The Igala Man's Burden

I want to express my most profound gratitude to the members of the National Executive Committee of the Igala Cultural Development Association (ICDA) for inviting me to speak at their maiden merit award winners' ceremony. I count this as a real honour. I want to commend ICDA for the idea and spirit behind the merit award. As one world figure once said, "a nation is not great for the talents it has but for the talents it recognizes." I hope this great idea will discourage the practice of PHD- 'Pull Him Down', for which our societies have been notorious over the last several decades. Against this background, it is truly remarkable that ICDA is honouring a number of our distinguished elders. It will be the beginning of great thing in Igala land, we can make faster progress along this line. We will have more people coming out to do things for the society without inhibitions.

We are assembled here today, as children and descendants of Ayegba Om' Idoko (of blessed memory). From time to time we need to evoke the spirit of Ayegba as a source of inspiration, a balm to our soul, and a kind of feel-good recall of the past glories of the achievements of the Igala people. The circumstances the Igala man has found himself in, these days, demand that we evoke this same feeling for self-examination and re-awakening. We expected the modern-day nationhood to have taken us to the land of Canaan, according to the general wishes of Ayegba. Rather we are headed for the opposite direction. A review of social or poverty indicators (life expectancy, infant mortality, access to safe water, birth rate, death rate, illiteracy rate, etc.) in Igala land reveals a sad picture. Compared to the other parts of Kogi State, Igala land is probably the worst in terms of these problems. A terrible thing is happening in our land. People are aging faster and dying at faster rate than ever before. At a very recent public function, a community leader in Igala land was said to have listed the need for a working mortuary as high priority in his community. What a priority!

Culture
The objective of my paper is to put issues of culture and cultural identity to the forefront of the Igala public agenda. Failures and frustrated expectations of development have given rise to cultural tensions in many Igala communities. Elsewhere, we see successful development that not only close gap between rich and poor but also shows that tradition, specific to each culture, could be combined with the most modern economic, scientific and technological resources. Javier Perez de Cuellar, former Secretary General of the United Nations (UN) and currently Director-General of UN's Commission on Culture and Development for the 21st Century, once observed "that development efforts had often failed because the importance of the human factor - that complex web of relationship and beliefs, values, and motivations, which lie at the very heart of culture - had been underestimated in many development projects." The UN recognizes and endorses the diverse culture of the world as integral to the overall development of nations. ICDA's invitation for me to speak at this occasion had given me the leeway to talk on any topic relating to culture. Their choice of focus can not be better.
Generally speaking, culture is conceptualized in two ways, which define its use. There is the materialistic or idealist concept on the one hand and the holistic or sectoral concept on the other hand. In the context of our discussion, (now and in the future) we will find both
concepts useful, with various limitations. The former looks at man's direct interaction with the material environment, emphasizing the importance of the productive process, material life, tools and artifacts in the determination of value, idea, aesthetics, organizations and institutions. In addition, it emphasizes the spiritual element especially that composed in motivating ideas, a kind of collective conscience, and consciousness that gives meaning to situations and orientation to practical activity and the material environment. It imbues the processor with the necessity of ingredient self-esteem and authenticity. The latter concept, that is, the holistic or sectoral refers to the whole way of life of a people, concerned with leisure, the arts and crafts, religion, ceremonies, festivals, customs, and valuations and affecting economic and political orientation.
Chris Smith, British Secretary for Culture, describes culture as emotions, experiences and life-defining elements in all our lives that cannot be pinned down in mechanistic definitions, that cannot be counted by an accountant, that cannot be readily measured in a calculus, but that together form the most significant parts of our character, and our purpose in life. These elements form themselves into what we might call our own individual culture, our own sense of identity and self-worth. It can encompass the whole history of a people, on their current way of life, or their ideas for the future, or their religious beliefs or the corpus of their thought or their literature or their music or their art.
There are some aspects of culture that are retrogressive and unhelpful. For example with an ailment like malaria requires prompt treatment with medicine rather than blaming or accusing the mother or relations of practising witchcraft on the child.
However, there are very beneficial results that can come from traditional practices if properly integrated into the modern system. For example, there was the story of a man who broke an arm. He was taken to the General Hospital, but the staff of the hospital were on strike; he was then moved to a private clinic where there was no electricity to take X-ray pictures of the broken limb. Finally, he was taken to a traditional healer who cured him of his problem. Traditional medicine has been proven to be particularly efficacious in orthopaedics. This is certainly one area where modern medicine can collaborate with traditional medicine, instead of a wholesale rejection of the latter.
To a large extent public discussions and findings in the development world have focussed extensively on the linkage between economic and political autonomy and culture. The UN's world commission on culture and development has this to say:
Human Development . . . refers to the individual human being, who is both the ultimate objective of development and one of the most important instruments or means to it. For an alert, skilled, educated, well nourished, healthy, well-motivated labour force is the most productive asset of a society. People, however are not self-contained atoms, they work together, cooperate, compete and interact in many ways. It is culture that connects them with one another and makes the development of the individual possible. Similarly, it is culture that defines how people relate to nature and their physical environment; to the earth and to the cosmos, and through which we express our attitude to and beliefs in other forms of life, both animal and plant. It is in this sense that all forms of development ultimately are determined by cultural factors. Indeed, from this point of view it is meaningless to talk of the 'relation between culture and development' as if they were two separate concepts, since development and the economy are part of or an aspect of a people's culture. Culture then is not a means to material progress: It is the end and aim of 'development' such as the
flourishing of human existence in all its forms and as a whole.
Ayegba Om' Idoko wished his descendants good living standards. He left a legacy of a good central administration, stable society and good economy. The Igalas had their own food, farming system, food processing methods, cloth weaving, medicine and treatment of ailments, marriage systems, etc. These gave them their own identity. Experts in traditional technologies from other ethnic communities were lured by the old Attahs to Igala land so that the Igala people could benefit from their exotic technologies. This partially explains the existence of Igalas of some other ethnic extraction, for example Hausa and Nupe. Igala's own institutions and culture, through an immensely long history, had taught its people how to provide public service. Meritocracy was a recognised way of advancement in society. Only the best hunters led their colleagues. All these gave the Igala people the confident sense of possessing and exercising a real control over their own lives. Ayegba's descendants grew to be the nineth largest tribe of Nigeria (1963 census) with communities of Igala origin found in states like Enugu, Edo, Anambra, Delta and distant relatives in Taraba, Adamawa, Benue, Plateau, Niger, and Nassarawa. Ayegba's system worked.
Cultural Decay
Looking at the Igala land today you observe a number of depressing symptoms of societal decay. You will observe a general lawlessness through out the culture. There is a loss of economic discipline and self- restraint. You will see tedious bureaucracy and the ineffectiveness of government due to over- centralization; top-heavy system of administration, lack of moral judgement, promotion of the wrong people and unnecessary extravagance. A decline in the quality of education is very apparent. We see a weakening of cultural foundation that contributed to the greatness of the people and loss of respect for tradition. There is a loss of respect for established religions and an increase in materialism, with primitive capital accumulation. Important spiritual indicators of this decay indicate a rise in immorality, the lure of alien gods and a lack of respect for human life.
The problem of our youth demands special mention. The youth represents our future. We can get a glimpse of our future from the present state of affairs concerning them. Dr. Mahathir Muhammed, prime minister of Malaysia has this concern, "we can easily achieve material progress by physical planning and development. But the stark truth is that the material wealth that we accumulated can be completely wiped out if we do not have the morally right set of values among the people who manage it".
Our youth today are ill prepared, with their inadequate education, with mindset very wrong, misplaced values, disorientated attitudes, unrealistic expectations, and lack of job opportunities, all these culminating in intense frustration expressed both at home and on the street. They are a product of our "new societies" A few have motorcycles and use them to generate some money. In the next ten to twenty years they would not have the energy and other things required to ride the motorcycles. They will have no job experience or skills to rely on. Then we will face the real cyclic and devastating social crises. This is a time-bomb. The hopelessness of the situation is felt more when we realize that our last well- trained people are now in their fifties.
What went wrong
Basil Davidson in his invaluable book The Black Man's Burden: Africa and the Curse of the Nation-State offers an explanation for Africa's problems. Modern-day Africa neglected its culture in its development plans. Africa did not have the social structure required to benefit from the modern day nation-hood. This gave rise to the various ills of our society - corruption, nepotism, abuse of power etc. The experience of pre-colonial Africa was ignored. With very few exceptions, no peasant societies were studied to identify development potentials. In fact no such potentials were thought to exist in the African peasant societies. Just like in the rest of Africa, no studies to identify development potentials were carried out in Igala land. We seemed to be contented with being copycats.
The Way forward
There was no doubt that pre-colonial Igala communities made progress in their development efforts. Ralph Emerson would have advised the Igala people at independence, "insist on yourself, never imitate". The words of Henry David Thoreau in this regard is instructive -'we cannot lay foundations of our houses on the ashes of another civilization'. The Eastern Asian Japan, Malaysia Singapore, etc) followed the advice of Emerson and Thoreau, they insisted upon being themselves first and foremost. They returned, in cause and effect terms, to the education that was rooted in their own culture. This has been yielding for them economic, social, cultural and technological dividends, which the Westerners have now learnt to respect. The Chinese for example, returned to Chinese medicine and literature. National classics and Buddhism were introduced.
While retaining their cultures, they accepted the inevitability of science and technology, and the change of life they bring. They kept their important personal values - hardwork, respect for others, honesty, self-discipline and self-reliance. They kept their important societal values - orderly society, harmony, accountability of public officials, and respect for law and order. In the Chinese society, the interest of the community is superior to individual rights.
The Igala man's burden
The Igala man's burden is how to move forward without losing his Igalaness; how to modernize without being Westernized. It is in fact, a task which faces all Nigerian peoples. We have the task of looking at the potentials of development of the past, so that we can bring them alongside modern science and technology. We have to rediscover ourselves, look for the old medicinal trees, re-establish the family values that ensured public accountability, prevent abuse of the society - all essential to development. This will call for re-examination of our tradition institutions with a view to empower them for further development of our culture. The rural people, also as custodians of our culture, will need to be similarly empowered. The new leadership of the Igalas must shift emphasis from developing only some physical elements and build the people. Physical infrastructure must be developed, but not at the expense of the people. I am referring to the practice of building houses and not the people, rehabilitating the school building not paying staff salaries and encouraging people to depend on state patronage and handouts, instead of giving them the initiative to develop their own livelihood.
There should be a major effort in developing our economy along the cultural experience. For example, the woman processing palm oil or weaving cloth should be assisted to be better in her occupation. The farmers, fishermen, tailors, carpenters, etc should be similarly assisted. Development initiatives must shift in favour of the rural areas in other to produce balanced progress.
Renewed emphasis on all forms of education is key to lightening the Igala man's burden. We should have a cultural philosophy in the State University, as a good starting point. Through the state traditional council we should encourage a state-wide renaissance (Igala renaissance, Okun renaissance, Koto renaissance, Ogori renaissance, Bassa Nge renaissance, etc.). Community-based organizations, hometown associations and their women wings will need to refocus interest in their special contributions to the wider Igala culture. These should be worked into each other to produce a 'confluence renaissance', using a strong department of sociology and anthropology at the state university. The university will need to strengthen its pure sciences, pure arts and philosophy courses as priority. This will enhance basic research work which is essential for development
As individuals, our respective attitudes can make or mar the lightening of the burden. We must resolve to make the change as individuals and at family levels, to uphold values which advance societies - focus on merit, hard-work, honesty, fairness, etc. we will need to rededicate ourselves to the ideals for which Inikpi sacrificed herself.
Conclusion
The Igala man's burden is essentially cultural. It has been made heavier as a result of neglect of the Igala culture and failures of development initiatives which were imports of non- African scenarios and solutions. The Igala leadership failed woefully to establish vital links with the poor and dispossessed of the land. Participatory leadership, participatory politics and participatory development are a necessity in our new initiative. The various youth associations (e.g Igala Student Association) must be empowered to participate in the resolution of youth problems in Igala land. An empowered traditional institution and rural populace have special roles to play. The state university appropriately staffed will lead the cultural and philosophical battle. ICDA has taken the lead by establishing its consultative forum and encouraging this particular discussion today.

· Dr. Emmanuel Onucheyo

Global Job Crises And The Nigerian Prodigals

A recent trip back to Nigeria brought the reality home. Nigerians, an inimitable set of the most hardworking and intelligent people on the face of the earth, contributing to global development in all spheres of human existence, are not insulated from global job losses after all. The brimful arrival lounge of the Murtala Mohammed International airport was all confirmation needed. Luggage of all sizes and colours belonging to returnee Nigerians struggled with the attendant human traffic for relevance. In the midst of this urban chaos was frustration and disillusionment boldly inscribed.

 

A chat with some of them unearthed the deep currents of dissatisfaction flowing copiously beneath the ocean of thoughts in which their jerky return to the land of their birth has subsumed them. Job losses, redundancies, shrunken investments, “Madoff syndrome” attacks, mounting bills to pay, and switched off services and utilities all topped their bill of complaints. In a 21^st century re-enactment of the biblical parody of the prodigal son, they are coming back home with the hope of finding jobs where they are none, creating non-existent opportunities as well as reverse the brain drain in our universities to brain gain. A sudden flash of realisation and alien patriotic zeal seem to suddenly burst on their sight.

 

The facts on the ground are grim. Governments, Multinationals, Corporations and blue chips across the globe where these vibrant Nigerians once regarded as their fortes, impregnable safe havens, are now grunting under the smashing yoke of the latest capitalist malady called recession. Initially it was the capital market, and then oil and gas, motoring, manufacturing, banking, aviation and now media institutions are all reeling in this unfathomable descent to nothingness. Internet giant, Yahoo ran up one-off costs of more than $600m during the first quarter as it shed 1,600 jobs, equivalent to 10 per cent of its workforce, and took a hefty accounting charge on its international operations. For the full year, the company remained in the black with profits of $424m, compared to $660m in 2007, fended off a takeover offer from Microsoft, struck an aborted co-operation partnership with Google and wrestled with a shareholder rebellion.

 

On their part, Microsoft announced the most sweeping job cuts in its history as a worsening economy and weak spending on technology sent quarterly profit sharply lower. Microsoft stated in a release that “in the light of the further deterioration of global economic conditions, it was eliminating up to 5,000 jobs in R&D, marketing, sales, finance, legal, HR and IT over the next 18 months, including 1,400 jobs today.” Toyota, General Motors, Honda, Royal Dutch Shell, British Petroleum, Exxon Mobil, Bank Paribas, Airfrance-Klm, British Airways, Rfi, Bbc have all tasted the bitter fruit of job cuts in the face of dwindling fortunes with over two hundred thousand hands waking up into unexpected docility.

 

All these notwithstanding, the end of this global job sludge appears far from the vista of realistic permutations as the world economy is firmly on the part to losing no fewer than 51 million jobs by the end of 2009. In its recent damning report, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) said that the global job cuts which could climb 51 million by the end of this year is a direct consequence of the disparaging economic meltdown, which has dealt heavy blow on economies of Europe, America and Asia. The ILO figures indicate that developed economies would be hit hardest with the fastest rise in unemployment rates, from an average of 5.7 per cent in 2007 up to 6.6 to 7.9 per cent in 2009 and East Asia which had the lowest regional unemployment rate at 3.5 per cent in 2007 is forecast to experience a jump of between 4.5 to 5.5 per cent in a year.

 

Putting it plainly, this crisis carries the prospects of pushing another 200 million workers into extreme poverty as they and their dependants are faced with the grim reality of being forced out of a living in informal, underpaid and unstable work situations especially in Africa South Asia. With no remarkable progress in poverty reduction and the colossal weakening of the middle classes, and the attendant socio-political and security implications, the situation could get even worse especially for Africans in Diaspora.

 

With this seemingly unending dramatic twist of events, Nigeria has once again proven to be the last resort to many of its citizens in Diaspora what with the current unprecedented scramble for Lagos and Abuja flight tickets from major destinations in the world. As they come in their droves, it is only apposite to assure them of Nigerians’ usually receptive and legendary courtesies to both foreign and indigenous visitors. They should be reminded of their country’s peculiar circumstances in case they may have forgotten due to long sojourn overseas. They are indeed welcome to their country, which is powered by the lethal fumes of generators and fuelled by crime. A Nigeria that subsists largely in a yet to be recognised but trail-blazing leadership meltdown where every family unit constitutes a government on its own, providing water, power, security and tarrying roads.

 

A refreshingly new country where banks and other financial institutions declare cooked and cancerous profits and dividends under a distended money market regime that stands economics on its head awaits them. Also waiting with its long arms of welcome is the history grabbing, Obama-endorsing capital market, tucked firmly in the ‘safe’ hands of Transcorp patrons and led by one of their own, a “been to” with a shouting green card to match. This market, imbued with a loathsome distaste for good corporate governance, and all its manipulative tendencies that are not market-driven, awaits them with its prostituting spiral fall and the trademark regulatory impotence that stalks its existence. 

 

The 21^st century Nigeria feverishly longs to embrace her prodigals in her bosom from where poverty and ill-gotten wealth both flow, coalescing into a confluence of motion without movement, and forming tributaries of widespread deprivation, infrastructural decay, moral decadence and militancy of epic proportions. Beneath this bosom is a history of job losses, which has long transmuted into job scarcity with recruitment tests into banks and para-military bodies recording over 200,000 applicants as well as sending some of them to their early graves. Yes, this is the Nigeria they have read so much about, where the minimum wage rests comfortably within the State confines of $52 and any attempt to disparage the tokenism is stoutly resisted and termed as blackmail by the ruling class.

 

A different country awaits them, a Nigeria where electoral excellence has been elevated to the realm of rocket science and pharmacognosy. Where town union elections end up in bloodbath, professional and student bodies fight continually over elections, their teachers fare no better, up to selections in traditional institutions, blood must flow. An experience of a lifetime beckons for these incoming agents of brain gain. Welcome to educational paralysis, an overarching rustication of academic ideals where intellectuals gather to listen to the foolishness of idiots because of donations, decorate with degrees, the very people who ruin them and bestow honoris causa on nonentities all for filthy lucre.

 

Welcome back to your country, the 20^th hungriest country in the world, where 65 per cent of its population live in food insecurity with insufficient access to the amount and variety of food necessary for a healthy and productive life. Welcome back home, welcome to Nigeria.

Atayi Babs  

atayibabs@yahoo.com

 

Lessons from the Yenagoa Declaration

For the first time after the famous and historic gathering of all Ijaw sons and daughters christened The Kaiama Declaration more than one decade ago in which they demanded socio-economic and environmental justice from the Nigerian state, the pioneer and present leadership of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) the foremost nonviolent ideological youth movement in the Niger Delta converged on Yenagoa the Bayelsa State capital to chart a way forward for the youth of the region especially on issues that affect their role in economic development and the security of the region.

Also, in what seemed like a great departure from the past, the youth group through the support of the Bayelsa state government unanimously agreed to brook the frowns of criminality among their ranks. In their collective resolve, they stared cruelly at the cabal of dishonesty and the mightily corrupt straight in the eyes and asked them to desist from their evil ways. They for once promised to back their rhetoric with sustainable punches.

The well attended summit’s theme “Economic Development and Security in Bayelsa State/Niger Delta: the Role of the Youths” was apt and timely following the incessant cases of youth restiveness and frequent kidnaps that have resulted in the colossal loss of lives and revenues to the beleaguered region and the country at large. The action of the youth leaders convoked an agreeable unanimity that for the first time ever united the ideological tangents of hoodwinked Nigerians about the role of the Niger Delta youth in nation building.

During the summit under review, all honest commentators and analysts became agreed on the greatness of the meeting’s core objective of uniting the youth for peace which is sine qua non to human and socio-economic development as well as security of the region.

During the event, sad moment like the Odi butchery which was one of the fallouts of region’s agitations for economic and social justice may have testified to the tyrannical propensities resident in the core values of the Nigerian state, the determination of the youth to take their destinies in their hands send powerful signals that would give courage and hope to the Obong Ufot Ekaette’s led newly created Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs. This was evident considering the quality and weight of personalities like Asari Dokubo, Felix Tuodolor, Maxwell Oko, Samuel Ogbuku and Patterson Ogons who graced the one day summit.

The shockwaves that reverberated in kidnap–merchant–camps were legendarily enormous as reported in the state capital. At least the geriatric debauchees who derived pleasure in burying the posterity of the youth in the crapulence of their avarice must turn a new leaf. The message in the Gloryland Cultural Center Yenagoa was very simple and concise: The youth are simply saying that political robber barons that stole the moment by embezzling their future, summiting them to be pillars of stagnancy and decadence have all been challenged and shocked into the realization that their evil will ultimately consume itself.

May this new sense of responsibility among the Niger Delta youth not lose steam!

With such atmosphere of unanimous stand against violence, kidnapping and restiveness, the ball is now in the President’s court to match his sanctimonious 7 point agenda with action. Previous attempts to address the Niger Delta question have rather been energetic than useful. Some were out rightly pharisaic and brazenly hypocritical. For instance the government stance on the region’s problems is anything but sincere. This fact was well articulated by Chief Edwin K. Clark who presided over the summit as father of the day and the generality of the youth in a communiqué issued at the end of the summit. It may interest Nigerians to know that President Yar’Adua visited the region only twice since assumption of office. It is on record that these visits were political not facts finding mission.

The present administration seemingly deceitful policies, volte face attitude in the region in question and most importantly the liberalization of ethnic politics in Nigeria are a dangerous trend in our body politic. How else can one describe the latest appointments in the oil industry? At first, the government was able to hide its depravity under the cloaks of populist mantras such as ‘the rule of law, 7 point agenda and servant leader style of governance’. But today, in order to coerce the impoverished Niger Delta masses into genuine submission, a retired and tired technocrat was called upon to man the 21^st century reformed and transformed energy ministry after more than two decades of retirement from active service while his then personal aide was handed over the chair of authority in the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC). All these are men with northern cleavages. Essential ministries and bureaux such as works, finance, energy, national planning, FCT, Office of the SGF (very soon CBN) and juicy transactions like Oil Lifting License are the exclusive reserve of my brothers from the north. Justice to the people of the Niger Delta is stillborn!

The greatest tragedy and paradox of the region is likened to sending one to a farm without a basic tool like a hoe. Compare the budgetary allocation to the FCT and Niger Delta Ministries and imagine the gross disparity considering the developmental challenges of the region. These salient facts are the path Chief Clark and the youth have consciously chosen to tread in there seminal, thematic, eloquent and lucid presentations during and after the summit. They laid out the issues and invited reason to judgment albeit with threat to take legal action against the government if such injustices subsist.

As the youth resolve to eschew violence and follow the path of intellectual reasoning as canvassed by the group’s president, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, the Nigerian state must not continue to wander in a desert of socio-political injustice for so long without any oasis of hope insight.

Maxwell James

Yenagoa, Bayelsa State

CAPITAL MARKET CRISIS: Should We Consider Our Investments As Contributions to Nation Building?

 

The above question has become expedient in the light of the rigmarole and blame game currently being played out by self-confessed economic czars. Just two days ago, the Securities and Exchange Commission attributed the crisis in the capital market to what it described as the financial recklessness and greed of the banks, adding that the inability of banks to recover their loans from stock broking firms had a devastating effect on them. According to SEC, the banks granted N388 billion loans, which are yet to be recovered. Everyday the share goes down, the value of this loan decreases. The SEC DG, Musa Al-faki (who is obviously trying to learn on the job as he once admitted that he had never stepped into any Exchange in the world before OBJ appointed him as SEC DG) even alluded to the flamboyant lifestyle of bankers, saying that some of the banks’ chief executives are richer than the banks. SEC presently regrets the fact that its plan to recapitalising the stockbrokers to the tune of N1billion was blocked by politicians.

 

Al-faki recalled that there was a time of boom when the banks lent out money, especially to politicians without collateral even though he wasn’t man enough to name the banks. In addition to this, SEC attributes the current liquidity squeeze to some foreign investors who are selling their shares because they have problems at home. Presently, the situation of the capital market has worsened to an extent that shareholders sell their shares and deposit the cash in the banks where there is huge profit. Also to be blamed is the volatility of the exchange rate, which aggravated the Nigerian capital market’s decline.

 

Meanwhile, the operators of the capital market responded yesterday in Lagos by upbraiding the Federal Government for not taking urgent steps to bail out the market. At the Lagos meeting, which was convened by Oba Otudeko, President of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, were chief executives of stock brokering firms and senior stockbrokers as well as Ndidi Okereke Onyiuke, the NSE DG. They all berated the government for its poor approach to the resolution of the market’s crisis, demanding an overhaul of the pension laws, which forbids pension funds administrators (PFAs) from investing not more than 25% of their funds in the capital market. They, on their own part, believe that government should allow PFAs to invest between 50 and 60% in the capital market. This according to them, will engender confidence and the liquidity needed at this time in the capital market. They now want Government to play active roles in buying back some of the shares of the blue chips sub-sector in the economy, as well as relax terms on funds used for margin trading facility by allowing brokers more time to pay back since stocks bought have down to as low as 60% in value.  And the blame game goes on and on

 

For emphasis sake, the Nigerian capital market in its booming days between 2005 and 2008 experienced a spiral increase in the market from N2.5 trillion to N12trillion in March 2008, a growth of 824%. People were selling and trading volume increased by 820% while the market index also increased, which made investors to make gains by dividends. This led to impressive inflow of foreign investments of about $2b coming from overseas. When Nigeria cleared up her debts and got better rating from capitalist and imperialistic firms, pension, insurance and banking reforms brought so much money into the system, setting the stage for massive funds chasing stocks on the Nigerian capital market.

 

But all that is now heaped on the bin of history as the global meltdown which Yar’Adua’s economic wizards shouted themselves hoarse trying to convince us some months ago that it will not affect Nigeria has entered right into our kitchens. Now we know better. The market capitalisation dropped to N2trillion on 30^th January 2009, losing over N8trillion in 6 months.  The All-Share Index is down 27.5 per cent since January 1, and is the worst performing equity index in the world so far this year, according to Business Monitor International, which said in an earlier report: Add to that a 9.2 per cent drop in the currency, and you are looking at a third of your investment gone in one month. 


 

In place of an innovative and hard creative thinking to solve the current turmoil, Nigeria’s Government and capital market operators are busy, fixated in “bolekaja” economics that will not cushion the effects of the meltdown which has already affected Nigeria’s economy in the areas of capital flight, exchange rate of the naira, upward pressure on inflation and dwindling foreign reserves.”

 

In the light of these discordant tunes emanating from the seat of power, we may all begin to prepare our minds for the worst as Bola Ige once posited, “Blessed are those who do not hope for they shall not be disappointed”. In no distant future, our leaders will come to us with the usual mantra: “let us forget the past, forge ahead and consider our investments in the capital market as part of the sacrifices we all have to make in nation-building”.

 

 

 Atayi Babs 

Project IGALA FETES ORPHANS & THE LESS PRIVILEGED…

In line with its unwavering dedication to the transformation of the Igala society, Project IGALA, a non-religious, non-political and non-governmental organisation has awarded scholarships to 417 orphans and children of the less privilege in Primary and Post-Primary schools in the Igala speaking areas of Kogi State. The awards cover their school fees for the 2009 academic session in the first instance.

 

The disbursements, which coincided with the yuletide celebration and lasted till the first week of January 2009, took members of the group to 16 communities, which cut across the 9 LGAs that constitute the eastern part of Kogi state. The beneficiaries, who all came disadvantaged backgrounds, were painstakingly selected by Group’s Committee on Education in collaboration with Project IGALA’s Grassroots Committees which comprises Community, Women and Youth Leaders in the 16 communities. The selected communities which all reflect the origins of the members of the Group are Agbeji, Ajagwumu, Ajiolo Oja-ji, Alloma, Anyigba, Egume Aloko-Egbe, and Ejule. Others are Ikpakpala, Inye, Iyogbo, Odu-Ochelle, Odenyi, Ofakaga 1, Ofakaga-Ojejini, Okele, and Umomi.

 

Speaking at the chain of events, the Moderator of the Group, Atâyi Babs commended the members of the group for their undying love for their fatherland as evidenced in their contributions towards the scholarship scheme and assured the host communities of more holistic socio-economic and infrastructural interventions aimed at propelling Igala land into a future of global relevance. In his own remarks, the Chairman of the Group’s Education Committee, Hon. David Abutu enjoined the beneficiaries to be studious as Project IGALA intends to sponsor them till the end of their university education. He further added that his committee is already looking into ways of increasing access to quality education in Igala through the provision of ICT facilities, libraries and modern classrooms.

 

The Traditional Rulers, Community Leaders and Guardians of the beneficiaries who attended the events in their numbers extolled Project IGALA’s kind gestures, which they remarked, was novel in their part of the country and called on other groups to emulate Project IGALA.

 

Signed.

 

 

Musa Haruna Esq

Scribe

Igala Heroes deserve recorgnition and Honor

Igala kingdom is sogreat and Historic that there should be a standard for the selection of it's leadership. Leadership and legacy are natural partners in progress. We should not also forget that one can easilly be remembered by what he/she has done. If you show me your legacy, I will tell you how far you can lead. Ledership is about pashion and empaty.

 

How long can we continue to entrust leadership responsibilities of our dear land into the hans of strangers. You can't blame them if they don't perform because they don't know us and our feelings. The success of Barak Ubama at the American pols was predicated on his involvement in his community activities.

 

Let's have a line up of our Heroes and Honor them and when ever we nead a ruler we can always refer to this and make our judgements.

 

When I visited Nigeria last october, I met a manager of one of the big Banks who identified me as Igala, because of the "akpai" tatoos on my face. We got talking and the woman said to me, oga, what is going on in Igala land? I said what? she said in the recent recruitment conducted by her Bank,about 90% of those hired were Igala. It was gathered later that it was a combine effort of two top management of the Bank, one Executive Director and the other a top manager with the subsidiary of the bank. This is quite phenomenal.

 

We all must have heard of the same group of philantropists described above having a foundation from which they have positivelly impacted many people's life. For instance, we learnt that this foundation has financed GCE/ WAEC registrations of both GSS and GTC Dekina for some years. We also heard that the same foundation has financed a lot of pilgrims to hazz. These are the few that we can mention. This is worty of honor.

 

Another Hero worhty of recorgnition is a one time Governor of our lovelly state. He was remembered by his legacy when he was a commissioner in Benue state. He was able to connect the historic confluece city with the eastern gate way at otukpa Branch.

He is known as a fighter for his land, he stepped on so many toes to locate kogi state university in Igala land. He made the University to be of international standard. He was

outstanding in infranstructural development. This guy deserve honor.

 

This guy was top in Radio Nigeria, he was smart enough to locate radio Benue in ochaja during the creation of kogi state.He once ran for the governorship race in Kogi state. He should be recorgnised.

 

This guy retired a colonel in Nigerian army. He was the secretay to army recruitment. During his service, his door was opened to any igala youth that wanted to make a career in the Nigerian army. No one can number the people he helped into the army during his time.

This guy should be honored.

 

This guy planted Igala personalities in the key positions in his carbinet. This is also worthy of recorgnition, plus he is the incurnbent.

 

There could be others out there that we don't know, let's recommend them for recorgnition during the upcoming Italo. Let's have this list documented to enable us have standard for making our selection when it comes to a position that will represent Igala land for a state wide election. Who among the following personalities do you think meet the desciption above.

 

1.  Alh Isah Jibrin - Dekina

2. Alh Abubakar Rajab - Dekina

3. Gov.Abubakar Ibrahim (Prince) - Ofu

4. Isah Edimeh - Dekina

5. Col. Suleman Usman (Bbanawa) - Olamaboro

6. Gov. Idris Ibrahim.- Omala

 

Suggest the ones known to you with their legacies for onward recomendation to the Italo committee for recorgnition.

The time that a stranger may rule us has past, let us look for the best by setting a standard. Let us work togather towadrs restoring the glory of our dear Igala land.

 

Respectfully,

 

Dan Emah

Igala Land's 14-Point Agenda

Just some additions...

 

Recently, I was made aware of the concept of preventive Health Care, advocated

for societies where there's a crisis in the Health sector as we have in Igalaland.

Can we as a group activate awareness campaign to drive preventive Health Care and

ensure our people have less cause to visit these clinics... mosquitoe nets, exercise,

use of condoms, nutrition, boiling drinking water/filter if possible, basic sanitation etc, etc

Ufedo can create Posters with specific message. In doing this, we should be able to

partner with relevant organisations eg NACA etc, etc.

 

Can the Local Govts paint medicine stores in a particular colour to distingusih sellers of

Original drugs vs fakes????? Could be sign boards etc, that people may look out for when

they want to buy genuine drugs etc.

 

Can Ufedo work with Igala Medical students Association, either ABU, Jos, KSU, to run health

programmes in Igalaland on target dates.

 

Is there a Theatre Arts Dept at KSU? Can the students there put together a drama/play on

staying healthy and we transmit that across the state.

 

My suggestion would be review all the ideas put foward by this Adhoc team and agree 1 or 2

and really drive implementation.

 

Thanks.

 

Arome

Oga Arome,

That was a masterstroke, you have motivated us all to put on our thinking caps. I pray Umaru’s government would remember  Igala land in the scheme of things in reality too.

Agriculture is it, with the kind of land mass that we have and the fact that it has historically been the mainstay of our economy, if we can have the an initiative like the AADP that we had in the past then we would be there. I have consistently maintained in recent times that  AADP AND KSU remains the key government institutions that have had very profound effect on Igala land development wise.

-          A fertilizer blending plant is desirable since the complaints has been that the land is not fertile anymore.

-          Improved seedlings which would translate to increase yield.

-          Mechanized farming too can be encouraged by way of having tractors to be hired by individuals and co – operative societies.

-          Establishment of a Micro Finance bank to let our people access funds easily.

-          Educating our people on the need for them function as a group by way of co – operative societies rather than going it alone.

-          Massive deployment of extension services to pass on new techniques of farming to our people.

-          Massive rehabilitation of feeder roads to make for the movement of the produce to major markets like Anyigba, Abocho.

-          We can even invite Zimbabwean farmers like Kwara State did with the attendant benefits of employment for our people and also transfer of modern farming techniques.

-          Poultry and fish farming too should be encouraged.

-          Irrigation farming can be introduced passing through Bagaji in Omala,Ibaji e.t.c.all year round farming is a possibility.

-          Selected youths can be sent to Israel or Songhai centre In Benin Republic to be trained.

Finally, I am in agreement with Chogu’s suggestion that positions on the way forward to vision 2020 be articulated by willing individuals at the Ofakaga meeting and collated into a working document that would help us engage and lobby  our leaders both at the National , State and Local levels.

 

Brethren,

For obvious reasons, i think, we should put Education at the fron Burner in the proposed

"Igala Development Charter." In doing so, we should have the followings at the backs of our minds:

 

(A) Topical Issues

1. What is the present state of the educational sector in Igala land?(Of course we know this

    to be in a very poor state).

2. What are those percieved wrongs in the educational sector in our land that need to be

    corrected?

3. Do we have condusive learning environments in our land in favour of our children

    (structures, furniture etc etc)?

4. Establishment of mini-computer/ IT Training Centers in each of the 9 LGAs in Igala land.

5. To what extent is the vicious circle of povery in our land an impediment to the academic

    pursuits of our children(No doubt, this is acute....... we may therefore, have to call for a

    free system of education from the Primary to the Tertiary levels of education in IG land.

6. Training and Re-Training of Teachers to meet the challenges of the ever changing learning

    environment.

7  Establishment of an Igala National Library

8. Establishment of LG Educational Foundations in the 19 LGAs in IG land..

 

(B) Sensitisation:

There is need to  sensitise the people back home regarding the need to speak in one voice

in favour of Educational Development as the Cardinal need of the Igala Nation. Like Josep Addison would have it " Education is a companion which no crime can destroy,. Education

develops the mind. It opens the mind to boundless possibilities of the human being. The developed world is the result of a developed mind, the mind which sees possibilities because it has been liberated from the shackles of ignorance."

 

The future development and upliftment of the Igala land therefore lies in the educational development of its citizenry.

 

We should also sensitise our people to the effect that both the gilr and the boy child are entitled to equal educational developments. The girl-child should therefore be allowed to acquire as much education as the boy instead of any early marriage.

 

(C) Authonomous Body:

This initiative of the Federal Government should be run by a commission(Igala Education Commission?) independent of the existing ministry of education. The body shall have freedom of action and decision making to enable its operators perform at optimal levels

 

(D) Targets:

The body to run the initiative,shall be given bi-annual targets during which their performances shall be evaluated. Persons that would do such evalutions shall not be members of the commission but independent persons selected from this group from time to time. The reports from such an exercise, shall be reviewed by the national executive of this group for further decisions.

 

(E)Office Location:

Since the initiative shall be in favour of Igala land, the commission shall have its headquarters located in Igala land(Anyigba) . This way, the operators will be able to reach out to the nooks and cranies of Igala land in its drive towards achieving its set targets.

 

(G) Funding:

The commission should be such that it can recieve its funds directly from the Federal Ministry of education and/or from direct allocation from the Federal Government as the case may be. This way, the bottlenecks at the state's Ministry of Education and the commission will therefore be better placed to carry out its functions effectivelly.

 

Writing in a hurry...... Pls come up with Action plans to enable us compose the needed

handbook on "Igala Development Charter"

 

Rgds,

David Abutu

 

 

--- On Tue, 25/11/08, Okeme, David wrote:

From: Okeme, David

Subject: [IgalaProject] Congratulations. .. Igalaland is now included on 14 Point Agenda!!!!

To: IgalaProject@ yahoogroups. com

Date: Tuesday, 25 November, 2008, 9:40 AM

 

For once, let's pretend Yar Adua has fallen in love, deep love with Igalaland, and people....

 

 

He has decided to include Igalaland in the 14 points agenda (whatever that means...).

To facilitate it, he has asked this Honourable House for a proposal -  what is that

single project that may be done to transform Igala land by 2013..., in 5 years.

 

What would be our inputs???

a) The obvious. Education. Thanks to the work of the education committee.

a) Not so obvious. Which network/artery of roads that if constructed can generate commercial

    heat that will propel the local economy.

c) Is it agriculture? ?? Do we bring back AADP style project???? Do we send 50 Igala Youths to

    Isreal to learn specific agric skills and arrange financing to start such projects in Igalaland?

d) Is it energy??? Coal etc? Do we ask for 15% derivation?? ?

f)  Do we reactivate failed industries: Okaba, Idah Sanitary Ware, Acharu Oil Mills etc, etc....

g)  Do we appoint more Igala sons into govt - knowing such slots would go again to the usual people

     or their sons/cronies? ??

 

How do we rank these priorities, if the list is this long... and more.

 

As we evolve as a group, we should be able to articulate a need agenda, which we can make into

a small pamphlet and may use to engage, solicit, lobby and even confront our leaders with, so that

development efforts would be concentrated and sustained to good effect.

 

This work can only start now, that we have collectively built Igalaproject into a dynamic team.

Great and welldone to all. Now is the time to move to the next level. And we need the active engagement

of all in this phase. 

 

If we all agree, then we can start working on the Igala Development Charter....

 

 

Arome