by Adewale Sobowale
I understand the Nigerian government has denied being responsible for the stampedes in which about 70 people lost their lives and quite a few were maimed.
Did anyone remember to remind the Nigerian authorities that in a presidential system of government, the buck rested on the table of the chief executive?
The fact is that most Nigerians have been reduced from their position of pride in whatever their hands can produce to panhandling. For most Nigerians, hunger is a common denominator, just like the famous aso ebi. Gone are the days when, at Yuletide, people were served so much food that they would pick the meat and throw the remaining into the garbage.
I don’t know if the chinaware bowls in which food was served in the good old days still exist.
Most commentators have not been helping issues either.
That’s because they’ve been treating the symptoms rather than the disease, we have been leaving chronic leprosy to treat common eczema.
Some have been advising that there should be better crowd control, organizers of giveaways should inform the police for adequate security measures, and other advice.
They would only work where this self-imposed famine is a thing of the past. But in a case where people actually go to sleep at the distribution centres a day before and those who don’t sleep there arrive in the wee hours, the security men would have had to sleep there a day before the distribution.
As a short measure, whatever is given should be converted to cash and sent electronically. I’m aware that some are unbanked. Google puts the number of unbanked Nigerians at 26% in 2023.
The long measure is an intentional and aggressive production of cash and food crops.
However, are we – the government and citizens – ready to do the needful?
I’m still looking at the founding of agricultural estates in all local governments. The estates must be equipped with all the attractions of modern life. You might think this will cost a lot.
Of course, it will!
But if we can set our priorities right, it may not.
Like I’ve always said, building airports, having an airline, reviving the Ajaokuta Steel industry, etc., are good, but they are not as important as bringing food to the table at an affordable price.
Government expenditure could do with some reduction.
I want Nigeria to declare a Food Emergency.
We should stop being panhandlers but producers!
