necessarily have to follow everyone who follows them. It takes a very high sense of humility which should not be taken for granted for such a person to follow a follower on twitter.

Also it occurred to me that when we respond and make comments in line with other people’s twits, we showcase some of our intellect which is actually what most people seek on twitter. Everything goes on Facebook but on twitter, there is a clean and thorough sieving.

I tried the approach of some phoney people who promised large followership if one followed them but it turned out to be simply based on the principle of being respectful of yourself and the next man.

Finally, I discovered that some quacks also use other people’s names on their personal profile. Where is your sense of individuality? You completely extinguish it by doing so.

TOMORROW PEOPLE (Concluding Part)

TOMORROW PEOPLE
“Tomorrow people, where is your past? How long will you last? If there is no love in your heart, there will never be hope for you!”
.-Bob Nesta Marley

PART FOUR:  RETRACING OUR STEPS

The Nigerian case is particularly sad especially when we take into consideration the fact that Nigeria is not the African country with the largest land mass or the most complicated political challenges. A country like Egypt is by far bigger than Nigeria and Egyptians have succeeded in recognizing Egypt as their own country and not just that of the northerners or the southerners or the easterners.

North or South, Nigeria is made of human beings who may have been taken advantage of in the past but it is high time, we came out of the darkness so that we move forward. Whatever injustice we believe has been done was done over 50 years ago; even things that are cast on stone can be demolished and re-constructed. Rwanda returned after a very bitter genocide and the country is flourishing today. Ghana came out of the darkness and has experienced a turn around so there is nothing that says that Nigeria must remain the way it was originally designed by the British.

Sadly we delude ourselves that Nigeria is a democratic republic but the truth is that Nigeria is practicing civil rule simple. The head of government is fond of taking unilateral decisions that fail to carry the people along. Corruption is stifling the government to the point of choking the life out of it.

The original three regions that were carved out by the British were further divided until we now have 36 states in a country that has made very little progress since the departure of the British. It is further disturbing to hear Nigerians clamouring for the creation of more states. It simply goes to show that we have failed to understand that the modern world government is established on big, strong and growing national force.  Nigeria can be fragmentized to the point of meaninglessness because Nigerians hardly ever agree on a common issue.

There have been calls for a sovereign national conference and in the words of Dr. Beko Ransom-Kuti, “It is important to say that British rule was not forged on negotiations with Nigerians, but negotiations with ethnic nationalities. So also there was no "Nigerian position," but ethnic nationality positions. The 1960 independence, to our knowledge, was preceded by a curious finding conducted by Henry Willink supported by Gordon Hardow, Philip Mason, and JB Shearer which compiled a report on July 30 1958 now known as the Willink Commission of Enquiry. I advise the senators to read carefully the various positions of nationalities visited by the British agents in compiling their reports. It is of note that every nationality in the space called Nigeria had a position and there was not and will never be a 'Nigerian position' except that imposed by the few people in power.

That Willink report noted in its introduction: "The boundaries of the territory now known as Nigeria were first defined in 1907. The word Nigeria was then 20 years old the unity and indeed the separate existence of Nigeria and their concepts are of recent growth". It should be noted that the 1953 Conference that preceded Willink report, the attendants of the conference went as 'ethnic' representatives and the conference recommended that Nigeria should be a federation of three regions. So all along, ethnic nationalities have been the hallmark and essence of Nigeria. It is instructive that the years preceding 1960 and particularly since 1966 when unitarism was introduced, Nigeria has not known peace but, war, coups, and extreme poverty.”

Politicians have failed to agree to the convening of this conference however, it has been mentioned time and again as the solution to the many problems of the Nigerian unity, peace and continued existence as one entity. No matter how long the SNC is delayed, it will still be convened.

Once again, let us all be reminded that this is the only country where Nigerians are allowed to exist freely; it is home to Nigerians and Nigerians have no other place to call home except this land. We must take interest in the governance of Nigeria by getting actively involved and not just be spectators or critics of the excesses of an insensitive lot of politicians. We must cease to envy the luck of corrupt politicians and actively shun them for being corrupt and unpatriotic; as often as we can, let us make it known to them that we know that they are corruptly enriching themselves on the resources of the people.

We must each believe that it is our duty and responsibility to nurture Nigeria; if we continue to loot and plunder resources intended for the development of the land, there will be nothing left for future generations of Nigerians.

We must rise above the level of seeing ourselves as members of our tiny kingdoms, empires, fiefdoms, etc and begin to see ourselves of the larger entity named Nigeria and be totally committed to her growth and upliftment.

We must inculcate in ourselves and as many Nigerians as possible the spirit of being merciful to Nigeria and showing her some love.

GOD bless Nigeria.

TOMORROW PEOPLE (Part III)

TOMORROW PEOPLE
“Tomorrow people, where is your past? How long will you last? If there is no love in your heart, there will never be hope for you!”
.-Bob Nesta Marley

PART THREE: THE MONSTER WE HAVE BEFORE US ALL

The “fox” has been gone for so many years unless we deliberately refuse to believe that it has gone. Nigerians are still blaming the British for what they consider to be injustice done by amalgamating the north and the south. Like I mentioned above, a big, strong and economically vibrant single nation paid the colonial administrators better than two countries especially with the French and the other European nations threatening to encroach on the Nigerian territory. Nigeria is not as large as a country like Egypt and inspite of tribal or religious conflict, Egypt remains one country.

A deeper study of the history of Nigeria will reveal a clearer picture of the ideology and the foundation of such ideology being practiced and institutionalized in northern Nigeria towards other Nigerians. Research revealed that the north requested for additional three years to enable them prepare for independence while the south were in a great rush to be rid of the British supremacy. The north did not invest much in education; while the south invested all, scratched and scraped to send their children to school in Europe and America, the north simply continued administration and politics at the level they were accustomed to.

The suspicion of the British and the north was that the south being richer and having more educated people who had become learned in the ways of the international legal system would have taken advantage of the north. The south resisted the British for much longer than the north and even when the army of Major Lugard seemed to have subdued the south, there were still very strong suggestions of resistance from the south. History has it that Major Lugard greatly loathed the people of the south of Nigeria and preferred the north and gave all the support he could to the north. The earliest political groups which emanated from the north focused mainly on the interest of the north and the objective of the northern elite was to consolidate and further strengthen the position of the north in its claim to supremacy in the Nigerian political scene. The southern politicians on the other hand focused on a united Nigeria in the spirit of nationalism.

That seed of suspicion sown in the very foundation of the political structure of Nigeria has grown and continues to flourish in the minds of the people of Nigeria. This gives room for exploitation by Europe and many other international powers that have seen the vast wealth of Nigeria which they realize has the potential to put Nigeria on the same pedestal with economic heavy weights of the world. That seed of suspicion has ensured that the north and the south never agree on any issue even in the interest of Nigeria.

That Nigeria will take a giant leap in the world economic scene if the north and south come together as one and work in harmony for the economic advancement of Nigeria is not news; what will be news is that many economies will collapse if the north and south unite in harmony in the interest of Nigeria.

Strangely one or two leaders who have led Nigeria along the line of true unity and nationalism were quickly cut short by promoters of discord between the north and the south of Nigeria. It is a very pathetic picture to look at; even more depressing is the pride and arrogance that Nigerians display in fanning this evil passion to drive Nigeria into the ground.

From the rich history of Nigeria, we see that Nigerians are people who worship the supreme deity as they identify Him; the British saw this among the Nri-Igbo people and they realized that in order to control the people, they had to get the then Eze to denounce the supremacy of their deity the “Ikenga.” Most Nigerians believe in the efficacy of their local deities and they know that they will not get away with making mockery of their deity but will willingly and easily defraud another even in the place of western worship. I always like to use the example of a time when the Oba Market in Benin went up in huge flames and in the typical predatory way of man when confronted by danger, people rushed in and looted other people’s property. The Oba of Benin being a no-nonsense King sent for the Aiyelala worshippers to invoke the wrath of the deity against anyone who had collected anything that did not belong to him or her. As soon as the announcement went round the kingdom, people started to return everything they had taken away and nothing was spared.

Nigerians know very well that the western religions they pretend to practice allows room for their excesses and they are taking full advantage of the situation. It was a crime for a man to take his own life as he will be accused of having desecrated the land and his family would be held accountable by the King, the Gods and the laws of the land but not only does a man take his own life, he even takes the life of others willfully and without remorse.

TOMORROW PEOPLE (Part II)

TOMORROW PEOPLE
“Tomorrow people, where is your past? How long will you last? If there is no love in your heart, there will never be hope for you!”
.-Bob Nesta Marley

Fredrick Lord Lugard, First Governor General of Nigeria1914-1919

PART TWO: INFLUENCE OF THE BRITISH

According to history, the boundaries of Nigeria were drawn as a result of trade and overseas territorial ambitions of some Western European powers in the nineteenth century. The territory was assigned to Britain. The name, Nigeria, was suggested in 1898 by Flora Shaw who later became Lady Lugard to designate the British Protectorate on the River Niger.

Adventures of early explorers like Mungo Park and the Lander brothers exposed Nigeria to European traders who were mainly focused on slave expeditions. By early nineteenth century, the obnoxious trade in slaves which had flourished in the region was in the process of being abolished. Consequently, European traders began to turn their attention to trading in palm produce, pepper, ivory and other articles which provided raw materials for European industries. The Europeans restricted their trading activities to Lagos and Delta ports of old Calabar, Brass and Bonny while sending out scouts further into the communities in the hope of improving trade opportunities. The British were particularly keen on claiming Lagos and the Yoruba hinterland and as soon as the opportunity was served by way of internal conflicts in the ruling houses of Lagos, they offered their support to Oba Akitoye in exchange for the total annexing of Lagos in 1861.

The interest of the British in Nigeria is primarily economic and remains economic. In 1898, then Major Fredrick D. Lugard formed the West African Frontier Force initially with 2,000 soldiers of whom 90% were northerners and a few men from the middle belt area. It is on this foundation that the Nigerian military is structured with majority of military intakes coming from the north.

When the Royal Niger Company's Charter was withdrawn in January 1900, the whole of Nigeria came under direct Colonial administration. The territory was then divided into:
(i) The Lagos Colony (1861 - 1960)
(ii) The Protectorate of Southern Nigeria (1900 - 1914)
(ii) The Protectorate of Northern Nigeria (1900 - 1914)

History also has it that when the three regions were created, certain amounts of money was released to each of the regions for initial administrative and other expenditure. It is recorded that under the guidance of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the west focused mainly on education and invested greatly in educating as many as were willing and a lot of educational institutions were commissioned within a very short time.

The British needed the Railway from the North to the Coast in the interest of British business. Amalgamation of the South (not of the people) became of crucial importance to British business interest; the conquest of the Benin Kingdom in 1896 paved way for the creation of the Southern Nigerian Protectorate on January 1, 1900.  Sokoto was not conquered until 1903 and after that, the Lord Lugard (British) created the northern Nigerian protectorate. What is critical and important are the reasons Lugard gave in his dispatches which include:
i.                 “North is poor and they have no resources to run the protectorate of the North.
ii.                They have no access to the sea;
iii.               The South has resources and
iv.               The South has educated people.”

In addition, Lugard’s dispatches to London led to the Amalgamation of the north and south in 1914.

Amalgamation should have reconciled and enlightened the two divisions including the people and provided a firm basis for establishing closer cultural, social, religious, and linguistic ties vital for true unity among the people. The seeds of suspicion sown between the north and the south birthed division, hatred, unhealthy rivalry, and pronounced disparity in development. But what the British amalgamated was the Administration of the North and South and not the people of the North and the South, which is one of the root causes of the problems of Nigeria and the Nigerians. It was the basis on which Nigeria got independence in 1960.

Following the departure of the British, the first major uprising in the north took place leaving many Nigerians dead and destitute; following the execution of Gen. Aguiyi Ironsi in 1966 and more violence in the north, the late Lt. Col. Chukwuemeka Ojukwu called for all Igbo in the north to return home and the Biafra republic was declared.  The civil war broke out on July 6, 1967. There have been several other violent uprisings emanating from the north. With every season, these uprisings become more lethal and more sophisticated. There is no telling that the present Boko Haram group will be the last of violent insurgence groups terrorizing Nigerians in the northern part of Nigeria.

The question of whether we can co-exist in harmony as one nation is answered by the fact that “united we stand, divided we fall.” We not only fall, but are captured and enslaved. History showed that as smaller units many Nigerian kingdoms were sacked by hostile, superior armies and absorbed them into their own kingdoms. It took the intervention of the British Army to restore many of such small kingdoms to the body of Nigeria. Many Nigerian historians view this as in the interest of the selfish motives of the British; a bigger, stronger Nigeria is by far better than smaller fragments that are scattered all over the  African continent.

TOMORROW PEOPLE

TOMORROW PEOPLE
“Tomorrow people, where is your past? How long will you last? If there is no love in your heart, there will never be hope for you!”
.-Bob Nesta Marley

I had the privilege of attending the Lecture organized by the “Save Nigeria Group” which was delivered by Prof. Niyi Osundare. I felt the need to attend the function as a bonafide citizen of Nigeria. I had earlier in the year attended all the rallies held during the protest against the removal of fuel subsidy at Gani Fawehinmi Park, Ojota, Lagos and I saw the opportunity to continue along that line in the interest of the nation. I attended as a concerned citizen, hoping to take one or two bullet points and move on to other issues. The nagging question I came out of the conference with was “what could interest Nigerians more than the present state of the nation?” It is true that there are a lot of Nigerians who have overcome their money problems; one thing they all have in common with the majority who still exist on or below the average standard defined as the level of poverty is the fear of security of their lives and their property.  The experience turned out to be so profound that the decent thing to do after the lecture was to take up my history books one more time and as much as possible re-trace the faulty and weak steps of Nigeria as a nation. I embarked on the exercise with the hope that if we can identify where we got it wrong, we would be able to gradually re-direct our steps in the direction of a possible solution.

In addition, the recent protest over the name change of University of Lagos gave me reason to conclude that the a lot of young Nigerians do not know much of the history of Nigeria; students of the university did not know what the man MKO stood and fought for in Nigeria and Africa. For the benefit of Nigerian adults born after the 90s, I strongly recommend that they spare a little time and read up what they can find on Nigerian history.

PART ONE: THE COLOURFUL MIX OF THE NIGERIAN PEOPLE
A brief outline of the history of Nigeria before the discovery of Nigeria by the earliest explorers who came from the Great Britain, Nigeria was made up of kingdoms, states and empires with colourful culture and traditions, keen sense of trade and commerce, meaningful worship and a thorough sense of administration and leadership.

The wealth of resources and the flourishing trans Atlantic slave trade exposed the great potentials that Britain and other European countries saw in Nigeria.

Our rich history books show that the three major regions were made up of kingdoms, states and empires that were not strangers to one another. They were more like siblings within a household who were familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of each other. They knew who the strongest among them was and they knew the ones that they conceded power to.

The East was made up of the Igbo, the Ibibio and Efik, the Kalabaris, the Ndonis and the Akwetes.

Prominent among the people of the east was the Nri kingdom (i.e. Nri-Igbo). The administration of the kingdom was not military in nature but the kingdom existed as a sphere of religious and political influence and was administered by a priest called the Eze-Nri who managed trade and diplomacy on behalf of the people and possessed divine authority in religious matters. Nri’s culture had permanently influenced all of Igbo culture, especially through religion and taboos; it brought new advanced concepts of the creator and of the universe in general. British colonialism as well as the Atlantic slave trade contributed to the decline of the Nri kingdom. Administration was not by military force but by ritual oath where people converted to the Nri kingdom spread to Idah and Igala regions. The British invasion forced the reigning Nri to renounce the ritual power of the religious cult known as the “Ikenga.” The Nri’s did not trade slaves, and they were not battle inclined but preferred interaction and transactions by ritual oath. The Igbo were predominantly farmers who excelled with yam, palm produce, nuts, etc.

The North was made up of the Hausa, the Fulani, the Nupe, the Kwararafa, the Kanuri, the Benue stock of Tivi and Idoma, etc.

The Hausa Empire made up of traders and warriors who endured assaults and invasions from the desert and also by the Fulani jihadists who eventually conquered the Hausa Empire. The Fulanis absorbed the Hausa kingdom and turned it to Hausa-Fulani Caliphate. They connected and accepted each other until the British in 1906 restored the Hausa dynasty in Daura.

The Fulanis are nomadic by nature; the Fulanis and the Hausas had a common enemy in the Songhai Empire which ruled Gobir by tyranny and despotism. As a result of the oppression, the Fulanis were forced to scatter all over northern Nigeria and into other African countries.

The Kanem people evolved to become the people of Bornu; the Bornu Empire spanned land spaces that spread into Chad, Niger and Cameroon. They fought fierce and bitter battles from internal conflicts, rebellions and invasions from the Bulala. Intermarriages between the Bornu and Kannembu people brought about the Kanuri nation. Following the annihilation of the fierce Sayfawa warriors of Sudan that subdued Kanem-Bornu Empire, the British re-absorbed Bornu kingdom into Nigeria as a territory of the Bornu Emirate.

Borgu Empire had its origins traced to Kisra, a town in Arabia; it comprised Bussa (the spiritual centre), Illo (the commercial centre) and Nikki (the political centre). These regions of Borgu were part British and part French and they related well with each other having respect for each other’s area of competence.

The Bida Emirate is a traditional state in Nigeria; it is the successor of the Nupe kingdom which had its headquarters at Bida, Niger State.  The Etsu Nupe was the head of the state and leader of the people. The military might of the Nupe kingdom was quite a formidable force until the British Niger Company troops finally took Bida and established a puppet ruler and making Bida the first British colonial regime.

The Kwararafa kingdom comprised of tribes along the Benue rive in what is today known as eastern Nigeria. It was located on the southwest of the Bornu Empire and south of the Hausa states and to a large extent the kingdom was attacked, conquered and absorbed into their powerful neighbouring territories. The Kwararafas recognized the superiority of the Bornu kingdom; they were attacked and further reduced by the Fulani jihad of the Sokoto Caliphate.

The West comprised of the Yoruba, the Egba, the Ijebu, the Ilaje, etc., the Lagos people, the Awori, etc., the Edo, Esan, Ora, Afemai people, the Itshekiri, Urhobo, Ijaw, etc.

The Benin kingdom is located midway between the east and the west. The Benin kingdom was one of the last kingdoms to fall to the British Army owing to its military might and skills. The system of rule practiced in the kingdom under the rulership of Ogiso was military and royal protection in exchange of use of resources and implementation of taxes paid to the royal administrative centre. Culture and tradition were heterogeneous and grouped according to smaller units within the kingdom under the supervision of a local “Enogie” (Duke) appointed by the Oba. According to history, almost all the kingdoms in the west of Nigeria have their origins traced to the Benin kingdom.

The great Oyo Empire rose through the astounding organizational skills of the Yoruba; wealth was gained from trade and its powerful cavalry. It was the leader of all western kingdoms and it spread to as far as Dahomey kingdom of FON in today’s Benin Republic. Slave trade reached its peak in the Oyo Empire. Created from violence, the empire was bound together by mutual self-interest. The Oyo kingdom became a protectorate of Great Britain in 1888 before further fragmenting into warring factions.

There are many other tribes within Nigeria that are too many to mention in this discourse however available history books chronicle in great detail the exploits and splendor of the colourful mixture of the people of Nigeria.

The common denominator is the influence of the British Empire to secure, administer and colonize and much larger united Nigeria. History has also shown that had it not been for the intervention of the British, many Nigerian communities had already been absorbed into other countries. The British had the military might to ensure that all communities within the Nigerian territory were safely secured within one entity.

The mix of the people of Nigeria shows a nation that is complex and made of little countries that were greatly diversified in every possible way. The British recognized that ruling the people would be an uphill task however for economic reasons, the British went ahead and amalgamated the Northern and the Southern Nigerian territories.

SEEING THROUGH UNTAINTED GLASS

MKO Abiola was a man well versed in the sayings and proverbs of Africans but of all the proverbs and sayings which he quipped intermittently, the one I truly got to grasp is the one where he spoke about ways in which issues are perceived by people. In other words, the way we interprete an idea which is being transmitted to our minds depends on our perspective of viewing the issue especially as our positions are predominantly influenced by religious dogma, tribalism, idiosyncrasies, level of exposure and tolerance as well as our level of maturity in human relationships.

Ghana, a country in the West African Coast with land space of 239,460 square kilometers and a population of 24,791,073 as of July, 2011 is being governed as a fledgling democracy which until the 80s was administered by the last the last of military dictatorship under the leadership of Flt. Lt. John Jerry Rawlings. Prior to when Rawlings violently took power in what in African history remains the bloodiest and most callous of coup d’états, a kind of democracy was practiced in Ghana which was corrupt to its roots and left Ghana paralyzed and Ghanaians beggars to even their enemies.

For the benefit of Nigerian adults who were not born before 1980, Ghanaian refugees came to Nigeria in large numbers. They took the lowliest paid menial jobs. They went about giving home service in cosmetics, shoe repairs, private tutorials for children (home lesson), laundry, gardeners, gatekeeping, cooks/stewards, nannies and so many others. Ghanaians were exploited by Nigerians, they were made to work without pay, they were beaten and many of their women were sexually and physically abused and vandalized. Many of such encounters saw to the siring of many children who were never welcome into their fathers’ homes; rather, their mothers were compelled to take them away when all Ghanaians were unceremoniously dismissed from Nigeria by the military. Ghanaians suffered emotional as well as financial losses too numerous to be chronicled. Their leaving Nigeria saw the influx of large carrier bags from China popularly known as “Ghana must go.”

Nigeria on the other hand is a country also in the West African Coast that has land mass of 924,000 square kilometers and a population estimated at 158,000,000 is also a fledgling democracy although Nigeria is still struggling with the accumulated negative effects of despotism and military dictatorship. Nigeria is still deeply plagued with the cancerous presence of corruption bringing about a systematic decay and decline in the wealth, splendor and pride of Nigeria. Now princes and princesses flock to distant lands where they are exploited and violated like slaves who have been carried away as booty from a conquest. Now the table has turned, Nigerians seem to have found a safe haven in Ghana but would they want to live by the laws of the land, would they want to be disciplined by the government of the land?

Nigerians and foreigners jointly saw to the gradual decay that has set into the Nigerian society, affecting every area of human survival and development and with the same principles and attitude, they approach Ghana.

Ghana has decree that $300k must be paid by non-Ghana enterprises and Ghanaians must be given priority in employment of labour; will these be too much to ask for? There is absolutely nothing wrong in making this decree. Facilities and resources that are being depleted must be renewed and it would be totally unwise to keep Ghanaians unemployed because of Nigerians who are more aggressive and shrewd to the point of being desperate in business practices.

The people of South Africa did not initially seek or receive the cooperation of their government that is why many Nigerians were executed in South Africa under the guise of armed robbery attacks because they were virtually taking over every good thing in South Africa. South Africans spent too many years in the struggle against segregationist apartheid government; they died in the course of the struggle. Many families were scattered as activists fled into exile. Good prevailed over evil and South Africa is the most buoyant of all economies in Africa due to efficient structures that were put in place by the settlers and others. Now South Africa is the hub of everything good and trust Nigerians to not only show up, to not only want to take over but also corrupt the system.

Muammar Ghadaffi secured a large number of Nigerians to join in him in quashing the uprising against his over-extended dictatorship in Libya; following the execution of Ghadaffi and the collapse of his government, Nigerians were captured and slaughtered in Libya and others are still being de-humanized secretly (HRW).

There were some ugly reports from far away Egypt some years back of Nigerian girls in forced labour being dehumanized and killed by employers who used them for all manner of work like “beasts of burden.”

In short other Africans are also becoming hostile to Nigerians for the simple reason that our undisciplined ways have resulted in Nigerians being viewed as lecherous parasites. Nigerians have developed the penchant for looking for “the golden fleece.” From the earliest days, it was Europe and America but it is so bad that Nigerians send their children to Benin Republic for education.

Nigerians know where the problems lie and until they resolve and determine to treat Nigeria as their own and not that of the Yoruba, the Igbo or the Hausa we shall continue to stare at the monster that we have raised.

GOD bless Nigeria.

LAGOS PRACTISING URBAN WASTE MANAGEMENT

Waste is anything that has broken or lost value and is intended to be disposed. Waste are categorized according to quality of waste is being disposed. Waste could be domestic, it could be industrial, it could be medical stuff which is equally categorized according to what material the waste is composed of. Proper waste management is as essential as the service of providing electricity or the service of providing good roads for the people. Waste management had always been the exclusive responsibility of government without leaving any room for private investment.

While being run by government alone, the biggest challenges faced are:

i.                 Lack of institutional arrangements

ii.                Traffic congestion in urban areas

iii.               Insufficient information on quantity and composition of waste

iv.               Inappropriate technology

v.                Absence of bylaws and standards

vi.               Inflexible work schedules

vii.             Indiscipline on the part of consumers in respect of settlement of bills

viii.            Funding of the department.

The vans that go around neighbourhoods collect refuse and dump them at landfill sites; landfill method is what is predominantly used in Nigeria and it is bereft with all manner of health issues like health hazards to scavengers at landfill sites, pollution of ground water and the spread of infectious diseases. Open landfill dumping is most common in Nigeria and there is no landfill regulation and standard that provides a basis for compliance and monitoring. And such wastes are set on fire to reduce the volume of waste.

The service of waste disposal is one that has the potential of creating a lot of jobs for Nigerians.  Putting all the weight on government has resulted in ineffective waste management and poor waste handling.  For many years, Lagos and Ibadan were recorded to be the dirtiest cities in Africa.  Lagos in particular was so dirty it developed a peculiar and foul odour that hit one whenever the city of Lagos is approached; corpses littered the streets for days and no one batted an eyelid. It was just normal to go about your business while wishing that the corpse would be removed early enough.  Government has opened up the sector by partly privatizing it and some cities in Nigeria already have started the National Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Management and Intervention programme. Among these cities are Lagos, Onitsha, Kano, Maiduguri, Uyo, Kaduna and Ota.

Lagos State has revolutionized the service of waste management with the reinvention and turnaround of Lagos State Waste Management Corporation (LAWMA). LAWMA is a comprehensive board that can compare favourably with many international waste management facilities. LAWMA’s PSP is divided into:

Commercial PSP: industrial PSP operators and medical PSP operators
Domestic PSP operators
Local policing PSP operators
Marine PSP operators
Street sweepers.

LAWMA is reported to have over 30,000 people in its employment. LAWMA also provides opportunities for private investors to partake in the various products that are available including PSP operating, manure production, sorting and recycling of waste, supply of briquettes for combustion, etc. The foul odour that welcomes one to Lagos in the past is gone and the mountain at the dump site has considerably reduced except for the one at the New Garage end of Ojota and one or two other areas in Lagos State.

Other issues that challenge LAWMA are: the disorderly manner in which throw refuse on to the PSP vans, traffic congestion in Lagos that makes it difficult to for LAWMA vans to complete as many rounds to have greater impact and also reports of party members who have no knowledge of waste management who hijack the contracts in view of the fat cheques that they are paid monthly by the Lagos State government. In the light of all these, the good people of Lagos State can heave a sigh of relief because of the impact of the presence of LAWMA.

Other cities are equally part privatizing waste management and making significant impact; what is now very obvious is that there are a lot of jobs created and these services are very essential to the decent and hygienic existence of people in the cities.