Dear Nigerian Citizen (North and South),
I hope this open letter meets you well. I equally hope that you have been monitoring the political, economic, social and other developments in Nigeria.
If honest to self and country, you will agree that you, your family and Nigerians in general, cannot afford another wasted 4 years of APC or PDP. You can also foresee that another 4 years of a zoned presidency (north or south), rather than a choice made on merit, may lead to a possible break-up of this country. You don’t need a prophet or witch doctor to convince you that another 4 years of a Federal Government, that exists solely for oil revenue sharing and feeding bottle federalism rather than productivity, investment in people and economic/scientific advancements, could set Nigeria back beyond redemption. The reason is that Nigeria's wealth and future are in its human resources rather than mineral resources and revenue sharing formula. You may have observed, despite a catalogue of failures, the old cargoes are repositioning themselves for another 4 years of looting, corruption, greed, neglect of our education and health sectors, and preoccupation with sharing oil revenues rather than stimulate productivity and full employment. Stop them now!
For these and the following additional reasons, there are calls for a new political party with vision, clearly spelt out agenda, patriotism, creativity, national and international exposure, knowledgeable, and representative of our diversity and challenges. I invite you to support the registration of a national political party owned and managed by Nigerian students, academics, professionals, entrepreneurs, and Nigerians in the diaspora. Such party, the first of its kind, will guarantee better understanding and effective handling of our national problems; inject intellectual contributions from students and professionals into our politics; ensure that both the party and the government are put in check intellectually and professionally; guarantee improved screening and selection of capable national leaders, etc. In other words, this is your party, formed at your command, a truly national party, and in your interest. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Weigh the options and you will have no difficulty voting “FACEBOOK LIKE” for this letter.
A resounding support of not less than one million (1,000,000) recorded “FACEBOOK LIKES” for this post, will start the process of party registration. You have read, written, commented enough on social media; it is action time now. Our future is in your hands. Thank you. Major factors for your consideration:
APC and PDP – THE PARTY OF POLITICAL PROSTITUTES & MORALLY BANKRUPT POLITICIANS
1. PDP has been resuscitated following the recent High Court ruling and the shameless, power hungry vultures and political prostitutes, once again, are gearing up to migrate from the failing APC back to the party they abandoned a couple of years earlier. The chairman of PDP has openly invited the same politicians who left to join APC and contributed nothing to both the party and the nation, to return.
2. These are political vultures and opportunists who selfishly engage in politics without ideas or principles, lack the capacity for service; are morally bankrupt, deficient intellectually and barren of patriotism to merit public office. Nigeria’s potential for greatness has been squandered by these opportunistic and accidental politicians. Their children and family members and friends are comfortable in mansions and schools abroad while the average Nigerian citizens face a bleak future. APC, PDP and their membership, should be wiped off our political map. Yes, we can!
3. Do you realise that the way Nigeria is currently structured promotes wealth sharing and kills wealth creation, hard work, and regional and citizenry productivity? You and I can no longer afford a PDP and APC led Federal Government that exists solely for oil revenue sharing purposes, and zoning of presidential power for personal and executive membership aggrandisements.
4. Have you made time to weigh the consequences of the day after the collapse of oil revenue, which experts estimate to be in 8 – 10 years’ time? Our current politicians have already secured the future of their families abroad. You and your family will roast in Nigeria if we fail to act now. For your consideration, I present a short list of developments with dire in less than 10 years’ time consequences for the Nigerian oil sector and its economy:
(a) Major car manufacturers including Volvo, Peugeot and Mercedes Benz have announced plans to phase out the manufacture of petrol and diesel cars.
(b) President Emmanuel Macron of France has decreed that the manufacture and driving of petrol and diesel engine cars, will become illegal by 2040.
(c) Professor Tony Seba of Sandford University, a world-renowned economist, predicts that by 2030, 95% of people won’t own a private car, killing off the auto industry; and electric vehicles will devastate the global oil industry by the same date.
(d) Electric cars will be charged with solar energy – meaning that the days of oil revenue sharing in Nigeria will soon be over (Senator Ben Murray-Bruce).
How old are you in 10 years’ time, and where will you and your family run to if the oil dependent economy of Nigeria runs into trouble? This is a million-dollar question for you.
THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION IN THE WORLD VRS NIGERIA
5. School children aged between 10 – 17 in Europe, Asia and America are designing robots, drones, computer codes and apps that are making a difference in peoples’ lives and generating a colossal amount of money on Apple Stores and Google Stores, etc. Thanks to well-developed and up-to-date education systems and high-performance initiatives and cultures. For example:
(a) A 16-year-old Australian, Ben Pasternak, is the CEO of Flogg, and a multi-millionaire through the creation of a game app at age 12.
(b) Thomas Suarez (USA), the winner of the Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Awards, was already a multi-millionaire and business tycoon by the age of 12 and the youngest to appear on TED Talk, an international discussion forum, following his success in the development of iPhone apps.
(c) Arsh Dilbagi, a 16-year-old Indian secondary school student, is a young roboticist who designed a next-generation Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) device for people with conditions that prevent them from communicating verbally
(d) Cynthia Sin Nga Lam, 17, Australian, mindful of limited access to electricity and potable water in some developing countries, developed “a portable device that purifies wastewater while generating electricity sustainably and affordably.”
6. In Nigeria, students are still taught the very pre-historic rudiments of physics and chemistry in our schools. And this is even in the few schools that teachers and students still meet in the classrooms!
7. In our schools, today, a major pre-occupation of the elites controlling the federal ministry of education, is the introduction of Arabic Language and Religious Studies as core subjects. However, their children are studying in UK and US where high-quality education excludes these same subjects. This is a shackle that must be broken and only possible with a government and political party that are in tune with the fundamentals of economic and scientific progress. Hence the need for a progressive political party. You must act now and decisively too.
EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP & LEAN GOVERNMENT
8. The lack of visionary leadership and management and absence of a government that works for the people rather than a few elites (north and south) are major factors in the condition we find ourselves today (Senator Murray-Bruce). For example:
In 1985, Nigeria Airways had 17 planes while Emirate of United Arab Emirates (UAE) had 3. By 2017, Emirates owns 256 modern planes while Nigeria Airways remains dead. The difference is leadership.
9. The leadership of Nigeria, come 2019, must be chosen based on merit rather than zoning, tribe or faith. You and I need a president who can deliver results by empowering the productivity of this nation with the best this country and the world can offer. Meaning that Nigeria must be open to filling key positions with the best of its citizens and high-quality expatriates if capable locals are non-existent. This has worked for UK, USA, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, etc.
10. Quota system must be killed and buried and replaced with merit. Products of the quota system killed: Nigeria Airways; NITEL; NEPA and all parastatals; the professionalism, efficiency and effectiveness of our armed forces and intelligence agencies; the moral fabric of the Nigerian society; the Nigerian education sector; the Nigerian Railways and Shipping Lines; and the efficiency and effectiveness of Nigerian consulates abroad.
11. Are you going to wait until the quota system kills what is left of Nigeria before you fight it? When a society promotes merit, it promotes progress. A wealthy society is built on merit and not on a quota system (Senator Murray-Bruce) and zoning.
12. The current cost of governance is not sustainable. We don’t need the current 36 Houses of Representatives. Three regional assemblies are more than enough. Restructure Nigeria now or go bankrupt in less than 20 years (Senator Ben Murray-Bruce).
No political party or politician alive today, apart from perhaps Senator Ben Murray-Bruce; has a full grasp of the global developments that could derail our future, or the patriotism, experience, and credibility to deliver change and a new direction for Nigeria beyond reading purchased professionally written speeches. They have embraced and soiled their hands with corruption, looting of the national treasury, occultism, power zoning agreement, and revenue sharing mentality rather than productivity. There is no other alternative than the formation of a progressive party.
Please register your support by LIKING this post. A resounding ONE MILLION LIKES will communicate a strong evidence of the hunger for change and new direction and kick-start the party registration process. Most importantly, please engage in the campaign for 1,000,000 votes by involving friends and relations.
PARTY MANIFESTO
The new party, when formed with your mandate, will be governed by representatives drawn from student bodies, academia, professional bodies, businessmen and women, and Nigerians in the diaspora. A comprehensive manifesto will be written, debated and published. In the meantime, below is an indication of areas of interest to the party:
A. A clear vision of where Nigeria will be, 10-15 years from 2019: The Nigerian economy will be driven largely (80%) by the agriculture sector, service (knowledge sector), creative industry (art and culture, design and media) and manufacturing industry. It will be self-sufficient in food and home refined petroleum products, and export to African and other markets. Education and information/digital technology, part of the service sector, will dominate African marks and account for not less than 10% of our foreign exchange earnings. With plans for part privatisation of international and local airports and huge investment in both expansion and modernisation, Nigeria will emerge the air travel gateway to several destinations in Africa, Europe and America. The unemployment rate will not exceed 5%.
B. To achieve these milestones:
i. A new progressive constitution will be crafted, debated, presented to and voted on by the Nigerian people within 18 months. It will guarantee among others, the right of citizens to protest government failings, free speech, free press, regional or federating unit autonomy, equity, justice, meritocracy, separation of state and religion, and the right of every child for subsidised, if not free, high-quality education and healthcare.
ii. Nigeria will be restructured for competitiveness and rapid development by shredding the current oil revenue sharing and feeding bottle federalism, in favour of autonomous, productive, and competitive federating units, and in line with the new constitution.
iii. The size and cost of government will shrink by not less than 60% through restructuring, lean government policy, and customisation of the current presidential system of governance to suit the needs of our country and match the size of our economy. Three (3) regional assemblies will replace the current thirty-six (36) state Houses of Representatives. Cost savings will go towards investment in education, roads, and healthcare facilities.
iv. Employment will be accelerated through massive investments in the construction, update, and expansion of federal and regional road networks, bridges, airports and rail systems. Extra job creation will come through government support for small businesses and funding for local programmes that employ and create career opportunities for young people of ages 16 – 25 (non-university graduates).
v. There will be a huge investment in the agricultural sector of the northern region. Our priority is to restore the region to its status as the bread basket of the nation. Additionally, extra investment will go toward early childhood education and development, in partnership with regional governments. This is to sustain interest in education, strengthen and improve the quality of students for higher education.
vi. We will partner with major international telecommunication companies for high-speed broadband (internet) networks, accessible (24 hours) to homes, villages, schools, higher education institutions, government departments, and businesses at a fraction of the current costs. Nigerians, poor or rich, must have full access to the opportunities that come with internet technology access.
vii. We believe that education and high-quality teaching are the real solution to our economic development and the knowledge and creative economies to drive it. Therefore, there will be massive investment (4-6% of GDP annually) in the education sector involving, (1) restoring the status of the teaching profession to its glorious position of the 1950s, training and development to a high standard, and competitive reward to attract the best into the industry; (2) modernization of schools – buildings, equipment, etc. and (3) emphasis on mathematics, science, computer science and critical skills for the 21st century including, communication, critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, digital literacy, adaptability, and emotional intelligence.
viii. Nigeria will operate a strictly federal character and merit driven public sector policy; such that, the government will not hesitate to fill key positions with expatriates, where capable indigenes of international standards and repute cannot be found. This includes positions such as the Governor of the Nigerian Central Bank, University Vice-Chancellors, Professors, Academic Heads of departments, Managing Directors of Airports and Seaports, etc. It is time the interest of our nation and future generations comes first. All government departments will operate on Total Quality principles and deliver value for money to our citizens.
ix. We will establish at least one elite university, a centre of excellence, where future science and technology, national and business leaders, are developed; fully independent and with guaranteed immunity from political interference. Hopefully, it will emerge the Cambridge, Oxford and Harvard of Africa within 10-15 years. Its focus will be on high-level leadership development (business and government), world class research, technology, medicine and strategic management. Only the top students, local and international, will be admitted. Federal character and quota system policies will not apply. Every progressive nation on earth has at least one elite university.
x. Nigerians must enjoy the health and other benefits of stress-free arrival at and return from work. As part of a comprehensive strategy to address traffic and congestion issues facing our citizens in major cities, and our balanced development policy, ministries and government installations will be relocated and spread across the federation. More business parks will be created and equipped across the federating units in partnership with regional governments to encourage attraction and relocation of businesses and boosting of local economies.
xi. Priority will be given to a total clean-up of oil pollution, and compensation where justifiable, in the oil producing federating units. There will be massive investment in road networks, health facilities and schools. The head offices of major oil exploration companies, including NNPC, will be relocated across the oil producing federating units. This is part of the strategy to contain militancy and pipeline vandalism in the region.
xii. We will legalise local refinement of crude oil and will require business registration, operating license, and strict quality standards, health and safety and distribution conditions. It is important that Nigeria develops local technologies and talents. Registered local refineries will be linked to universities for research, quality testing, training and development purposes. All produce will be sold directly to the federal government for quality assurance and distribution purposes.
xiii. There will be other policy statements on power generation, adult education, state security, privatisation, Quality Standards Agencies, the voting right of Nigerians in the diaspora, and fight against corruption, organised crimes, ritualists, and political and economic saboteurs.
Israel Nonyerem Davidson
Project Director
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