Nigeria's Looming Genocidal Horrors, Brutalities, Anarchy and War

Written by Paul I. Adujie Esq.

This is being written with a heavy heart and sorrow. This may very well be a dirge for Nigeria!

Nigerians are rapidly, quickly and speedily driving Nigeria towards an epochal cliff and precipice to happily fall to oblivion!

Nigerians, many of them, are currently doing everything illogically possible to make Nigeria become what Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Libya and Syria have become in recent years; quickly sadly, sadly in the most extreme sense.

 Any reasonable human being would have thought that Nigerians, upon being familiar with the dire human conditions which have persisted in Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq, Syria, Libya and the Central African Republic in recent history, would do, all, any, and every, thing, to avoid a repeat in Nigeria, the cataclysmic events which led to the continuing catastrophes and tragedies in these aforementioned failed nations!

Too many Nigerians are unwittingly asking for the sorts of genocides which took place in Rwanda and Darfur Sudan, some two decades ago. These Nigerians are literally begging for genocidal horrors, brutalities, anarchy, civil war and the ultimate disintegration of Nigeria, while pretending not to see the consequences and unintended consequences of their pronouncements and actions?

Nigerians and Nigeria are (not merely sleepwalking), but sleep-sprinting towards a free-fall-off, of the face of the earth!

The Rwandan genocide will be a seeming picnic or child's play, in comparison to the looming genocide, horrors, brutalities, anarchy, war and disintegration which may consume Nigeria

When, as it happens, a crime is committed against a Nigerian, a group of Nigerians from the ethnic group of the victim of crime, picks at random, a person from the ethnic group of the ALLEGED perpetrator(s)'s ethnic group, and cavalierly slaughters him, without care for law, due process and certainty of guilt, then, such a society is begging for genocide!

The Rwandan genocide of 1994 was consequent upon ethnic hatred, and killings and revenge, vendetta and reprisal killings which consumed thousands of Hutus and Tutsis! There were no winners in the aftermath of the ethnic bloodbath in Rwanda!

Quite unfortunately and disgustingly, like play, like play as Nigerians say in local parlance, Nigerians are excitedly demanding and insisting on repeating the Hutus and Tutsis barbarically disgusting blood bath festivals of killings, whether to see and determine, what group of Nigerians can slaughter the other group more?

Nigerians are, on a daily basis, engaging in appallingly reprehensible, repugnant and unjust ethnic bashing, ethnic demonization, ethnic stereotyping and ethnic stigmatization of the Fulani ethnic group, without circumspection or reflection.

Nigerians are behaving like unreasoned drunks in their haste to cast aspersions on the Fulani ethnic group, in hasty generalizations, in which all Fulani are lumped together as guilty for all kidnappings, robberies and sundry insecurities, which are occurring nationwide in Nigeria, while making President Muhammadu Buhari as the poster-boy of Fulani criminalities, as an enabler, protector and patron, all at once!

All of these, because of the Fulani are Fulani and President Muhammadu Buhari is himself, a Fulani!

It must be a tough time to be a Fulani in Nigeria and in the world!

But why are thousands of Nigerians engaging in these group think? Why are thousands of Nigerians indulging in this dangerous herd’s mentality?  Forgive me for the pun that fit! But, the truth is my witness, there is so much group-think or herds mentality currently going on in Nigeria, unbridled, and unmitigated!

It is nonsensical magical thinking by the thousands of Nigerians, perhaps millions? of Nigerians who appear to live in alternate universe who are adamant in insisting on their claimed knowledge of Fulani involvement and or absolute ownership of Nigeria's current widespread kidnappings, armed robberies, criminalities and nationwide insecurities, and yet, same multitudes are unable to pinpoint and  or lead police and other law enforcement agencies to these notoriously vicious Fulani Herdsmen....

The next day, the next week and the next month, these same fraudulent and disingenuous narratives are repeated by Nigerian politicians, pastors, journalists and even some Nigerians in law enforcement agencies, without sanctions or consequences for false accusations of crimes, heinous crimes, carte blanche against the Fulani!

There is a call by former President Olusegun Obasanjo for a National Conference to discuss pervasive, pervading and spiraling-sprawling insecurities nationwide. Really? What is the job description of our politicians in the National Assembly?

 Why can't Senators and the House of Representatives members discuss this Urgent Matter of National Importance? What is the job of the National Council of States? What is the job of the President and the Governors' Forum? Constitutional amendments are all it takes!

 It is revealed that the just sworn in senators and house of representatives members have, upon arriving in Abuja at the National Assembly, received a so-called "welcome package" of 35 and 25 million Naira respectively, but cannot debate and solve Nigeria's presently overwhelming nationwide insecurities?

Henceforth, any Nigerian, private citizen or public official, who reports crime, with ethnic variable or ethnic colorations must be required to report details of such ethnic characteristics leading to the conclusions, as such, that the perpetrator(s)  is adequately, accurately and properly described.

Police officials must be required to find lawbreakers and criminals and solve criminal activities. The police must cease and desist labeling any ethnic group as responsible for particular crime or types of crimes.

The Nigerian Press, electronic, print and social media journalists must be required to restrain themselves from giving ethnic labels to any crime or particular sets of crimes, as a crime committed solely or mostly by a particular ethnic group.

Furthermore, all Nigerian private citizens, public officials, police officers and journalists in traditional, and, or social media, will be subject to sanctions and punishment(s) if and when the mentioned categories of persons, or class of persons refer to Nigerians accused of crime(s) with ethnic or linguistic appellations or togas.

There should be a Nigerian law, with nationwide application, a law against ethnic-bigotry, ethnic race-baiting, or any discrimination or crimes which is motivated by a Nigerian's origins, such as local government, ethnic or linguistic and state, region of origins, or religion practiced or language spoken etc. 

There should a Hate Crime Law in Nigeria, it will sanction and punish violators who attack the "otherness" of fellow Nigerians! The citizenship of any Nigerian should have equal value throughout the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, with Full Faith and Credit, just as the One Naira, a unit of our national currency command equal value throughout Nigeria!

Evans was notorious for committing kidnapping in a serial or marathon manner. It is therefore gross injustice to decent and hardworking citizens of Igboland to refer to Evans, as the Igbo Kidnapper!

Similarly, Lawrence Anini was a notorious armed robber in Nigeria some decades ago. It is obviously provocatively unfair and unjust, to all hardworking decent Edo citizens from Edo, when Anini  is referred to as the Edo armed robber!

Similarly, it is extremely vexing to all reasonable persons, all reasonable Nigerians, particularly, decent and hardworking Fulani anywhere, as thousands of Nigerians have cultivated the absolutely disgusting and repulsive habit of referring to every kidnap in Nigeria as committed by Fulani Herdsmen, be it in Edo, Emuoha/Rumuji in Rivers State or somewhere in Ekiti and Ondo States!

Nigerians should join me, in tasking our national government, states and local government officials to give Police, Army, Navy, Air Force, State Security Service, Nigerian Civil Defense Service etc the equipment, money and all the resources to enforce our laws objectively.

Nigerians need to put the collective feet of these Law Enforcement Agencies to the fire! We need to demand and insist, as an extremely urgent manner, the matter of national insecurities, which has now assumed an existential threat to Nigerian continued existence as a single corporate sovereign entity nation state!

Nigerian Security Apparatuses should be given all the resources they need, and then, be tasked with solving our national insecurities and promptly. Nigerian governments at all levels, should monitor performance and outcomes of Nigerian Law Enforcement Agencies with rewards, and or punishments accordingly.

The Nigerian landscape is currently littered with a million roadblocks, police obstacle courses at every mile, and yet, there are kidnappings everywhere!

It is one of two things, the police officers have allowed themselves to be distracted and detracted from their official functions, with their underpaid, ragtag outfits or, our police officers are in conspiracies, connivance and collusions outright with kidnappers, armed robbers and sundry purveyors of our current national insecurities nationwide!

Commissioners of Police and Divisional Police Officers should be held accountable, punished or rewarded for effectiveness and efficiencies or absences of same, in their command or areas and jurisdictions of authority.

It is the case that, presently, policing in Nigeria is hodgepodge and nonsensically reliant on over politicizations and manipulations by local thieving and thuggish politicians. Nigerians are aware of some pastors that have police officers escorting them to church and journeys to extramarital rendezvous, instead of law activities in the communities!

Community policing is certainly not police officers in uniforms, with guns and tear gas etc holding umbrellas over the heads of pastors, to shield from rains or sunlight! Nigerians have given Nigerian police free-rides, Nigerians have given our police plentiful get-out-of-jail-cards!

Our police should solve crimes and not give us excuses, and we must STOP giving our police excuses and cover, with pointing fingers at easy or political targets! Nigerians must view all kidnappers, armed robbers and fraudsters with equal displeasure and disdain! Criminals are CRIMINALS .They are not Igbos, Yoruba, Tiv, Kanuri, Esan or Urhobo!

Though state governors are the so-called Chief Security Officers of a given state, they appear to exploit police operations as an intimidation tool, and when and where that is not the case, some state governors are in constant battles and conflicts with police commands in the state governed by such a governor.

One of the old arguments against the establishment of state police in Nigeria, was that, such state police might be misused by the local politicians and might be ethnicized. This would be problematic in a multiparty system. The Nigeria Police force is presently all these, despite the federalization or federal status of Nigeria Police!

 The American model, after which the Nigerian democracy and constitutionalism is modeled, has multilayered policing practiced to the letter! Every local government, known as County, has its' police. There are State Police or Troopers, then, Highway Police, followed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation or FBI. Furthermore, there is the Bureau of Firearms and Tobacco, ther presidential protection force known as the Secret Service, then, there is the Postal Police of the United States Postal Service.

In New York State for instance, you will find, the above named United States policing departments, and in addition, New York State Troopers and Highways Police, New York Police Department with policing limited to only the 9 million citizens of New York City, as opposed to the 20.4 million citizens of the entire state of New York with localized police departments in all counties or local governments.

 New York City also maintains a branch of the New York Police Department (NYPD) which is dedicated solely to housing, known as Housing Police, and yet, another branch of the NYPD which is dedicated solely to policing in the trains or Mass Transit systems, which includes the Subways and surface train lines and buses.

A nation without law and order, a nation with multiple levels of insecurity, cannot expect economic development. A nation with these plethora or myriad insecurities fosters underdevelopment.

Nigerians cannot expect economic development and prosperity, in the midst of a million security uncertainties. Nigeria cannot receive investments from Nigerians at home or abroad, or from so-called Foreign Direct Investors as the profound absence of public infrastructures and basic amenities such as electricity and water, roads, bridges, trains and airports are compounded by kidnappings and robberies.

No investors or tourists will consider kidnappings and armed robberies as attractions or magnets. In fact, a majority of Nigerians are afraid of travels within Nigeria. In view of such clear and present danger in Nigeria to Nigerians, how can Nigeria hope to make these multiple variables of negative factors be considered inviting to a-would-be investor or tourist in Nigeria?

Nigerians and Nigeria are minutely starring at looming anarchy, war, disintegration brought about by plentiful insecurities nationwide. There is still time to wake up, there may be no tomorrow!  

Bayelsa State: The Poor Rich State

Bayelsa State : The Poor Rich State
Written by Paul I. Adujie Esq.

The population of my home state, Bayelsa is two million and we all live in single digit Local Government Areas of 8. Two million people are not too many people.

Eight Local Government Areas are the fewest Local Government Areas in any state in Nigeria. How difficult can it be to administer two million citizens living in a paltry 8 Local Government Areas, compared with Lagos and Kano with 44 Local Government Areas etc?

It is the case that, population issues are political in the most toxic sense for a majority of the states, populations are inflated for political purposes. It is therefore even doubtful that Bayelsa State actually has two million citizens, with a voters register reportage of 923,000. Bayelsa is not however alone in this population engineering magic!

Manifestoes are similar to the promotional materials for political parties and persons, acting as candidate, or who seek political office.

A manifesto is the platform and predicate advertisement which gives insights to the voters as to what political parties and candidates for elective office, are promising to do or not do, upon being elected.

The governorship elections in my home and corner of Nigeria, Bayelsa State are just a few months away and none of the registered political parties in Nigeria, all 91 of them, have offered manifestoes or written promises of what their political parties and their candidates would do and refrain from doing, upon being victorious at the polls!

Instead, what the world has seen and observed so far, is merely the braggadocios of poor rich parties and poor rich men, who have, in the midst of abject, extreme poverty, unemployment, dearth of public infrastructure, neglected and abandoned projects which have been abandoned outright, the two major parties,
 the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their swaggering candidates who have paid up twenty-two million Naira each; monies from their vigorous and prodigious personal hard earned money over the years, profits, dividends, savings and all, paid with ease and without qualms!

Upon paying this outrageous price for this indication of interest nomination forms, the candidates of the APC and PDP, the major contending political parties in Bayelsa State, my state, which is full of squandered promises and yet, full of potentials, the candidates are not telling us or even pretending to be telling us, or promising us, what the aforementioned political parties and their candidates might do, if elected.

But instead, all we are being taunted with, is why West and Not East, East and not South, or Nembe and not Sagbama or Amassoma and not Sabagria must be elected. These geographies are no testament of a can-do and will do, attitude which delivers so called dividends of democracy to our people.

After all, our state, Bayelsa, is the same state which has proven wrong, the wrongheaded belief that if your local government produces a governor or president, that singular fact would assure, guarantee and make certain social, economic and infrastructural development.

The former President of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan was the political umpire and referee for six years, and yet, there is no potable water in Otuoke, despite federal expenditure of billions of Naira on Otuoke Water Works, which did not yield water after all the hoopla of commissioning.

Furthermore, all the roads to Otuoke and all of Ogbia Local Government Areas are terribly bad and impassable 366 days of the year, whether through the Agbura-Otuokpoti - Onuegbum axis or through the Otuasegha-Okarki axis or the Emeya-Elebele Bayelsa Palm axis and Kolo-Ogbia Town axis.  Ogbia Town is the Local Government Area headquarters!

There are uncountable projects which have been abandoned by our state government over the years. These neglected projects abound and among them are, the 500 bed hospital on Imgbi Road in Yenagoa, which laid fallow for several years, before 2012 until 2018 when the premises was re-launched by the governor, Mr. Seriake Henry Dickson with the help of Mr. Olusegun Obasanjo, both men behaving as if these buildings and premises never existed for a day, before February 14, 2018.
Subsequently, the premises was summarily declared Bayelsa State Medical University, and everyone shouted Hooray!

The strangest thing about all of these, is the dramatic truth, which is the fact that most print media in Yenagoa are located on the same Imgbi Road, where this 500 bed hospital had laid fallow and in limbo for over ten years, when these premises were now suddenly being launched and commissioned as if they were brand new!
 Everyone would have reasonably expected the journalists from these print media, to have noticed or stumbled on this phantasmagoria of miraculous buildings morphing into existence as brand new and pristine buildings, even though these buildings had always existed from the Alamieseigha-Sylva era projects.

A Bridge fell in Iminringi in October 2012, as one of the consequences of the disastrous floods of that year. This bridge in Imiringi Community of Ogbia Local Government Area is still not reconstructed or repaired. Astonishingly, none of the current governorship candidates have mentioned this abandoned bridge and what each of them might do about the bridge, were they to be elected or become successful at the elections scheduled for November of this year.

There is no form of Government funded Public Transportation within the state capital Yenagoa or the environs of Yenagoa metropolitan areas. Imagine, if you will, if there were a scheduled bus transportation service from Nembe to Yenagoa, Sagbama to Yenagoa, or Amassoma to Yenagoa and Polaku to Yenagoa etc. This will make intrastate travel easier, more convenient and affordable.

A good network of state transportation would make it possible for persons who work in Yenagoa, to be able to live outside or on the outskirts of Yenagoa. This will reduce the congestion in Yenagoa, and make the overpriced housing issue solvable.

Additionally, food will become cheaper, fish, farm produce and other farm produce will be easily transported to Yenagoa from the hinterlands of the creeks and uplands, cheaper and fresher for all consumers, but, currently, it is quite expensive and inconvenient to undertake any of these, due to the unavailability of a moderately priced state transport service.

A Bridge across the river to Sabagria was abandoned approximately a decade ago. When I go to Sabagria from Yenagoa, I have to go East to go West, as a result of the neglect by government to complete this abandoned bridge.

The alternative for me and all others going to Sabagria is to first go to Polaku, past Okolobiri and Obunagh, leave your vehicle at Polaku waterside, get on a canoe ride across the river, then mount a commercial motorbike, or Okada, through a footpath to Sabagria ! It is so narrow a footpath and so uneven and inconvenient! How did this happen and how could this be allowed to happen to Sabagria?

A Five Star Hotel has been neglected and abandoned, left uncompleted, after so much money, in billions of Naira have been sunk into what is now known, in local parlance, as “ The monument of embarrassment “!

Imagine if this strategically positioned and located hotel was completed, it will be a major landmark, a major edifice and a major employer of labor for those in the hotel and hospitality subsectors! It would have been a source of pride for all of us, it would have been the destination hotel, and a point of reference.

Such that, after the Hotel Ala Bayelsa, you make a left turn to Bayelsa Palm and the Abattoir, when you make a right turn, you will be heading to Onopa, Creek Haven to Government House and FMC or to Gabriel Okara Cultural Center and the High Courts or Judiciary Buildings, near Peace Park, and Bayelsa State Siasia Stadium.

And from Tombia, going straight and pass the flyover bridge, you will be heading towards Ox Bow Lake, on the same major road where Central Bank of Nigeria is situated, in addition to Bayelsa State Waterways Transportation hub, and an FM Radio Station on the same strips.

None of the aforesaid and aforementioned APC and PDP or other political parties and their gubernatorial candidates have deemed it important to discuss or have a manifesto, which references education as a game changer, and priority for Bayelsa State. This is happening, despite the fact that Bayelsa State, remains educationally disadvantaged, along with a few other Nigerian states!

Education is a catalyst for development, therefore, any potentate governor or aspirant to that exulted office of governor in our educationally disadvantaged, or to put it harshly, an educationally backward state, needs to see educational development as critical and crucial. But, here we are, a few months to a pivotal election of a would be chief executive and there are no mentions of education with a clear vision!

What we have instead, is a cascade of universities in Bayelsa State, all at once! When Governor Alamieseigha was alive, I criticized him severally and very harshly and most severely!

I thought that he could have done more, as those to whom much is given, much is expected. I also thought and wished that he was not associated with corruption, and garrulity! BUT, he is redeemed in hindsight, and in my books, he is , and remains the best governor which our state has ever had!

It was Governor Alamieseigha who established Niger Delta University (NDU) in Amassoma. NDU is the main reason that our state is able to produce lawyers, doctors, engineers, nurses, Information technology professionals, to mention just a few! NDU is one of the few Nigerian universities with a dedicated faculty exclusively to the profession of nursing!

During Mr. Seriake Henry Dickons government, particularly during the preceding eighteen months, NDU was shut down for more than six months, ostensibly, due to lack of funds according to the state government.

Shutting down the only tertiary institution which is owned by Bayelsa State, a notoriously educationally disadvantaged state, was just egregiously a misplacement of priorities! Anyone, any political leader who wishes development for our state, cannot, and should not neglect education, particularly, higher education!

What is worse than that is the fact that the public fell asleep, when this extended NDU shutdown persisted!

Mr. Seriake Henry Dickson, as if under a spell, in a seeming desire to overcompensate for the atrocious act of closing down NDU for several months, decided to establish two universities, almost simultaneously!

First was the founding, or establishment, almost overnight, the University of Africa, and then,the Bayelsa State University of Medicine!

But, how can this be the most judicious use of scarce resources? How can a man who is unable to feed a wife and children, suddenly jump to marry two additional wives and children, just like that? Soon after the same man notoriously, and infamously advertised his inability to feed, house and clothe a wife and a child?

It is the case, that Mr. Seriake Henry Dickson accomplished these sorts of magic, and in short order, and magically, all the members of the Bayelsa State House of Assembly went along, and there was no tongue wagging, or cacophonies of voices of dissension reminding Mr. Dickson of the above realities already referenced!

The APC and PDP candidates should be shouting their plans, plans to counter Mr. Dickson's management of the Bayelsa State Education Sector, through plans for consolidating Universities owned wholly or in part by our state.

NDU should be the Bayelsa State university, with a well funded College of Medicine which replaces Bayelsa State Medical University so-called.

Then, University of Africa, as beautiful as the name is, should be merged with Niger Delta University.Toru Orua will henceforth have NDU, Toru Orua Campus, the College of Education in Sagbama will become the site of an NDU Campus, administered by education experts from NDU Faculty of Education, alongside other related education Course and programs in the NDU Sagbama Campus!

All of our 8 Local Government Areas could, and can have individual campuses of the Niger Delta University.

NDU Nembe Campus, NDU Ogbia Campus, NDU SILGA Campus, I am sure that we all get the point, which is that a Bayelsa State University with multiple campuses in our 8 Local Government Areas would streamline this critical education sector for Bayelsa State.

This will be more cost-efficient and administratively more manageable. One Vice Chancellor and Senate and Governing Council, instead of, and in place of multiple Vice Chancellors, Multiple Senates, Multiple Management Teams, Multiple Governing Councils!

How can a governor who regaled us with austerity measures, arguing closure of NDU for several months, and shutting down Imiringi Turbine Power Station, be the same person who now has inflicted these plethora of overhead costs, burdening our state and generations to come?

Bayelsa State and Akwa Ibom are peer states. They have identical birth dates. Since the implementation of the Derivation Principle, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa States have received more than a majority of the other 36 States of the Nigerian federation and received more revenue allocated to it from the Federal Revenues.
Akwa Ibom has a functioning Airport, Akwa Ibom has outstanding and solid drainage systems, a great networks of roads, a modern stadium and much more!

 Comparatively, Bayelsa State has no drainage system in Yenagoa or elsewhere and no good network of roads.

 Bayelsa State's Yenagoa International Airport was first planned approximately in 2007, to be at a location off East-West Road, then, a new location was off the road to Amassoma. The completion and commissioning was with pomp and pageantry, but, there are still no scheduled flights for once a week or even for once a month!

Yenagoa International Airport has its Control Towers still under construction, several months after the audacious landings of aircrafts which heralded the commissioning with all the hoopla!

How be it, that those posturing and aggrandizing themselves as potentate or would be governors of our very rich, but, poor state, neglect to mention these things? They have not stated their agreements or disagreements with these policies or how they might tinker with and tweak them for the benefits of all Bayelsa State citizens.

How come no governorship candidate is asking why it has taken 8 years, and Isaac Adaka Boro Expressway is still under start, stop and start fitful constructions? Why is Adaka Boro Express a bridge too far?

Bayelsa State is currently having a festival or carnival of political juggernauts with lots of money, but, without advertised policies and without even pretending to be policy wonks or have a modicum of ideas for our common good, or public good!

Nigeria Needs Robust Agriculture And Food Security Policies Urgently

Nigeria Needs Robust Agriculture and Food Security Policies Urgently

Written by Paul I. Adujie Esq.

Any nation which cannot feed her citizens faces existential threats.

 The inability of the former Union of Soviets Socialists Republics (USSR) to feed her citizens was a catastrophe more powerful than the nuclear meltdown at Chernobyl.

Hunger, or famine was the catalytic implosion which ended the USSR as a single corporate political entity which was headed by Russia. The USSR's reliance on other nations, notably, America became a national security fatal flaw.

Any nation which relies on other nations for her food security has mortgaged her National security and best interests.

Any nation which relies on food relief from other nations, could have such a weakness exploited by her competitors, with the consequent usurpation of her geostrategic and hemispheric influence.

Therefore, depending on what Nigeria does by way of robust agriculture, food production and food security policies, hunger and famine could pose existential threats to the continued corporate existence of Nigeria as one nation.

This is more threatening than some other variables like religion and ethnicity.

Nigeria is a nation facing existential threats from many angles, including and particularly, Nigeria's inability to be self-sufficient, self-reliant and self-sustaining regarding food production, food processing, storage and distribution.

It is the case that Nigeria can, and is capable of having food abundance. Nigeria has the population, the climate and the terrain. Nigeria has rain forests, Savannah grasslands, arid and semi-arid lands, deserts, rivers and oceans.

Nigeria is tropical and a good percentage of Nigerians have been involved in farming, but, quite unfortunately, subsistence farming which employs primordial and antiquated labor- intensive farming methods, instead of mechanized, automated and large scale commercial farming.

Agriculture and Food security policies for Nigeria are extremely urgent and critically crucial at this time for two interconnected reasons, Global warming and population explosion.

Population Explosion is an extremely urgent national and continental challenge

Nigeria's rapid population growth or expansion has created a myriad of challenges for the Nigerian society.

Mass unemployment, particularly amongst university graduates has blossomed into a National security challenge, from prostitution, advance fee fraud and other social vices to violent crimes such as armed robbery, kidnapping, human trafficking and death through mass migration.

Food is surely expensive in Nigeria, and yet, life is so cheap!

Thousands of Nigerians are in mass migration out of Nigeria due to unemployment or the inability of the national economy to engage those Nigerians productively.

There are currently, as a consequence, thousands of Nigerian citizens in the failed nation state of Libya.

These Nigerians are trapped in the lawlessness of a failed state Libya, as they use Libya as a passage or gateway to Europe and other parts of the world in search of elusive greener pastures.

Population expansion and overstretched national resources to cater for Nigerian citizens, the misallocation and mismanagement of resources, corrupt practices and the absence of national priorities, have combined to exacerbate the current national insecurity which is being felt nationwide in Nigeria.

All of the above can get worse, due to the expected exponential population explosion which Nigeria will soon experience.

The population of Nigeria is expected to reach between 400 and 450 million in the next 20 years from Nigeria's current population estimate which is approximated to be, between 180 to 200 million people!

Thus, Nigeria will need to produce twice the amount of food, goods and services, facilities, amenities and public infrastructure to serve what will in 20 years be twice the population size of this year, 2019!

There is presently no policy in place focused on addressing and avoiding a head-on-collision with a plethora of these foreseeable consequential expansions and explosions.

Global Warming and the ubiquitous Fulani Herdsmen

Fulani Herdsmen have always been part of the Nigerian and West African ecosystem. There was harmony between the crops farmers on the one hand, and the herdsmen, or animal breeders on the other hand. This is not to suggest there were never disagreements!

We have to stipulate upfront, that there are expected disagreements between humans, as part of human interactions globally. What has changed however, is the nature, extent and stridency of disagreements and arguments between crop farmers and livestock farmers.

As a child, growing up in Nigeria, I witnessed firsthand, interactions between Fulani herdsmen and local crop farmers with local communities as the Herdsmen traversed the Nigerian landscapes without acrimony.

Damage of farm crops by straying cattle were resolved quickly and amicably.

I witnessed local women provide large bowls and basins into which water was fetched,  from public taps, which were plenty, and at four taps per mile or within every two poles, and the cows drank, while the herders  gave monetary compensation to the owners of the basins.

The process was mutually beneficial. All sides were happy with the transactions as the cows had their thirst quenched which was good for the cows and their owners or herders, while the women whose basins were used, were happy with the sudden income.

Animosities and Acrimonies or the politicization of food and everything else Nigerian?

Nigerians for reasons best known to only Nigerians, are not in a hurry, it appears, to join the global debate of the clear and present danger in the Global warming phenomenon!

In the last seven years, in Nigeria, I have not heard on Radio, Television or read in the newspapers discussions regarding many topical issues, including the dire circumstances which Global warming could inflict on the world and Nigeria in particular.

Similarly, I never get to hear or see discussions about regular medical checks or Prostate Cancer screening for adult males over 40 as topical debates or adverts by pharmaceutical companies!

Often, I wonder whether Nigeria is a geopolitical space, where national culture or pastime encourages everyone to sleepwalk onto a precipice regarding all matters of national importance.

A quick example is the failed state status of neighboring Libya.  Thousands of Nigerians citizens are trapped as refugees in war torn Libya with thousands already repatriated by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Yet, if you want to know about Nigerians trapped and dying in Libya, you will have to rely on foreign media like Al Jazeera, CNN, BBC or SkyNews etc, not Nigerian television networks, radio or newspapers or Nigerian diplomats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or Diaspora Directorate!

It is obvious that the lives of Nigerian citizens are not considered important by the different strata of governments in Nigeria or the generality of the citizenry and the mass media; Otherwise, why the profound absence of concern for those Nigerians stuck in the warzone which Libya has become?

In my lifetime, I have witnessed several failed attempts by governments in Nigeria to create, or bolster Agricultural and Food security policies.

There was, in my childhood days, Agriculture Extension Services. These were operations undertaken by Federal and State government officials which involved interactions between government officials and a variety of farmers - Cocoa farmers, Rubber plantation farmers, and crop farmers.

There were free or subsidized farm inputs, which ranged from farm equipment to supplies or enhancers such as fertilizers.

Subsequently, there were broad policies, which I supposed were well intentioned, but, were nevertheless abysmal and woeful failures.

Some Nigerians of my generation will recall Operation Feed the Nation or OFN during the Olusegun Obasanjo military administration which was then quickly followed with the Green Revolution by the Shehu Shagari administration.

There currently exists in Nigeria, banks established by the Federal Government of Nigeria, dedicated to the facilitation of Agriculture, Commerce, Mortgage and Industry etc.

It cannot be the case that these banks were established to favor only Hausa-Fulani or Fulani Herdsmen. During Operation Feed the Nation, and Green Revolution, the Government of Nigeria established River Basin Authorities, Owena Basin, Rima Basin, Sokoto Basin Authority etc.

Politicization of Foods, the Politics of Cattle Grazing and Political Food Fights?

Quite clearly, it is not true, that participation in the productive processes which is the national food chain of Nigeria has been a private affair, and should remain a private affair.

Furthermore, there is nothing in the laws in Nigeria which prohibits, forbids and proscribes any ethnic group(s) from Cattle herding or Cattle ranching. A Yoruba, Igbo or Hausa person and the garden variety herder, the ubiquitous Fulani can also be participants.

Rural Grazing Area is said to be the full meaning of RUGA. There is nothing in the Constitution or statute which insists or makes it mandatory that an Edo person has to become Muslim or marry a Fulani woman, before participation in RUGA settlement or Cattle colonies.

It is the same way that a Nigerian does not have to bear DANGOTE as a last name in order to sell cement. The wasted tears and wasted emotions surrounding RUGA are just a waste and wasted tears don't make flowers grow! These wasted tears and unnecessary hysteria have not addressed the causes and effects of Global warming, population explosions in Nigeria, and possible solutions.

Nigerian governments have frequently involved themselves in helping private enterprises succeed, in various sectors, agriculture, industries etc. Accruing benefits and beneficiaries from government support of productive enterprises were nationwide.

It therefore a disingenuous and outright lie, to politicize any proposed support for animal husbandries, livestock farming and, or ranching as a targeted Federal Government largesse for Fulani herdsmen, predicated on the fact that President Buhari is a Nigerian Fulani, and as a matter of course, he is partial to the Fulani ethnic group and Fulani Herdsmen.

A Nigerian does not have to be of the Fulani ethnic group to enjoy beef, Suya, Kilishi and the rest of what constitutes protein in the Nigerian Food Chain!

As an unapologetic red meat eater who is over 40 years old, and despite the science which discourages red meat eating at my age, I have to confess that my meat eating enjoyment is not a favor to the Fulani by me or from me.

I love meat and it could have been sold to me by a Tiv, Urhobo, Igbo or Ogoja seller.

All Nigerians eat Fulani reared or grown cattle.

All Nigerians should be concerned with where foods come from, all Nigerians should be concerned with the welfare of those who produce our foods and other things we use for creating our health, wealth and happiness.

We may, and should learn to appreciate those responsible for creating what makes our lives interesting or good.

Additionally, in the midst of louder and louder complaints against Cattle herdsmen with reported negative interactions between crops farmers and herder farmers, including videos of cattle trespassing into primary and secondary schools, reasonable expectations were that there would be collective sighs of relief.

When and if, some remedial measures were undertaken by government, including, establishing virgin spaces for herders, just so that their incursions and negative interactions with Nigerian populations nationwide, would be reduced to a minimum.

There is such a Cattle colony or grazing ground, Abattoir and Cattle-Livestock Market in and around Bayelsa Palm formerly RISO Palm.

This has quietly worked well in Yenagoa, even as many other parts of Yenagoa are labeled No Grazing! The benefits have been reduced interactions between humans in high density populated areas in Yenagoa and Cattle, as the cows are in these Bayelsa Palm outskirts which is a low density population area.

I have observed set aside lands in Benin City, Edo State, around Ikpoba Hills on the outskirts of the city, where Cattle herders are far from the madding crowd and known interruptions cease.

RUGA appears to me to be an attempt by the Federal Government to stem the tide of crises between herders, livestock farmers and crops farmers, by removing cattle from the current rather contentious and volatile interactions or incursion into human populations throughout Nigeria.

RUGA should have been seen as an attempt by the Federal Government to confine cattle to remote localities thus ending cows mingling with the general population.

RUGA was an attempt at problem solving, whether it is cattle ranching, cattle colonies, RUGA or whatever the nomenclature thereby ending the now, all-too-familiar contentious interactions with human populations.

Political disdain or hatred towards President Buhari has morphed into disdain and hatred towards all Fulani. As a consequence, the Fulani herdsmen have been demonized as terrorists, kidnappers and an occupation force or land grabbers! Fulani has become a curse word!

The Muslim, Catholic and Protestant armed robbers and kidnappers in neighborhoods, where the predominant people are Muslim, Catholic and Protestant adherents, all now pretend to be Fulani Herdsmen!

 Kidnappers and Armed Robbers on East-West Road from Elele to Rumuji to Emuoha axis now have the veneer of Fulani.

There is so much dishonesty, subjectivity and negative politicization of our National insecurity, which has become a clear and present danger of extreme and absolute urgency! Nigerians know themselves, Nigerians know who the thieves are, who the thugs are, and who the armed robbers and kidnappers are!

All Nigerians should demand that all strata of governments in Nigeria should address mass unemployment, particularly amongst university graduates, who are now flooding into the pool of internet fraud, prostitution, mass migration, kidnappers, political thugs for hire, militancy, Boko Haram and other insurgencies!

Shrill-shouting Hausa Fulani, Fulani herdsmen as solely responsible for Nigeria's social maladies, decadence and sundry malaise, just because the current president is Fulani or that some take delight in expressing their disapproval or dislike of President Buhari, will not make the current Nigerian insecurities which are widening and spiraling out of control, suddenly evaporate.

 Insecurity could remain with us in Nigeria, perhaps on an even worse scale, well after President Buhari completes his second and final term as a civilian president.

It is therefore best, to debate, plan, implement or execute policies honestly, openly and transparently, instead of the current scapegoat of Fulani herdsmen, as the one-size-fits-all cause and diagnosis of Nigeria's nationwide insecurities!

Kidnappers, robbers and sundry wrongdoers from the multitude of churches and mosques in the neighborhoods on Ife-Ibadan Road and Benin-Ore Roads are now hiding behind the facade of Fulani Herdsmen Bogeymen!

The American government is prodigious in its support of farmers and all those engaged in food production, processing, storage and distribution.

America has robust agriculture and food policies. America has food strategic food reserves, just as it has strategic petroleum or energy reserves!

America has grain silos which are deployed strategically to positively affect prices of farm products for farmers and make it possible for the average person in America to afford food, but, without discouraging farmers as a result of too low market prices for farm products.

 It is thus a win-win all around for American citizens.

In the current trade war between America and China, American farmers are caught in the middle, as China relies on imported Soya Beans, Pork, Chickens etc.  

I wonder therefore, why, in view of the enumerated active vigorous involvements by government in Nigeria in agriculture and food productions nationwide, some Nigerians appear to still think that government involvement in agriculture and food production is new and a favor to the Fulani alone.