No Nuclear Science in Providing Good Governance Without Prolonged Tears By Professor Adegbola Akinola

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With the best intentions and determination of the PBAT government to provide good governance for Nigeria, one feels strongly that there are urgent steps to take to ameliorate the pains of the masses and subsequently set the country on the path to greatness. The pains and tears of the masses must not be prolonged much further. So, I offer pro bono a possible way to go.

1. Design and emplace posthaste a FRAMEWORK for functional institutions, so that cost of administration, governance and running government business will reduce to the barest minimum by determinedly stamping our the ugly mentality of extortion, nepotism, kleptocracy, misplaced value and others impeding our growths, and encapsulated as “Bail is free” syndrome in us, from the Civil Service, Police, National Executive Council, National Assembly and other Security Services. Then entrench an enabling environment and instruments for sustainability.
2. Put out quickly an interim palliative scheme, while a detailed response is being diligently figured and worked out. The interim arrangement could include:

   i.) 10-20 Large Buses to every State and FCT & Lagos; to be supplemented by each State Government with smaller buses for intercity shuttles and Tricycles within townships and rural areas.

   ii.) Immediate preliminary salary increase to workers, while a living wage (that terminates the current “corruption inducing wage”) regime is being worked out, with attendant code of conduct on the job, to tame the “Bail is free” syndrome, especially in the Civil Service and Police. (NB: If the country gets it right within these two groups, then we are ready for a reset, away from our “Anyhowness”).

   iii.) Any other interim palliative measures that the government could quickly figure out.

Note that the cost expended on items i) to iii) would be compensated many fold over if step 1. is quickly put in place tenaciously, with expected resolve.

3. While steps 1. and 2. are going on, set vigorously at work in earnest to create platform for industrial production and manufacturing.

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Here, the most sensible starting point is quickly REAWAKENING the comatose Ajaokuta Steel Complex, other Steel Companies, Machine Tools Companies and Aluminium Smelting Company. This is to reshape and create the economy sustainably for any large population society as we are. Other thriving large economies we envy today built on such base.

Monetary gymnastics through bonds, stock exchange, taxation maneuvering/tax extortion, exchange rate manipulation or unification of Naira without manufacturing base is not sustainable anywhere, without local industrial production. Neither will reliance on the Bretton Woods institutional guidance bear much fruits for development. Likewise, desire for the so-called direct foreign investment without home grown capability may be a thing of wild goose chase.

Thus, one expects that the government by now would have positioned and prompted its Ambassador in Moscow to be in dialogue with Putin to mobilise his experts, following the Sochi Memorandum signed in 2019, back to Ajaokuta for rehabilitation, refurbishment and completion for production commencement in earnest.
This is without prejudice to the on-going military actions between Russia and Ukraine. It is in sync with what obtains internationally, within the context of the diplomatic principle of national “Permanent Interest”.

4. Mobilise any interested States Government for acquisition of modular refineries, on cost sharing basis.

The Black Race is expectant of Nigeria. ✍🏾

By Professor Adegbola Akinola