By Otori Ozigi.
There is no gainsaying that Nigeria is presently at a cross roads, politically and economically.
Unprecedented hunger and hardships have been brought to the front burner of our national life.
Poverty stricken Nigerians are dying of hunger in their droves.
There are genuine and sponsored protests everywhere.
There seems to be what some keen observers of the current challenges confronting Nigeria,a an environment for People’s revolution in all strata of the country.
Everything that needed to be said had already been said.
But since the relevant authorities and Nigerians are not listening ,we may need to repeat ourselves again and again.
For the avoidance of doubt, I have the following suggestions towards solving the lingering problems of the country.
Let’s return to agriculture and be more productive.
Let’s grow what we eat in a bid to achieve food security.
Let’s diversify the economy of the country and be less dependent on revenue from crude oil production.
Let’s change our lifestyles and patronize made in Nigeria goods and services.
Let’s stop the hoarding of commodities and foodstuffs that is creating artificial scarcities of these essential goods.
Let’s stop the ongoing barbaric insecurity challenges in the country.
The prevalent insecurity challenges like kidnappings, insurgency, banditry, ethno-religious crisis, ritualists, murderous Fulani herdsmen, armed robberies and other forms of heinous crimes should stop.
The relevant authorities and security agents should stop treating criminal elements with kid gloves.
There should be nothing like repentant Boko Haram insurgents anymore.
We should send them to their makers to face judgement for their crimes against humanity.
Let’s stop the proliferation of small arms and ammunition by non state actors in the country.
Let’s stop the hoarding of dollars by influential and rich people in the country.
Let’s stop the rampant cases of fraudulent activities of bank workers who engage in round trippings and other fraudulent and financial malpractices in the banking sector.
Let’s stop our tendencies for medical tourism by our wealthy Nigerians.
Let’s stop the ongoing craziness for JAPA syndrome.
Let’s stop corruption and the competitive primitive accumulation of wealth by civil servants and other Public or political office holders.
Let’s embrace devolution of powers from the center to the state and local government areas of the country.
Let’s restructure the country by introducing state police to enhance security architecture in the country.
Let’s grant full autonomy to the 774 local government areas in the country.
The state governments should take away their itchy hands from the allocations meant for the development of local government areas in the states.
Let’s grant full autonomy to the State Assemblies and the Judiciary.
Let’s put the machinery and workable mechanism in place to track the act amount of crude oil production in the country.
It is a shame that we can not account for the exact amount of crude oil production in the country at this time and age.
Let’s put a permanent stop to the growing and rampant cases of oil thefts in the country.
Let there be synergy between the security agencies in the country in their fight against insecurity in the country.
Let the government at all levels cut down on costs of governance.
We don’t need to provide jobs for all political jobbers and all sorts of political figures and party faithfuls.
Appointment should be based on merit and not political reward system or based on the nebulous consideration for the so-called federal character.
Let’s put our best eleven forward in every political leadership trajectory in the country.
Politics should not be a place for rehabilitation of all manners of failed people.
If we embrace all the above workable solutions, Nigeria will be great again.
Otori Ozigi, a veteran journalist and PR Consultant, writes from Okene, Kogi State.
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