The missing Chibok girls: What the Nigerian government should have done

It has been three weeks (23 days) since over 200 young secondary school girls were abducted in Chibok, Borno state.The government’s response has been disappointing resulting in nationwide protests.There are many immediate actions that the Nigerian government should have taken to demonstrate its commitment as well as help in bringing back the girls home.They include the following:

• A nationwide presidential broadcast should have been given immediately after receiving the news of the abducted girls.
• No time ought to have been wasted. The military should have been mobilized immediately to go into the Sambisa forest (where it is believed that the girls were initially taken) rather than allowing parents with no military training to do so.
• The  government should have urgently requested for help from the international community to join forces with its military.
• A counselling center should have been set up for the families of the abducted girls.
• The government should have briefed Nigerians daily on progress being made to bring back the girls.
• The government should have worked with the school and families of the abducted girls to determine the names and numbers of the missing girls and not blame traumatized parents for being uncooperative.

Immediate responses like these are what Nigerians expect from its government. Setting up a committee weeks after the girls had been abducted is not the solution. In addition, arresting protesters fighting for the release of the girls is unacceptable and insensitive.

The Nigerian government needs to improve its intelligence gathering and the military’s capacity to handle terrorism issues. One of the main functions of government is to provide security for its people.  It is the right of every Nigerian to have good security. Nigerians need proper action now from its government. Please bring back our girls home.

The Nigeria I Dream Of……………….

 A number of disturbing events have occurred in Nigeria in the first quarter of this year. The most notable ones are the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) recruitment stampede which led to the death of over 20 young Nigerians, the Abuja bomb blast at the Nyanya bus station where 75 people lost their lives and several others injured as well as the kidnapping incidence of over 200 young female students by Boko Haram. Let us not forget the daily killings that occur in the North East as a result of terrorist attacks, communal clashes in different parts of the country, the controversial missing $20 billion and the suspension of the CBN governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi.

Despite being the largest economy in Africa, Nigeria is one of the countries with the highest number of people living in extreme poverty. It has the largest population of children not enrolled in school and accounts for one tenth of neo-natal deaths in the world. Reversing these negative trends requires an effective government genuinely committed to serving the people.

I dream of a Nigeria where:

• Citizens have access to good health care, education, constant electricity supply and good roads
• Accident victims will not be refused medical treatment in hospitals due to the non-availability of a police report
• Students can be educated without fear of being killed or kidnapped by terrorists
• Lecturers don’t go on strike
• Road accidents are rare
• Air travel is safe
• Nigerians can sleep without fear of boko haram, armed robbers or kidnappers
• Jobs are readily available
• The Public sector is not the main source of formal employment
• Recruitment process in both public and private organisations are fair, transparent and based on merit
• Corruption is not celebrated or tolerated
• Government leaders are responsible and resign voluntarily when they have failed the people
• Sanctions /punishment are given to erring public officials
• Awards are given to those who truly deserve it
• Elections are free and fair
• Citizens are able to vote based on well-presented manifestos which they can hold politicians accountable to and not by sentiments of tribe or religion

Finally I pray for a Nigeria with good leaders genuinely committed to transforming Nigeria.

This is my dream and I hope it is a reality some day!

Job Creation & Nigeria's Political Elite

Nigeria’s National Conference: An opportunity to empower citizens?

Back in the mid 1990s, the Ugandan central government provided grants to improve primary school enrollment and learning.  An initiative to track the way funds were being spent revealed that the average school received only 20% of the grants, the bulk of the grants were captured by politicians and local government officials. The government responded to the problem in an innovative way. They published information in newspapers on each school grant, so the parents could see what the schools were supposed to receive and hold their local government to account. A study carried out by Ritva Reinikka and Jakob Svensson in April 2005 showed that both enrollment and test scores improved in areas where the information was published. Empowering parents with the right information to monitor local government officials handling public funds led to better outcomes for their children.

In Nigeria, this type of accountability is more difficult to achieve. Like Uganda in the mid-1990s, we know that much of public funds have not translated into services for the people. It’s not enough to publish your Federal Budget or State Allocations and expect transformation. Citizens need information they can relate to on issues that directly touch on their lives. The current Federal system makes this more challenging. The National Conference provides an opportunity to look again at ways to empower Nigerians in the fight against corruption and pursuit of public service delivery.

Below are three suggestions for the National Conference :

1. More autonomy for local governments and higher expectations from citizens: statutory allocations should be given directly from the Federation Account to local governments rather than through States. This information should be transparent and local governments should be compelled to publish detailed budgets. For example, if citizens know how much is allocated for road maintenance which is never delivered they will know who to hold accountable. This may also help to improve citizen participation in governance.
2. State Governments to be responsible for policing at the state level: the current situation of Federally appointed police commissioners in charge of policing within States blurs the lines of accountability. If security is out of control in a State, it will be good for citizens to know who to hold accountable.
3. Remove the immunity clause from the constitution: leaders should at least be held to the same standards as their citizens. There is no reason why criminality should be accepted at any level in Nigeria. 

The Job Interview from Hell! Nigeria Immigration Service Recruitment Exercise

The death toll is still unfolding from the mass recruitment exercise organised by the Nigeria Immigration Service. Disturbing news through-out the day on the horrible experience that unemployed Nigerians suffered. I just spoke to one of the Abuja candidates and you can listen to his harrowing account below:

The Federal Government should not allow poor Nigerians to suffer this fate. There are many questions for Nigeria Immigration Service to answer, and the people responsible should be held to account.