Touring Report of Nigeria 01/03/2005 to 27/03/2005

TOURING REPORT OF NIGERIA – 01/03/2005 TO 27/03/2005

As a Nigerian citizen from Isalegangan-Lagos on short stay (1month) in Lagos State. During the period of four good week-ends, living with my family from 1st to 27th of March 2005, I had 4 family estate meetings, daily visit to the ISLAND CLUB of Lagos, where I had the opportunity to come-across various important professionals, government executives, business men and women, like the President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce, ex–Chairmen, actual Chairman, Trustees, Officers, Management committee members and various Peacock members of Island Club, including Retired officer of Nigerian Army Signal Corp, Air Vice Marshal, Journalists, Advocates, Leaders of Non Government Organization. Out of which, I visited a University of Nigeria, when I was informed about the anarchy attitude and consequences that led to a drastic disciplinary punishment applied on students of the University of Lagos, also met various commandant of the Nigerian Army Signal Corp Lagos; like Col. K. Bello-comdr.56.NAS. Mile-2; Col. Henry Ayoola of Command and Staff college and was proud and present during a well disciplined send-off occasion of Maj. Gen. T. I. Braimoh, commandant of the Nigerian army Signal HQ Apapa-Lagos on the night of 25th of March 2005.

Guiding from contacts as stated above, with my family, neighborhoods, executives in business/education/military and liberal professionals including common citizens that I met on site seeing either with private or public transport. In my opinion, I here-by conclude from my personal point of view, impression and to my limited territorial (Lagos state) knowledge, that there is much hope for a better Nigeria in the nearest future (1/2 a decade), should our government strive a little bit more, to show the sign of leadership, by introducing more order to policy making as far as Lagos state government is concerned.

Every body knows that democracy is much more difficult to handle than dictatorship and that there is a big difference between both system of governing (dictatorship=draft game, democracy=chess game). We all need to be considerate before any critics. But any government in democracy can only consolidate democracy if there is obsessive strive to meet the goal through sign of order which needs to be transparent. Nowadays, any great nation, should be in the club of consolidated democratic countries, as prove of development, civilization and modernization. But to be a part of this club, Nigeria only needs to be developed in three (3) strategic areas, to start with; Internal Security, education and Health.

My Suggestion to the government of my mother land, most populous, one of the richest and strongest nation in African continent is to concentrate meanwhile, government projects on these three areas as a PRIORITY and leave the rest to private enterprises for participation and exploration. These priority project needs to be by stages;

1st Stage: Maintenance; Air, visual and sonorous pollution are principal cause of high morbidity and even leads to high mortality.

Suggestion: Government should make it a task to correct commercial businesses, as the sign of respect for citizens who pay for and from which commerce make profits, for example: good condition of commercial transports, buses well catered-for by correcting the rugged conditions, ‘OFF ROAD’ on all taxis and public buses in bad conditions. Commercial stores should have good reception and environmental conditions by determined regulation policy, like respect to demarcation limit, for pedestrian spaces on the road sides, old vehicles should be taken to a special place for ‘OFF ROAD’ vehicles as dust bin. This will indirectly improve revenue distribution, as these procedure brings more sales and hand work growth rate to commerce that depends on that, including tax growth to government fund. Just this policy is enough to improve the visual pollution, better environmental quality and quality of life of the people benefiting from the sign of order. Of course, projects to build public shops for allocation of commerce wouldn’t be enough without environmental order and policy.

These process should be followed-up strictly for at least 1 year and result statistically graded every (3) three months. After a year, this same regulation could be extended to private properties. Remember that all this processes doesn’t involve government money but only policy making, then the government will be left with the rest of the expenses like well tarred roads, drainage and other infrastructure repairs, that could be taxed and would be paid-for with satisfaction. Later some things could be offered to private company’s exploration.

2ndStage: Security is always necessary during any developing project where-ever there is poverty, so government should be at alert to protect every commercial enterprise participating in the development project. The military skill and cooperation in public cleansing should be explored together with their security skill in government policy for national development project

3rdStage: Education is practically involved by continuous information about environmental etiquette like preventing dusty environment through planting grasses or plants on free lands, regular refuse collections programs, painting and maintenance programs of commercial and public buildings, transport and traffic regulation policy implementation by department of transports task, skillful with responsible and corrective programs rather than only punishment policy etc.

Conclusively, We all know that the government cannot meet-up financially to resolve all the necessity of the nation, but they can do more than they seem to be able by creativity and good policy making. Concentrate on priority projects and leave the rest for private enterprises to explore, but with government supervision at least to protect the nation from wild economic opportunists, because individuals in government should understand that they are in that position to serve the people and try to show interest to protect citizens, by introducing ‘Agencies’ to supervise all activities of national strategic interest.

On behalf of a social organization interested in better Africa, we offer the government any assistance and elucidation, if this report become of interest to our leaders.

6th of April 2005

Dr. Rasheed A. O. Shidi(MD)

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ACAFAM-Association for the Community of Africans of America

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