On the Issues:
The transition to democracy and the election of
a new civilian administration in Nigeria has provided our country another opportunity to move Nigeria beyond the shadows of inconsistent policies, stagnant and backward development. For
a time too long by acceptable standards, the progression of the Nigerian nation has been deterred by a set of improbable and
incoherent policies that deal with the core issues affecting the daily lives of the Nigerian people. For many, the impact
of the government has never been evident in their communities. While for some, governmental presence in their communities
is indeed an unrealistic dream.
Of particular importance
to note is the seeming lack of accountability and transparency in the implementation of government policies in the core and
critical areas of the Nigerian nation. These core areas where coherent policies and accountability are needed, but not limited
to, include:
·
Judicial Reform
·
Citizens’ Rights
·
Foreign and National Security Policy
·
Separation and Balance of Power in the Nigerian
Democracy
·
Public Safety
·
Transportation linkages
·
Revenue Allocation Formula
·
Agriculture and Natural Resources diversification
·
Rural Development
·
Comprehensive and accessible Health Care
·
Tax Reform/Structure
·
Education Reform
·
A sustainable “Safety Net” for
all Nigerians
The resolution of Nigeria’s
domestic and foreign policy crises must take a non-partisan, non-ethnic, non-religious, and non-gender specific approach.
A policy of inclusion of all segments of the Nigerian society presents the best hope of collectively moving the country forward
and ensuring the preservation of a prosperous nation soundly rooted in collective participation. A comprehensive and collective
involvement further ensures that the huge talent pool, with which Nigeria has been blessed, would efficiently be utilized.
The Nigeria Policy Council USA seeks to develop strategic policy initiatives for Nigerian governance. The
NIPOC-USA recognizes the need for a non-rigid and thoughtful approach to reconciling Nigeria’s domestic and foreign policy challenges. This fundamental commitment to the
non-sectional approach is reflected in the composition of the NIPOC-USA. In the long-term, the greatness of Nigeria in the global community would not be dependent on which one specific section or region
of the country played the most dominating role, but rather how did Nigeria utilize its massive human and natural assets in establishing itself as an important member and participant
in the global community of nations.
The NIPOC-USA contends that a policy of inclusion of all the segments of the Nigerian nation, would go a long
way in restoring the hope of the Nigerian people in the prospects of their endowed nation, and trust in the ability of their
elected representatives to see beyond ethnic tribes and regions and embrace the concept of collective national development
through thoughtful and probable policies that impact all facets of the Nigerian nation.
Statement
27 May, 1999
Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
The recently concluded democratic elections in Nigeria and the inevitable transition
to civilian governance have demonstrated and confirmed the changing tide in global reality; that people have a right to be
free, and to elect a government of their own choosing. Nigerians have been given another opportunity to work collectively
to advance our country beyond the 21st century.
In
the new political dispensation that is about to emerge, it is fundamentally necessary that the elected officials recognize
that the keys to attacking the huge and numerous challenges facing our country are collective participation, involvement,
and representation of all segments of the Nigerian nation. No one region of the country can single-handedly reconcile the
challenges facing us as we move into the next millennium.
By way of background, The Nigeria Policy Council USA, is a non-partisan, and non-profit institutional think-tank
that advocates, through policy initiatives, a well governed Nigeria committed to global peace and the betterment of the lives of its citizens. The NIPOC-USA
is a conglomeration of Nigerian professionals from different walks of life. The scope of issues, upon which the group focuses,
covers both domestic and foreign policy of Nigeria. The mission of the group is to develop strategic policy initiatives for Nigerian governance. Its vision is to see a well-governed Nigeria where all of its citizens would have a good quality of life.
Against this backdrop, the NIPOC-USA has four core goals among others. These include:
·
To work with representatives of our elected government as well as citizens in generating policies
for the public good,
·
To work with diversified entities in developing policies that ensure accountability in the governance
of Nigeria,
·
To work with other interested groups and organizations in generating and implementing effective
policies vital to national development, and
·
To work to effect policies that will educate the public on the importance and the
effectiveness of open government in a democracy.
The Nigeria Policy Council USA contends that a broad based policy of inclusion at all levels of our
emerging political dispensation, would greatly minimize the widespread feelings of alienation by some groups within the Nigerian
population. Such policy would create a genuine sense of collective unity and dedication of purpose in the further advancement
of our country. It is of utmost importance that the officials, both elected and appointed, and in whom the Nigerian people
have reposed their trust, demonstrate leadership by example. They should be mindful to put the interest of building a unified
Nigeria above all else. The formulated policies of the
in-coming administrations should be compatible with the overall interests of the Nigerian people. We urge these elected and
appointed leaders to be sensitive in their pronouncements on issues that are at the core of Nigeria’s advancement.
The Nigeria Policy Council
USA stands ready and able to assist in local, state, and national policy
formulation and analysis in our new democracy. No individual nation among the global community of nations can sustain itself
without a kinder and gentler set of policies to attract investors from friendly nations that will stimulate the domestic economy
and spur growth. Our country is among the most naturally endowed nations on earth. Our elected leaders owe it to the long-term
interest of Nigeria to work diligently with diversified entities such as the NIPOC-USA in crafting policies
for the stabilization of Nigerian advancement.
The most important and positive time in Nigeria is when we
genuinely cultivate and embrace the notion that the future of our country will in large measure be dependent on the collective
willingness and resolve to implement a policy of inclusion. This policy of inclusion will decentralize the wide array of solutions
to our divergent challenges. We are looking forward to working with diversified entities seeking to advance Nigeria beyond the 21st century.
We affirm our support to the ideas of a well-governed Nigeria committed to the
betterment of the lives of the citizens where the will, security, and prosperity of the people will endure in a just and democratic
order.
Thank you.
Institutional Structures:
A modern industrial nation rises or falls based on the quality of its
good industry, manufacturing, and infrastructure. To remain competitive, the patterns and mechanisms required for economic
growth must operate efficiently. Such a pattern must function on the basis of policies for the public good. An innovative
idea would only make a meaningful impact when it functions within a structure. An innovation is defined as the introduction
or implementation of a new product, program, or design. The absence of adequate and functioning institutional structures at
the required levels can be devastating to any nation’s growth and progress. The disintegration and economic catastrophe
currently prevalent in Nigeria can be attributed to the stagnant and ill-defined behavior of our institutions: ministries,
parastatals, agencies, and councils that seek to execute the ideas that led to their creation. These Institutions provide
the social mechanisms necessary to realize the benefits of coordinating the activities of a large population toward some common
end. In their absence, individuals would not have the means to create the interdependencies necessary for the accomplishment
of various tasks. They are the structural forums in which ideas are harvested, protected, and implemented for the public good.
The quality of life of
a given population is dependent on the institutions charged with the role of deploying goods and services to the entire populace.
Institutions establish a background for coordinated social, political, and economic efforts. Unless all development policies
are geared towards a well-organized plan seeking a well-defined objective, individual measures and uncoordinated steps will
lead to waste and duplication. Poorly organized institutions create obstacles that lead to the stagnation of economic activities.
Infrastructural investment is vital to the success of healthcare, education, transportation, mineral and petroleum exploration,
afforestation, and sanitation programs. There is a fundamental and critical need for a sustained investment in a fixed institutional
structure capable of accomplishing policies that are geared towards the public good.
An effective institutional
structure forms the base for the survival, growth, and development of any civilized nation. These institutions are crucial
in the human-environmental dialectics: institutions outlive individuals. In Nigeria, most organizations run the risk of personalization. The person at the top of any given entity runs the organization
from his or her own standpoint. There is little utilization of the diversity of ideas within the entity that most often times
translates into strength in the governance of that given entity. In order to maximize the operational efficiency of these
organizations, personalization in the leadership of public entities in the Nigerian society must be de-emphasized. The organizational
construct must focus on visionary leaders that will institute an entrenched pattern of sound and accountable public administration.
Such visionary leadership must have as its outcome, the collective economic and industrial progress and advancement of Nigeria.
