OBSERVATION: Indolent Ruling Elite

BY ADEMOLA YAYA

IT is no exaggeration if I state that I have never seen the type of contemporary Nigerian ruling elite anywhere. As they are so indolent to setting and deciding on socio-economic policy direction that can move the country forward, they are so addicted to a life of Indolent Ruling Elite pleasure and flamboyance. They seem to have signed a pact to deliberately sabotage every positive, innovative clue to development and there are numerous examples to justify this allusion.

Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited also known as Ajaokuta Steel Mill is the largest steel mill in Nigeria built on 24,000 hectares of land in Kogi State. This project was incorporated in 1979 and began under President Shehu Shagari which was 84% completed before the military struck in 1983. It eventually reached 98% completion by 1994. This integrated steel plant is designed to produce 1.3 million, 2.6million and 5.2 million tonnes of liquid steel per annum in the first, second and final stage respectively. If the mill had been completed and made operational, it would have provided ‘materials for infrastructural development, technology acquisition, human capacity building, income redistribution, regional development and employment generation.’

It would have engaged 500,000 direct employment; it would have been the most popular technology for steel production that will account for about 70% of liquid steel production globally which would have addressed the critical problem of economy diversification and propel Nigeria as a serious country of choice to foreign investors especially in cars, trams, tractors and trains manufacturing as the core raw material is readily available.

In 1980, Nigeria Machine Tools was founded to manufacture and distribute high integrity machine tools and other engineering products and spares parts and accessories to service wide range of industries and provide machine services in Nigeria and West Africa sub-continent. It’s specialities are in foundry, Machine tools, Bolts, Nuts, Flanges, Agricultural equipments, fittings, Training and Consultancy Services with capacity to employing 20,000 direct personnel. This factory located on a 110-hectare industrial site in Osogbo town has a dedicated training school and a residential housing estate for the staff.

Under the guise of privatisation, President Olusegun Obasanjo government, via Bureau of Public Enterprise (BPE), chaired by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, sold the Mill to Alhaji Aliko Dangote who has it closed down, rendering it moribund, denying citizens employment opportunities, denying system development.

Do I need to state how four functional oil refineries were liquidated, making a net exporter of crude oil to become importer of refined oil products? Despite massive fertile land with clement weather that can grow all foods and cash crops all year round and hundreds of thousands of unemployed that could be engaged, the ruling elite have refused to harness this potential for mechanised and industrial agriculture; same for the mining sector that they have allowed to become a paradise for terrorists, local and international. They have done nothing to overhauling the education system handed to us by the colonial master.

Education is supposed to be accessible to all and be designed to meet societal challenges and problem solving. What is obtainable is certification that has no connection with the society and only available to sons and daughters of the rich. In few places where the children of the poor go to school, there are not enough teachers and no equipment for learning. According to the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, at the 29th Nigeria Economic Summit held in Transcorp, Abuja on 23-24 October, 2023, “Nigeria is presently living with a shortage of teachers and classrooms amounting to 950,000 and 20,000 respectively.” In most public schools, for instance, students are taught with imaginary computers in computer science class. How would these pupils compete favourably with their counterparts in saner climes? Each of the aforementioned is a representation of our pathetic situation in all areas of life.

Ordinary road rehabilitation has become a rocket science under their watch. 127.6km Lagos/Ibadan Expressway awarded at a cost of N315 billion to Julius Berger Nigeria and Reynolds Construction Company (RCC) since 2013 is yet to be completed despite promises of completion but fail by successive administrations. Meanwhile, it is the busiest road in West Africa that connects largest cities in Nigeria – Ibadan and Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of Nigeria and one of Africa’s biggest economies. It is very clear that the awarded contract cost would have, at least, been doubled now vis-a-vis free fall of Naira to Dollar due to foot-dragging of those in charge.

Interestingly, the contemporary indolent ruling elite behave as if all is well as they are addicted to a life of pleasure with no fresh, innovative progressive policies; all they do is repackaging outlandish programmes of their predecessors. They do not have any blueprint to tackle economic challenges as they lack distinct ideology and direction. All they do is trial and error. While they pacify the poor people to make sacrifice to bear today harsh socio-economic situation created by their neo-liberal policies of fuel subsidy removal among others, they live ostentatious life and increasing the cost of running government.  Appointments they routinely make are not based on competence but as payback and political patronage.

Except the central trade unions NLC and TUC, in collaboration with civil society groups, are determined to mobilise and organise the poor working people to lock horns with the ruling elite for a fair and better deal, things will only transform from frying pan to fire. Meanwhile, when the chips are down, virtually all members of the indolent contemporary ruling elite have second address. They could, with ease, dust their international passports and vamoose abroad to the country of their choice, leaving the poor working people to lick their wounds.

In the final analysis, a devil cannot be blamed for being evil; it is a saint that can be blamed for allowing evil without a challenge. It is commonly said that majority of Nigerians are corrupt and criminally inclined citizens waiting for their turn to rape the commonwealth. It is up to the majority of citizens to allow this stick or disprove it by rising up against corruption, nepotism, visionless, exploitative and any oppressive government that delivers compound poverty among overwhelming blessings – human and natural resources. If the people get the type of government they deserve, then we must rise up to reject a country of pain by any and all governments of pain unless we truly are a kingdom of “suffering and smiling” people, each trying to simply outdo the other in corruption, looting, cheating, raping and sundry criminal endeavour. Notwithstanding the appalling and inhuman the status of any society, there is always a nucleus of patriots and righteous citizens who have a duty to catalyse its redemption process, however few. No Nigerian is born depraved and doomed to perdition; all are a product of the soiled social condition.

If the minority patriots can muster the courage and self sacrifice to set in motion a redemption train, most Nigerians will board. It remains to be seen if they will be inspired and catalysed, and the first and last sentences of our National anthem will soon be translated accordingly – “Arise, O Compatriots, Nigeria’s Call Obey….. To build a nation where truth and justice shall reign.”

The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the author. They do not represent the opinions or views of OSUN DEFENDER.¹