Before the change: The 16 years of unbridled lack of development

WEDNESDAY COLUMN BY USSIJU MEDANER  

info@medaner.com, justme4justice@yahoo.com

Universally, the elements of national development remain availability and efficient utilisation of disposable human, material and natural resources. The disparity between developed and undeveloped societies is simply along the line of the ability and inability to provide qualitative life for the constituting citizenry. Nigeria in the last decades has been battling with the problems of development in spite of huge human, material and natural resources. Arguments on underdevelopment of Nigeria have always been hinged overtime on perpetual unfaithful implementation of development plans stemming from a lack of commitment on the part of leaders, institutional bastardisation and enshrined corruption in our body-polity.

A nation grows into her anticipated developmental level when constituted leadership takes the position of articulating its priorities and that of its followership to draw on the energies of its people, to grow an inclusive economy, build capabilities, enhance the capacity of the state, and promote leadership and partnerships throughout society as the centerpiece of its growth strategy. This is not limited to economic growth because national growth will not begin with economic development but first and foremost self-development.

The national interest of a state is rooted in the social consciousness and in the cultural identity of a people. In practice, the national interest of a country is created and patterned by its leaders. To this extent, our interest as a nation is a function of what our policy makers say it is because the interest of a country is the interest of its leaders. The leaders must possess an undying desire to sacrifice “themselves” in the process of engineering interplay of economic and social forces that build the country. Unfortunately for Nigeria and Nigerians, those who had ruled us in the past were never interested in harnessing Nigeria’s disposable and latent resources for the benefit of Nigerians but rather to feed personal aggrandizement. 

This piece x-rays how the PDP government underdeveloped Nigeria between 1999 and 2015; and of note is that since independence, Nigeria has witnessed minimal industrialisation despite its level of resource endowments. A number of today’s top East Asian nations were previously far behind Nigeria in terms of GDP per capita in the 1970s; but today they have transformed their economies and are not only miles ahead of Nigeria, but are also major players in global  industrialisation. History has it that Malaysia at the early stage of its development procured improved oil-palm and rubber seeds from Nigeria and became the world’s largest palm-oil producer/exporter and a major exporter of rubber.

When PDP forays into the annals of Nigeria history began in 1999, it seems the central agenda was lopsided as it may be, to grow the economy without development. After social integration of the citizens to a common goal, industrialisation is the next and only direct approach to deregister the nation from a committee of dependent states to a self-sufficient nation. Deliberate industrialisation drive was one thing the PDP government refused to make a national priority.

That Nigeria was underdeveloped under the PDP administrations is an understatement. Putting the country at per with its endowments, the nation was denied the inherent ability to take care of itself. So I ask the questions: How much was needed to have developed Nigeria’s basic infrastructure?

It was estimated that Nigeria needs N4.5 trillion annually to develop itself. In the 59 years between independence and 2015 when PDP exited the seat of power, spending approximately N266 trillion would have positioned this country among the world’s developed nations.

How much did Nigeria make during PDP’s 16 years? 

Nigeria’s revenues from sales of oil and other oil related businesses during the PDP 16 years is as given: 1999 to 2007 under Obasanjo, was estimated as N27 trillions; 2007 to 2010 under Yar’adua, was estimated as N9 trillion; and between 2010 to 2015 under Jonathan, it was estimated as we N51 trillion. These figures give a total earning largely from the oil industry in 16 years as N87 trillion.

This constituted about 80% of the country’s revenue during the period, therefore bringing total earnings during the period to N109 trillion. This figure is about 41% of what Nigeria needed to have developed in 59 years.

Under PDP, did Nigeria have development that tallies with 40%? No! The country was literally growing in GDP but not in development. Under PDP, beginning from Obasanjo to Jonathan, where corruption was taken to a new level, Nigeria was increasing her revenues to feed private accounts of PDP members, friends and cronies. The disparity between income and spending was alarming during this period. Existing road infrastructure became dilapidated while new ones were hardly constructed. Rail transportation was totally abandoned until it became a thing of the past until recently. Nigeria could not afford a mere six hour electricity supply per day yet billions of naira was sunk into the energy sector by the PDP-led governments.

Corruption became a recurring decimal, particularly in the Nigerian public sector and contributed in no small measure to our underdevelopment. There is corruption in high and low places ranging from embezzlement of public funds, diversion of monies meant for infrastructural development to giving bribes for contracts and bribes in public offices. It is a phenomenon that led to the backward development of Nigeria. Everybody in the country saw their positions of authority as an opportunity to amass wealth and satisfy their personal agrandishments.

Corruption without doubt became both endemic and systemic in Nigeria. The political-economic system of the country during the era of PDP became so soaked in graft that even the social and cultural ways of many Nigerians became totally affected with corrupt tendencies. We can boldly now say that, that enshrined political-economic corruption in Nigeria birthed socio-cultural corruption. Privileged individuals in the country all became so deeply enmeshed in corruption and virtually all institutions were compromised.

We can comfortably say that Nigeria has not experienced the magnitude of corruption on display during the Jonathan era but the discredit for introducing and institutionalising the deadly and destructive ailment would go to ex-president Obasanjo. He directly taught Nigerians how to use their positions illegally to become rich. From the civil service to public and political officeholders and the judicial and legislative institutions, it was the same game but different magnitude.

Secondly, PDP encouraged the practice by glaringly letting go of individuals found culpable of corruption offences. Such cases were swept under the carpet without recourse to the effect on the entire citizens that were watching with keen interest.

The judiciary, the foundation upon which our democracy grows and develops, became grossly bastardised. The dispensation of justice via the principle of truth and morality was laid to rest. Sanity of the entire system of government died when this institution was penetrated and its values eroded by Nigerian politicians between 1999 and 2015, the hope of the common man for justice was taken away. We went into an enclave where the rich and connected influenced court judgments and the innocent went home in tears.  The anomaly did not begin with Justice Walter Onnoghen; it became an endemic virus eating the fabric of the institution from the days of Obasanjo as the president. 

The judiciary lost its position and power to the politicians who took it upon themselves to use the influence of ‘Ghana-must-go’ to have their way at all times and in all cases. A case that readily comes to mind was the case against former Governor James Onanefe Ibori with more than 150 counts of corruption and money laundering. At the order of the power that be, Ibori had no case to answer, the court set him free.  The same Ibori, along with his mistress, Udoamaka Okoronkwo, his sister, Christine Ibori-Ebie, and wife, Theresa Nkoyo Ibori, were later convicted by the court in England and sentenced to five-year jail terms each for the same charges he was acquitted of in Nigeria.

It is why very few nations, if any, could ever survive disintegration under the PDP-style of unbridled underdevelopment. Nigerians were indeed right to have rejected PDP in 2015 and this present Administration has been ushering the needful developmental transition albeit with unavoidable temporary pains. 

GOD BLESS THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA!