How Nigeria can flow with milk and honey again

Nigeria! Can this be the same Nigeria of the 1960s? Browsing through many chapters of the journey of nationhood – some exciting, others worrisome and now perplexing – people of my generation would be excused for wondering if politicians will ever lead us to the days of immediate post independence glory!

I recall with nostalgia that even after the first Head of State imposed austerity measure with “tighten your belt budget” policy, our currency (Naira) still had had great value/weight than the British Pound Sterling and the US dollar currency. Up till the time when Buhari/Idiagbon came to power in December1984, we were enjoying the high value of our currency at the world market.

I can never forget an experience I had during Shagari regime in 1981: I boarded a commercial aircraft and flew to and fro London – and that flight cost me what was then a whopping Four Hundred Naira (N400!).

That was not all: The British Airways granted me a 10% discount – so the total amount I spent flying to and from
London was three hundred and sixty naira (N360) – and the yellow card cost me only ten naira (N10)! How much is the cost of flight to and from London today?

Somebody help me: How did we get where we are? What went wrong with Nigeria sincere 1988 to date?

Back in 1985, my monthly food stuff allowance to my wife was N20! Yes, just N20, and that conveniently and comfortably covered cost of Gari, Elubo, isu (yam), rice – and my wife will prepare good soup and meat stew – all for just twenty naira (N20) for the whole month. The cost of one room in Lagos at the time was also N20 per month!
When I went to Saudi (Hajji) along with my father in 1969, a bottle of Coca-cola was 10 Riyerd (Saudi currency). I checked it recently and found the cost has not changed to date – over 48 years after!

How come that since 1988 when Mr. Maradona (Ibrahim Babangida) left Dodan Barracks for Aso Rock that everything turned upside down for Nigeria?

I have a dream – that God Almighty can get us all to that stable, buoyant and peace loving nation again – if our political leaders will tamper leadership with the fear of God. Let them focus on genuine solutions stripped of selfish interests. God has blessed Nigeria with too much natural resources for us to continue like this.

Let Abuja still remain our Federal Capital Territory but let any President or Head of State stay away from Aso Rock. We have heard and learnt that leadership problems are embedded in the Villa. Let this present administration go and acquire five to ten acres of land somewhere else in Abuja – far away from Aso Rock.

He should for now stop holding official meetings there – and he (Mr. President) should not move near Aso-Rock during the rest of his tenure till 2019. Other government officials and the President’s kitchen cabinet may remain at Aso-Rock for their official duties – but our President should totally stay away from Aso Rock: This is the first step if we want to move forward. The remaining solutions cannot be said on the air.

Fellow Nigerians, if we are to write everything that we have with us from our experience and inspirations, there would be no space enough to put them down in print.

To the Nigerian electorate, I say: let this Buhari administration start new site of simple but well furnished residence – not another Aso Rock – for the in-coming New Nigeria President come 2019.

By the Special Grace of Almighty Allah and by power of inspiration bestowed on us, Nigeria will move forward and progressive. We will take our rightful place in the committee of nations.

May God Almighty bless Nigeria. Amen!

Bashiru Aderemi Olatunji