PMB, Please Give Attention To Lagos – Badagry Expressway

Barely three months after the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s appeal to the Federal Government to expedite action on the reconstruction of the popular Lagos – Badagry expressway that has been in progress for over eleven years, the governor also made a spectacular remark before the House of Representatives Committee on Works that visited him at the Lagos House, Alausa-Ikeja. The governor in his charismatic leadership manner told the committee that he heard, that it was only Nigeria, “our giant of Africa” that was yet to fix its ECOWAS corridor among other small countries that signed the ECOWAS treaty of 2009. 


Indeed, millions of diverse people travelled on the corridor to Senegal. Oftentimes, they recount their ordeal openly when they feel the nostalgia of the good travel experience from the Benin republic to other West African countries. These travellers remarks for years have become an open eyesore to this great country within the subregion and other international communities.


President Muhammadu Buhari’s huge investments in ensuring that the country attains a speedy economic revolution have yielded good accomplishments in strategic infrastructure, namely: the railway completion from the North to Niger republic and the Nigeria – Cameroon dual-carriage bridge completion, including other capital intensive projects ongoing in the country, are legacies that would outlive the current Federal Government. 


Similarly, the Lagos-Badagry expressway is a “gateway to Nigeria.” It has a huge propensity for massive investment opportunities for both the Federal Government, Lagos State Government, private investors and millions of individuals to tap into its enormous tourism potentials, (asides from its significance as a major market centre) for economic recovery and development, the betterment of our nation’s economic stability and to improve the quality of lives of millions of impoverished Nigerians in dire need of stable means of livelihood.


Worthy to recall that the world-acclaimed jazz music maestro, the late Michael Jackson had acquired expansive hectares of land in Badagry for tourism development of his ancestral home before his ill-fated death occurred, which shortlived that grand ambition. Thus, it is very inhuman that investors cannot travel on this appalling route, talk less of them bringing their investments into the hinterland.

 
For over eleven years of the saddest road reconstruction, millions of workers, traders and health emergencies have inescapably paid severely for avoidable loss of reasonable travel times due to unwholesome neglect of the highway by the Federal Government. How on earth would government’s personnel among others leaving their offices from the Lagos metropolis by 4pm and 5pm get to their homes along the route by 11pm, 12am and 1am in the midnight, and still have to resume their duties the following day by 8am? Life expectancy is being overwhelmed! 


Till date, the Lagos -Badagry expressway initiated and constructed by the Lagos State Government into a dual carriageway and commissioned on 25th May 1974 is yet to get a single budget approval since the life of the present administration of PMB in the saddle for over six years. Whereas, after the commissioning of the highway, it was the Federal Government that reaped the glory and honour of the Lagos-Badagry expressway for its international significance till now. That dramatic takeover led the former Governor of Lagos State, Late Brigadier Mobolaji Johnson (of blessed memory) to recall a popular Yoruba proverb, “a in toju onika mesan ka” before one of the Federal Government’s Ministers from the state.


Mr. Babatunde Fashola, SAN, former Governor and current Minister of Works and Housing embarked on the rehabilitation and upgrade of the road into a 10- Lane Highway with provision for a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes and two-way light rail corridor from Orile to Okokomaiko, to relief the massive influx of new entrants and the residents of the state from the heavy burden of traffic jams. Presently, the state government has undertaken 18km reconstruction of the road put at 46km. So, completion by the federal government is just about 28km.


This writer is just a sonorous voice out of millions crying helplessly and begging for the attention of our dear President Muhammadu Buhari on the Lagos-Badagry highway foot-dragging since 2009. Collectively, we beg the father of our beloved country, Nigeria to reconsider the reconstruction of this deplorable road as having immeasurable economic and social value to his government, and should please, take urgent steps devoid of all political undertones to hasten the completion of the road in imminent conditions. Alas! It will be a bravo and worthy legacy on the part of our president of the federal republic of Nigeria.

HRH, Olu Ibogun Sowunmi Made Name as First Permanent Royal Father in Christendom

His Royal Highness, Oba T. O. Afolabi Sowunmi at the 28th Harvest of CCC Lenvojo (Atunbi) Parish on Sunday, 25th July 2021.

https://issueswritingservices.files.wordpress.com/2021/07/vid-20210727-wa0007-1.mp4 

“Can anything come out of Nazareth”? Let the world “Come and See” His Royal Highness, Kabiyesi, Alayeluwa, Oba T. O. Afolabi Sowunmi, Olu of Ibogun Sowunmi and be marvelled to learn of a King as a replica of King David in the Bible, for our own generation in the  Christendom.

In Christianity, this Crown became the first in the reign of Kings in Nigeria and Africa to be solely recognized for his impartation in the Christendom and was so honoured as Permanent Royal Father of Celestial Church of Christ, Lenvojo (Atunbi) Parish at  Ibogun, Ifo, Ogun State during his herald of the “King of Kings’ Night of Praise, an annual grand event commemorating his annual coronation’s anniversary, the last being his tenth anniversary on Sunday, 4th July 2021 at Lenvojo Parish. This honour on Kabiyesi by the Church, is the first to be known in the history of any titular King in the Christendom in Ogun State, Nigeria and Africa.

Kabiyesi, Hearty Congratulations, Sir. May your reign be peaceful and experience a long live, Amen. Sunday, 25th July 2021 was the Parish annual harvest, and Kabiyesi was there.

HRH, Olu Ibogun Sowunmi Made Name as First Permanent Royal Father in Christendom

“Can anything come out of Nazareth”? Let the world “Come and See” His Royal Highness, Kabiyesi, Alayeluwa, Oba T. O. Afolabi Sowunmi, Olu of Ibogun Sowunmi and be marvelled to learn of a King as a replica of King David in the Bible, for our own generation in the  Christendom.

In Christianity, this Crown became the first in the reign of Kings in Nigeria and Africa to be solely recognised for his impartation in the Christendom and was so honoured as Permanent Royal Father of Celestial Church of Christ, Lenvojo (Atunbi) Parish at  Ibogun, Ifo, Ogun State during his heraild of the “King of Kings’ Night of Praise, an annual grand event commemorating his annual coronation’s anniversary, the last being his tenth anniversary on Sunday, 4th July 2021 at Lenvojo Parish.

This honour on Kabiyesi by the Church, is the first to be known in history of any titular King in the Christendom in Ogun State, Nigeria and Africa. Kabiyesi, Hearty Congratulations, Sir. May your reign be peaceful and experience long live, Amen. Yesterday, Sunday 25th July 2021 was the Parish annual harvest, and Kabiyesi was there.

When Poverty Becomes Traffic Congestion

The menace of frequent gridlocks in Lagos in spite of the state government’s commitments to enhance a free-flow movement for all motorists and commuters is taken a toil on public transportation because the affluents, high, educated, half-literates and illiterates have turned driving to an avocation of every tom, dick and harry on the roads. The fact that fortunes smiled on certain groups of people to own a vehicle or a fleet should not be a license to oppress others in an unfriendly manners. The monster of heavy traffic has never been an accidental discharge that rises suddenly, but the implications of an unruling behaviour so common and primitive about almost everyone who drives on the roads in a way similar to forcing the camel in the eyes of the needle. It’s a terrible life on the roads where people do not distinguish their classes to maintain some level of decorum or sanity in ensuring a safe trip. The ordeal is totally satanic. An unwelcome anguish.

Why should people criminally take a roughshod on other road users in their haste going somewhere? Almost everyone who drives a vehicle wants to get away like common thieves. The situation of our roads is sad! Indeed, worst with the exception to a few civilised people. Aside the reckless commercial drivers, it’s almost unimaginable to watch people driving in private luxury cars displaying poor mentality, shallow thinking against safe and defensive driving necessary to secure the lives of all commuters and property in their journey.

The perennial traffic situation on the roads if demystified critically, beams searchlights on many as a replica of the thousand demons among us who throw cautions to the wind on daily basis against civility, orderliness and discipline needed to enjoy good travel times. They are the privileged class reprimanded everyday by a few intelligent fellow citizens who believed that human beings should differentiate themselves from animals and demons to bring out a just and well ordered society. Alas, they make wealth to buy all kinds of vehicles by competition and are eager to commute only by competition at all times. Everything about life to them is competition. They have disdain for orderliness and in their wisdom, they fall in a huge celebration of poverty of the minds. Their knack is a domineering lifestyle to acquire wealth that is killing several souls in penury and the nation marginally.

How do we progress as a nation when our common orientation is “showbiz”? They inundate the humbled as ” I better pass my neighbours” even with the purchase of the small generating sets so that they can constitute a nuisance to other residents. In some cases, when the item go ageing, they refuse to spare the carcass to rest in peace. From the very high to the least, lack the common knowledge of a driver as “a safety provider” according to international conventions on roads by the United Nations. Motorists in Nigeria need a cleansing of their minds to belong to the human society. In fact, most of them do not belong here. Probably, why deterrent by governments and provision of traffic infrastructure for control and regulations have not been effective on the roads. Our roads are not safe because, almost all motorists do not know what the roads are meant for. The United Nations says that, “it is meant for people, not the vehicles.” Ignorance is happiness! A hapless life that put several lives at risk are thousands of drivers. The country is at loss of a safe driving culture that can stimulate every driver to behave well on the roads. This pervasive minds of most drivers aptly described traffic incidence as a situation of “when poverty becomes traffic congestion” on our roads, especially in Lagos State.

Who will save Lagos from demons? It’s a logical question that should be uppermost in the hearts of all commuters to quit the helish journey. There is no bad traffic in Lagos, except by demons who failed to be patient for a single minute. Where the roads need to be exercised with patience, demons are not patient. On a good highway, they are not patient. They are always having psychological loss for “common sense” resulting in incessant bottlenecks on the roads. No! They would never wait a minute until they have bashed or trampled on other road users. Besides the government intervention, people may need to build a collective efforts to label devilish drivers as demons on our roads physically and by the #demons on our roads on social media platforms to change the bad driving mindsets.

The traffic vices on the roads daily are calling for synergy, consistency and pragmatic approaches to tame the monster in several drivers. Our hearts are too driven by excessive materialism, instead of rationalism, modernism and civilisation as rudiments of good society. Common trafficators by some drivers at intersections are ignored openly with hatred by several motorists on highways including similar roads until a friendly road user arrived at the spot. They are never patients in spite of the hurled abuses and name calling against them. Their unbecoming recklessness halt every commuter to a standstill. A city lifestyle where the educated and the affluents cannot be differentiated from common rogues and notorious danfo drivers.

Lagos State Government in particular needs to save the ugly trend by making recertification of all drivers a culture in the state with total commitment to broaden the minds of all motorists that ply Lagos roads irrespective of their origin. The carnage on our roads and the traffic that bewildered the state is a reflection of adults who in most cases are unable to control themselves. Everybody knows the problems, that the so -called drivers are not ready to be law abiding. They fail to reason in their minds, that to move slowly is better than being stuck on the same spots for hours. Putting in place, all precautionary measures for private and commercial drivers are key to determine who is a trained driver from the multitudes that are mindless of their roles as drivers. They are plagues hunting many souls on the roads. How can people be so thoughtless to drive against one way, and still filed on a three to four lanes against incoming vehicles? We are really shameless as a people, more in particular people who control wealth are accomplice belonging to the same “Forest of a Thousand Demons” written by Professor Wole Soyinka. A nation full of demons and destroyers do not have conscience for safety and discipline to enjoy peaceful coexistence. Therefore, the state government must continue to regulate and rationalise driving with accurate data of all people who drives in the state.

As part of the measures, the government have to intensify vigorous advocacy on all the media and social media platforms to speak to drivers and commuters’ conscience. Media like the traffic radio and other radio stations should be mandated to air traffic news and campaigns at peak hours between morning and evening to guide people’s conduct on the roads. Also, the provision of a car stereo in every vehicle must be made a prerequisite for road worthiness of all vehicles in the state, albeit compulsion for drivers and commuters to listen to traffic news and advocacy to change people’s orientation and poor perception on the roads in different languages. The state also needs to institute a mechanism of check and balance to promote a safe travelling mindset among all commuters. The system would leverage on all drivers and commuters to capture the number plates of all reckless drivers and send reports using designated emergency numbers to a system of databank reliable enough to identify and invite owners of vehicles used by erring drivers, in a bid to penalize such drivers. The system must also articulate the number of times of dealing with any erring driver in other to withdraw his or her driving licence for a certain period of time or permanently to instil discipline on the roads. Our society should no longer be one, where success is adjudged from the standpoint of reckless materialism.

Lagos, Waste And Flood Control

Lagos habitat lies on the atlantic coast in the south west of Nigeria as a cosmopolitan state with a total area of 3,577.28kmz consisting 22% wetlands and 20 districts covering the rest of the area. The environment is characterised by coastal wetlands, sandy barrier, islands, beaches, low-lying tidal flats and estuaries. The average temperature of the city is 27°C and receives an annual rainfall estimated at over 2000mm as a major source of groundwater recharge, making it possible for Lagos to tap its water from both the surface and groundwater resources. The geology of the state is also made up of coastal plain sands and recent sediments.

The state generates several tons of solid waste annually, originating from industrial and domestic disposal. While the management of the waste from collection to final disposal has been an upheaval task, Lagos State Government has triumphed over the arduous challenges. In the same way, the state battles pollution of water resources arising from large concentration of industrialization. The concentration are numerous small, medium and large scale industries including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, breweries, metals, food and plastics. Some of these companies disposed waste directly into the environment with little or no treatment. Likewise, the continuous influx of people into the state has added over two hundred slums as settlements in different areas as major contributors to pollution.

Being the fastest-growing megacity in the world, the population of the state since 2016
according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the population division estimated the state at 22.5 million of people growing at 3.2% per annum in collaboration with Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development (LMPPUD 2016). Relatively the smallest in landscape, its highest urban population was pegged at 27.4% of the total population of Nigeria by the United Nations Habitat in 2015. The UN- HABITAT and other international development agencies estimated Lagos inhabitants at 24.6 million and the growth rates were considered to be ten times faster than that of New York, Los Angeles and the population of thirty-two African countries combined. The joint report projected the state population to hit 35 million mark by 2050.

Experts have opined that the state faces a deficit of over three million houses. The very big question that comes to mind is: How does the State cope with flood? The impact of climate change is expected to bring to Lagos frequent tidal surge, water logging of soil, rising sea level, subsidence, erosion and diseases that could spread in a saturated environment. While these problems have been rightly acknowledged by experts as national problem because of the impending disaster of this main commercial hub attracting hundreds of thousands of people each year into commerce and industries, the impact of climate change has made Lagos to experience perennial flooding, rising sea temperature levels, erratic rainfalls, intensive storms, food insecurity, irregular hot and cold weather among other challenges.

In 2008, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) projected that thirty -two million residents may be exposed to flooding from climate change as a result of rising sea levels, increasing storm intensities and land subsidence. The state from these analyses was ranked as the 15th most vulnerable city in the world among the 136 million population of the world port cities. The figures worsen in 2014 and Lagos became the 10th most vulnerable city in the world. The situation degenerated because the state like other coastal cities globally confirmed to be less than one metre above the sea level, is at risk of being submerged by high tide line.

The present administration has taken critical urban development and planning measures including improvement of the drainage network to ensure free water ways from silts as “a continuous cleaning and maintaining exercise.” The State Government from January till date is committed to regular desilting of all the drains and water channels through its Emergency Flood Abatement Gang(EFAG). It has also procured tipping trucks that swiftly cart away the silts generated from the cleared drains. As at date, the present Administration has achieved routine maintenance cleaning and emergency deflooding intervention of almost three hundred secondary collector drains including critical channels, dredging and maintenance. This continuous intervention is a strong demonstration of the state government’s desire to save residents of the state from emergency flooding.

Environmentalists claimed that “any city less than one metre above the sea level is under threat”, the present administration has proactively reposition the Ministry of the Environment with a full responsibility to discharge a complete mandate by subsuming the isolated water resources under the ministry’s purview. The ministry now has a good complement to consistently tackle flooding that may arise from both the environmental and water resources degradation and to make solid projections ahead of future difficulties from environmental impact assessment studies. Already, the state’s ecosystem which is almost below the sea level exposes the city to oceanic surge whenever the sea level rise aggravates, and a clear indication of the submergence of the Victoria Island, Lekki peninsula, Osapa London, Badore, Ikoyi, Banana Island, Bugije, Igbo -Efon, Aja, Awoyaya and some other areas a few years back.

The systematic development control measures to prevent indiscriminate dumping into waterways and hinterland led to the reinvigoration of the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) and other agencies to ensure effective conservation of the environment in partnership with all residents to check mountains of dumpsites in almost every public place that may disrepute the state in its mission to attract more investments to combat poverty, unemployment and social vices. There is imminent danger for all residents to take responsibility in disposing the several tons of waste that may arise from them that could hinder natural passageways of water in all parts of the state, by being conscious of water ability to find its level to dislodge the environment. It is therefore important for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, and its various agencies to intensify unceasing campaign to making all residents to be aware of their vulnerability to imminent flooding, if they are fond of indiscriminate dumping into the environment, and that their negative attitudes can impose unbearable pains and loss of property to their livelihood across the media.

Residents must be aware of the temperature and sea levels rise ability to cause devastating floods on the environment. The sea-level rise according to report is caused by a combination of melting ice in the polar regions such as greenland and antarctica including the expansion of the ocean as the water warms. More so, we cannot ignore the warning from research by “Climate Central” which shows that about three hundred million people currently lived in areas that become flooded at least, once in a year, and that half of these places would be below the high tide line by mid-century, 2050 in approximation.

The postulation about one hundred resilient cities which says that Lagos is susceptible to damage from rising sea levels, coastal erosion, destruction of drainage infrastructure and increase in the incidence of water and vector-borne diseases, the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources must consistently address these hazards of waste pollution, water pollution, shortage of clean water amid other statutory responsibilities. Nevertheless, looking at the giant stride of the State Government to reclaim large expanse of water to develop three islands (Diamond, Orange and Gracefield Phoenix Islands beside the Eko Atlantic City Project) the ministry now has its proper ambience restored to effectively manage the marine ecosystem against the perceived fragile balance that may cause disaster in the envisioned delivery of more housing units for those in the upper class in the State.

Prepaid Meters Distribution: A Call To PMB

Reuben Hopo Lives in Shasha, Akowonjo, Lagos. 
It is well commendable that the federal government has given a go-ahead for the distribution of prepaid meters in its pilot scheme within Kano, Eko, Ikeja and Kaduna electricity distribution companies’ franchise areas. This singular effort of the federal government in stabilising power supply and erase estimated billing across the country is unique and unparalleled record in Nigeria’s history. 


However, the federal government advising electricity consumers to take delivery of the free distribution of the prepaid meters in some collection points of the franchise areas would jeopardise the federal government’s efforts and good intentions of saving poor consumers from being at the mercy of electricity personnel. There is no doubt, that officials of the various distribution companies would take advantage of the public and begin to spin money from them before they can release the free prepaid meter. True to our stereotype, they would do so after consumers have been subjected to enormous stress. 


During the time of the former Minister of Power, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, some communities in Lagos State such as Dopemu, Agege and other places recorded free visit of Disco officials from house-to-house, asking residents the number of prepaid meters they needed and they were supplied on the spots without consumers leaving their houses. This is a flawless way to handle the commencement of the prepaid meters distribution. 


As a government fighting corruption, creating loopholes for the cankerworm to fight back in the implementation of major public policies may undermine the present administration of PMB in achieving the promises made to Nigerians.
Before the catastrophe, PMB should review his directive and follow the footstep of the former Minister of Power.

Reflexes Of Nigeria’s Past Glory

Being held in traffic could sometimes be a refreshing experience for commuters to fondly relate the memorable past about themselves or some people, events, concepts, governments and their country including several other issues that may caught their collective attention or interest. In such cases, commuters with considerable like minds on board most often feel relaxed as they engaged one another in mutual discussions that turned their journey to a pleasurable trip.

Being a usual phenomenon with most metropolitan states like Lagos, that fateful evening was the last Wednesday in October, 2020. The state government had earlier imposed a curfew on the state as a result of the fall out of the massive disasters orchestrated by thugs under the guise of a peaceful youth protest against police brutality in the country.

The journey which commenced at Alausa, began smoothly inward Ikeja on the popular Obafemi Awolowo way with final destination at Egbeda, Alimosho Local Government Area. After a few metres away from departure, the driver began to ply alternative roads to link the bypass on the expressway and eventually descended the commuter bus on the express road inward Oshodi to make a u-turn before PWD bus stop. Before getting there, the traffic was moving slowly and reflexes had begun to emerge about different interesting issues such as how the Ibadan warriors were able to repel the “Alimi’s” expansionist voyage on Osogbo after the attack on Ilorin to drive home the lingering jinx with Nigeria as a country.

Leading the discussion was a cool headed lecturer of Yoruba origin in one of the tertiary institutions who later called his mechanic that he would not be able to pick his car from the workshop that night until the following morning. The personage was the president of the students union government of Yaba College of Technology, in Lagos between 1987/88. His leadership was coincidental with the era of the first experienced parcel bomb in the country that killed one of the finest Nigerian journalist, Dele Giwa (of blessed memory).

The former students’ leader narrated on the bus, how a woman he had offered some assistance sought him on the campus and dropped an envelope meant as a gift for him in the presence of his colleagues and he shivered, asking the woman: Please, what have I done to you to deserve this treatment? It was not funny at all. The woman untie the envelope, and in it, was a ten naira note present. In his nostalgia, he said that money was the cost of a whole crate of soft drinks. Waoh! What a great value was a ten naira note (#10:00) in the past! That is a whopping sum of two thousand naira (#2, 000:00) to buy the same one carton of minerals today. To be honest, are Nigerians not poor? How did we derail from that valued naira notes compared with the subsisting devaluation of the currency till now? Perhaps, we are left with no choice than to pounder about when will the economy be at the reach of its massive population.

Nigeria was once the “giant of Africa” where #1 exchanged for $1; Brand new cars popularly known as “tear rubber” such as peugeot car were purchased at the cost of #6000:00 only, while beetles volkswagen were sold below #5000:00 only; Where a salary earner on grade level 04 after a few years were able to go to a block depot and purchase a full loaded truck of blocks to start a building project at the cost of #160, according to a retired civil servant employed on grade level 03 by the Lagos State Government. He retired in 2018.

There was a great country before now where agriculture provided several jobs, built cocoa house (the first tallest storey building in Nigeria) in Ibadan – Oyo State, and supplied massive foods to the populace without stress. It was a nation where job opportunities await school leavers and young graduates, where the former undergraduates were fed freely with sumptuous meals and education at no reasonable cost. Our ears have heard all the goodnews that some older generation witnessed before the younger generations were born. What about massive estates named after former leaders, such as “Gowon Estate”, ” Shagari Estate”, “Jakande Estate.” In our jolly journey, it was revealed that most people including civil servants in Lagos acquired their 2-bedroom flat apartments during the Jakande -led administration with just #6000:00.

The on going economic situations extensively bemoan a country at a real crossroad. The only tunic amid several agitations is for the nation’s leaders to bring back the country’s past glory into reality, to save Nigerians from eternal lamentation of a missed prosperous past. The late Pa Alfred Rewane (of blessed memory) in his cry for Nigeria during the misrule of a despot, the late General Sanni Abacha said,”Yesterday, we yearned for a better tomorrow. Today, we mourned a better yesterday.” It’s time to change the country’s lamentation outlook. The time is up for leaders to lead a genuine economic rebirth to recover the reflexes of Nigeria’s past glory as the most populous black in Africa. It is not really interesting to note that an employee who earned #500:00, an equivalent of $700 about thirty years ago, now earned #180, 000:00 at an equivalent of $450:00 only, after many years of labour. Nigeria #1000:00 exchange for a megre 200 cefar of a smaller neighbouring Republic of Benin. Also ditto is no basis of comparison between Nigeria and Saudi Arabia on the cost of petrol, cost of livelihood and minimum wage to justify any increase in the nation’s pump price.

Let’s remind one another that Nigeria was a country in which, authority in Dubai during the era of the only military president solicited to be given a loan but was turned down because, it was a desert nation. No Nigerian wish to visit that territory unlike what is happening today. It’s a choice country for emergency millionaires who syphoned the nation’s wealth to hide their big treasures, albeit imports, research and development. Saudi Arabia and Israel are also notable desert countries. Yet, they feed their inhabitants without much ado with improved agriculture. Malaysia, an independent nation also in 1960 took her first palm kernel seeds from Nigeria in the eighties. It has over the years becomes a major palm oil exporter in the world, and not a match for Nigeria. Japan, a country in Asia has no natural resources like us. It purchases by-products from different countries and manufactured them into finished products and sell across the world. It was the second largest economy in the world before China takes over from Japan in 2010.

It’s time to sit up and bring our beloved country on its march again as the “giant of Africa.” Our jinx no longer eludes our baleful eyes that we are a country worsen by leadership. It has disorganised the very soul of the nation to an extent in which money has become a monument for everyone who is least on the rhumb of the ladder. So, the blame is not only the governments, but everyone holding leadership position across the spectrum of our society. Nigeria is too blessed with unlimited natural resources which many nations ahead of us wish to have. What an irony of fate! It can no longer be.

#ENDSARS: A Voice For Collective Freedom

The twilight of adversity from one transition to the next for two decades of democracy has inflicted untold hardship on the citizenry amid a boggling population till now. It has been a recycling poverty index stories that have caught the sights of international community to the unhealthy breeding of the poorest people in the planet. At sixty years of nationhood, a gory tales of millions born, nurtured and fully grown to bear the brunt of poverty life, injustice and attainment of freedom by struggle. Their hope of survival for years has been an uphill task. “Lives of the youths matters became their chorus” in their plea to be heard.

They are great potential leaders in technology and technocrats that could model a China economy in the country and replicate solutions to prolong crime rates, joblessness, poverty if they have been discovered for development in science, technology and other industries that could be grown at home. Surely, most of them might have been taken away from the streets and their output to gross domestic product would have reduced the nation’s excessive foreign debts, insecurity, insurgency, police brutality, ethnic distrust, commodification of education for those privileged, rising inflation, impoverishment and lack of refineries to process crude oil.

Over two decades of unbroken democracy since 1999, provision of enabling environment and equal opportunities without nepotism that could liberate several millions of youths through sponsored capacity building programmes for employability and self reliance to grow the private sector as the mainstay of the economy has not been commensurate with the high level unemployment in the country. As a matter of facts, viable priorities at federal and state levels are too low in comparative analysis. Only a few states like Lagos try to bridge the gap and is often bombarded with army of unemployed youths from other parts of the country.

Dogged to eke out a living against insidious social depravity, thuggery has becomes an alternative occupation and mercenaries for youthful survival. On the other hand, technocrats and technologists among them have resorted to cybercrimes of defrauding people of their hard earned money, the same way we all know that money are being starched away from the land which brought about the existence of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) in Nigeria. Ironically, the country’s youths are celebrated as wanted criminals to FBI in the United States and other nations including Nigeria. A heinous accomplice is police brutality that have subjected most youths to flagrant violation of their privacy with torture, confiscation of lawful possession of microchips, extortion, inordinate raiding and arrest of innocent citizens, unlawful detention and extra- judicial killing of youths.

We are all witnesses of the once upon a time “babiala” and “almageris” of this nation who begged to be given a crumb on the master’s table now taken solace in banditry, kidnapping and insurgency to the threat of our collective survival as a nation. Productive funding that can stabilize defence and national security accumulated in the war against Boko Haram, banditry and internal unrest in some parts of the country that ought to have been won. Are they getting the people’s priority right? Food for thought!

Beginning as a peaceful protest with #ENDSARS campaign on the social media on 12th October, 2020, it has succeeded in achieving total disband of the notorious Federal Special Anti- Robbery Squad (FSARS) unit of the Nigeria Police Force by the Federal Government. The youths innovation, resourcefulness, steadiness and orderliness by which they drive the agitation have received commendation and attention both at home and abroad.

The dire was cast when police brutality mainstreamed since 2017 on the social media by one @Segalink became a nation wide campaign by the youths who resolved to be indivisible and resilient beyond any “divide and rule” tactics. It is the first time ever, that the youths would display the same valiance of pre-independence struggle led by famous nationalists like Sir Herbert acaulay, Dr. Nnamdi Azikwe, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Chief Anthony Enahoro, Madam Efunroye Tinubu, Mrs. Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, Aba Women Riot including other heroes and heroines just to mention but few that birthed our present sovereign nation. Somewhat unpredictable, the youths after many years of perseverance and hope, have taken the country by a common cry and pains of their pangs which they have endured for too long. That solemn cry was found worthy, undeniable, not repressible but unjustifiable. It is not an incitement for violence nor invitation for hoodlums and miscreants. It is purely a voice calling for collective freedom for all citizens. Indeed, their wailing is an open sore before the country leaders and international community. It is cheering news that governments have admitted their outburst. It calls for genuine revival of the country from its current precipe and changing the impoverished lives of most citizens.

The central figure and the first who took empathy and stood in the storm from Monday, 12th October, 2020 without waiver is Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu. His assiduous commitments in getting approval of the president to accede to the five demands of the protesters led to the swift dissolution of the rogue operatives nation wide. His display of rare leadership is historic and would be fondly remembered as the beacon of the Nigerian youths in their demands for governments’ proactive attention. He laid the precedence for the establishment of judicial panel of inquiry to investigate gross abuse of human rights by the operatives of the squad that other governors now emulate. Also, he is the first among his peers to establish a two hundred million naira funds to compensate victims abused by the personnel of the scrapped police unit. So far, thirty one former officers of the unit have been identified and currently standing trial in Lagos State.

The fame and accolades received by the youths protesters envy certain dectractors and forces in the country that seemed to be threatened. Hoodlums began to infiltrate their ranks with intention to hijack the protest by unleashing mayhem on the demonstrators and the violence spread from Lagos to Edo, Delta, Oyo Osun, Ondo, Abuja and some other parts of the country. Many national assets, lot of private properties, casualties and jailbreak were recorded by agents of destabilisation and destruction majorly in Lagos, including an attack and desecration of the palace of the Oba of Lagos.

The peaceful protesters waving Nigeria’s flag were plunged into darkness at Lekki toll gates where they had assembled when surveillance cameras to verify license number plates were coincidentally removed to prevent them from damage by hoodlums at the time they met with brute force. Bullets rend the air abruptly, leaving casualties as they sang the national anthem and waved national flags before assailants, forces beyond the control of the State. They are patriotic youths! Innocent citizens calling for good governance from the nation’s leaders. A darkest day in our memories! The ill-fated day of the falling heroes would forever remain October 20, in the annals of history to which Lagos fell and rise again. May their souls rest in perfect peace, amen. For the survivors of casualties, may God assuage their pains with fulfilled happiness of freedom in the land, amen. Although, the souls are now in early graves. They remain undying spirits of fortification to continue the struggle for freedom from hunger, unemployment, inequality and a bleak future for Nigerian youths . The first three are development indices to measure the quality of life of a people in any part of the world.

As a nation, we mourned our beloved souls because hoodlums invaded their peaceful demonstrations across the country. The invaders triggered the needless heavy bangs on the young patriots. We are also saddened by willful destruction of our national assets and private property. Why? The youths were not given freedom to enjoy basic needs of life, most of whom are dependants and many more wallowing through adventure of life. Are development plans working for this, most segment of the nation’s population? No! Development does not work by budgeting alone. Nor has a meaningful impact without the target audience involvement in the planning process. It must have field workers that can involved people’s participation. The impact can only be realistic and commensurate in practical terms. Communicating development is a strategy of interaction, consensus and team building between governments and target audience to consolidate ownership, trust and gains of projects meant for the people, and not a process of information sharing from authorities to the people. This is the unique way of empowering the youths and other vulnerable people in society. Otherwise, good priorities and budgets would continue to be glorified figures against realities, including misappropriation and corruption against the masses of the country.

As a follow-up, the current inflation rate put at 13.17 percent by National Bureau of Statistics x-rays how Nigerians are faring over skyrocketed prices of foods in different markets across the country. How on earth would a bag of rice cost #37,000? A price above the current minimum wage! A derica measure of a foreign rice cost #500 and #450 for local rice! Likewise beans and many food items. These prices are not affordable for majority that are peasant poor. These economic indicators further suggest that governments’ diversification policy in the agricultural sector has not bring any succour to average Nigerians and peasant families. Malnutrition is ravaging many homes and would impede the federal government school feeding programme for children, if development in agriculture is not re- addressed to provide for bumper harvest and to force down prices of food items.

The eclipse is the bloodshed of innocent victims at Lekki toll gates. The eclipse is fated to emerge a stronger nation in Africa from now onward in our collective aspirations for a prosperous and egalitarian country. The fatalities of the peaceful protest would remain a brute history that must never be lost in our nation till unborn generations to come. The citizens of the United States of America never lost the sense of the brute force of savagery of their forebearers when they were colonized and the civil war experience during the reigns of President Abraham Lincoln. The brute endless lesson is a cornerstone of civil liberties cherished by all Americans as one of the three hallmarks in the build of Americans Constitution and democracy.

By and large, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has been humbled. He has shown remorse and can be felt deeply around him. He has shown everyone his deep thoughts and why we must come together. He has demonstrated exemplary leadership in the nefarious crisis that engulfed the state. He has shown humaneness, sincerity, patriotism, tolerance and apologized for all the losses. He remains a man of the people. The call to peaceful protesters to give peace a chance and to embrace constructive dialogue is to tame the monsters from robbing off the achievements of the protest and our national assets. In the epitaph, they have paid the ultimate price to strengthen our speech and freedom.