An Argument We Must Have for a Better Nigeria

Nigerians are more than ever before, seeking ways to turn things around in our society. Discussions are being held on different forum highlighting some of the ills of society and suggestions are given on how they can be remedied in this public dialogue.

Taiwo Obe ‎"All in all the black man *insert Nigerian* has become a shell, of a man, completely defeated, drowning in his own misery, a slave, an ox bearing the yoke of oppression with sheepish timidity. This is the first truth, bitter as it may seem, that we have to acknowledge before we can start on any programme to change the status quo....The first step is to make the black man *again, insert Nigerian* come to himself ; to pump back life into his empty shell; to infuse him with pride and dignity, to remind him of his complicity in the crime of allowing himself to be misused and therefore letting evil reign supreme in the country of his birth...." - Steve Biko (God bless his valiant soul). 

Franca Aiyetan My brother, u are generous.. IT IS WORSE. Thanks TO. we all must start... at least ..start talking and make efforts in our little corners to effect change... sowly but definitely, Change we must or we are doomed 

March Oyinki @TO: you have forgetton that we are blacks, and most of all Nigerians. Black Africa is an under-developed society. We are just learning how to manage the environment and even society. Everything we are doing is still in form of practice and trying to copy from more advanced societies. It is therefore understandable that things are the way it is. Let us start from the environment; a child in UK knows that refuse should be in trash cans and not in drains. They know that flowers and plants are part of their environment, and that their country is supreme to any other country. I can go on and on, so, let us rather understand that and take it easy on ourselves. 

Taiwo Obe March, I knew that 51 years ago. I went to a secondary school where you couldn't cross a grass lawn or you would have to cut the entire field without any assistance. I grew up in a home where the first thing you did was to switch off all li...ghts at dawn. They had finished doing their work till later in the evening. I lived in a home, where no speck of dirt would be seen on the floor or you are going to get whipped after you would have swept the compound. I still live with those habits. So do some of the folk I grew up with. There's no how I would be so pressed to pee on the road. I would hold till I get to a place for such things. That was why when the Raji Fashola Administration came in and published in the newspapers an extant law in Lagos that all hotels, restaurants, filling stations in the State should have their toilets in good state for the public to make use of, I was quite happy. But, I doubt if anyone in the Administration monitored it for compliance. And, our newspapers are busy chasing after politicians and moneybags to be bothered about that. I grew up when sanitary inspectors moved from house to house unscheduled. 

There has been order in this country, my friend. In our house, we didn't wait for the Electricity Corporation of NIgeria (ECN) to bring the bill. We always paid in advance. You must have heard that in those days a newspaper vendor could place his wares in the public without him being there and the buyer would pick what she wanted and place his coins there. 

March Oyinki ‎@TO: In this same Lagos before Jakande, we were all using pit laterines with men called 'agbepo' coming to cart away remains in bowls on their head. As much as government tried then, only places like Ikoyi, Apapa, IV and later Apapa lemu (Ebute Metta) that were really upland societies. I know of the days of the 'wele weles' and sanitary inspectors. With all that, society was still grossly under-developed. I remembered going to school with just 'toro' which was two and half pence (in the days of the Nigeria pounds and shellings) and walk for kilometers on bear foot on hot sand in the afternoon sun, because there were very few vehicles. 

We were generally shrewd and naive with a lot of decorum, and so yes, there was discipline because the cities were not as populated as they are now. While the white man has perfected the act of working as team, the black man thinks he alone can make a forest. Lack of knowledge, selfishness and greed has kept us where we are today. We must immediately engage in society re-engineering to introduce those values that are required to grow a verile and egalitarian societynd trying to copy from more advanced societies. It is therefore understandable that things are the way it is. Let us start from the environment, a child in UK knows that refuse should be in trash cans and not in drains. They know that flowers and plants are part of their environment, and that their country is supreme to any other country. I can go on and on, so, let us rather understand that and take it easy on ourselves. 

Taiwo Obe Gov Fashola put it succinctly: we have to (re)build the infrastructure of the mind. That is where our actions start from. A jay-walker (meaning fool) who dashes across the highway right under a footbridge needs to come to him or herself and ask: I dey craze? ‎*Come to him or herself" (that's saying it like Steve Biko would have said it. Someone I related well with was made commissioner for the environment in one of the states. I called him and told him that he had the easiest job to do, even as that state was riddled with filth before his emergence. It was my cal. I was paying. I let him know that rubbish doesn't fall like manna from heaven. They are man-made. So, he should also get the people to take some action. I said all I think that could be done was for EVERY building (office or residence) in the capital city at least to have wheeled gabbage bins. 

These things are made in Nigeria by Geepee, Addis Engineering and Co. An arrangement could be made with them to do mass production so that the prices could be reduced. That way, every of these buildings would have to dump their rubbish in the bins. Then the Government on its part should ensure that these things are carted away at agreed regular intervals for stipulated fees. I also noted that landlords/tenants associations could be co-opted. They are the most effective bodies/cells that can be engaged in any neighbourhood developments. Everywhere there are all sorts of associations that could be engaged in development. To cut the story short, my friend thanked me and,, of course, that was the end of Captain Marvel There are quite many simple solutions to our problems, I think. But because they may not attract heavy contract awards, we walk away from them 

March Oyinki If we can change our belief system and our mind set to be more positive toward our country and people, and learn to work together as one people, we can achieve greatness in physical development and science. The Germans, Americans and Chinese all did it, and it works for them. Nigeria can do it. 

Taiwo Obe March, you start with liking yourself. Respecting yourself. When you do, then certain things you would not do. Because they would be offensive to your being. To your psyche. So when someone else is doing it, you would feel some moral duty to try and seek correction. 

Franca Aiyetan: very interesting discourse. i am glad i am not alone. there is hope. we just need more people to be committed to starting small.. in our homes, in our offices, with our kids,let us start respecting ourselves like TO said and change our beli...ef systen according to March, and refuse to be crazy according to Fashola and have the courage to stop that neighbour who will litter and the other who will pee along, then we can begin to sanitise the system... tnx brothers.