Aruviere
Martin Egharhevwa is a young qualified Nigerian lawyer living in London, United
Kingdom. In this interview with Saturday Vanguard Business, Urhobo
born citizen of Delta State, laments the rate of unemployment among Nigerian
youths, epileptic power supply that has crippled business operation in the
country, insecurity and poor level of economic development in the country.
Excerpts:
Since the
ban of Okada in some states in Nigeria without a better replacement, insecurity
is on the increase, what do you think is the solution?
The law enforcement agencies are seen by the perpetrators of crimes as impotent; and the courts, where they are meant to be prosecuted, as prostrate.Today, Nigeria is increasingly being seen and projected as a lawless state. The impression is that you can commit any type of crime and nothing would happen to you.
Thus anything
can go and the system is helpless about it. It is for this and all such
failures by the state that many see Nigeria either as a failed or failing
state, depending on persuasion.
There is
upsurge in crimes in Nigeria because it is not only lucrative; criminals hardly
pay the price for their activities.
The nation’s
dysfunctional judiciary has emboldened them the more. Suspects are arrested,
but before you could think of what becomes of them they are released either on
bail or surreptitiously. The same set of people goes back to their pastime.
Renowned
American jurist, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., once said that crime in
the eye of a bad guy is the consequences that go with its commission. The only
solution to crime is justice; somebody must and should be held responsible for
a crime. Thereafter, prosecution and subsequent sentencing.
Do you
think the oil companies in the Niger Delta have done enough empowerment for
their youths?
No! They have
failed the people abysmally. Empowerment, even development and employment is
comatose. Take my immediate community for example, Kokori Inland. We produce
one of the best crude oil in the world but today the community is worse for it.
No jobs for my people! Graduates, skilled workers and the rest of them are
roaming our streets dejected and rejected by the multi nationals operating in
the Niger Delta region.
Could you
please suggest how Nigerian youths can be empowered?
Criminologists
have known for ages that economic disaffiliation is one of the most potent
triggers of counter-cultural and violent tendencies. They have known, too, that
the disempowering tyranny of poverty and the all-too-familiar indiscretions
that the exuberance of youth instigate are a combustible mix that all too often
ignite extreme social conflagrations.
Nigerians
don’t need any high-minded social science theorist to tell them this. They
know, from their recent live experience, that poverty and youth don’t mix well.
The Boko Haram violence, although now definitely fizzling out, is eloquent
testimonial endorsement of this fact.
It isn’t
accidental that Yobe and Borno states, which have the dubious honour of being
among Nigeria’s states that are poor, bear the worst burden of the Boko Haram
insurgency. Although the ideological masterminds of Boko Haram’s terror aren’t
poor, its foot soldiers are recruited from the flotsam and jetsam of the
populace, from the economically disaffiliated in the society, from young people
who apparently have nothing to live for and can therefore be easily manipulated
into unthinking, unreflecting extremism.
If British
politician Benjamin Disraeli is right that “the youth of a nation are the
trustees of posterity,” then the imperative of governance should be to give the
youth of any society something to live for. In other words, the fulcrum of
governance should revolve around securing the future of the youth, rejuvenating
their hopes, and empowering their present.
Nigerians
pay high tariff on power supply, yet they don’t have it. Recently, it has been
increased, is it how it is being done abroad?
Not at all,
you enjoy whatever you pay for. I must quickly state it that, I consider it
unfair, unjust and unacceptable for government to place the big burden of
electricity tariff on customers despite the increasingly deteriorating services
of PHCN. There is no justification for it especially when the generality of
electricity consumers across the country are yet to derive sustainable
satisfaction from the services provided by the PHCN.
In spite of
the high tariff, electricity supply across the country remains erratic.
Domestic and industrial electricity consumers are not getting value for the
outrageous monthly electricity bills they are forced to pay for poor services
rendered by PHCN.
Across the
country, businesses of artisans, small-scale entrepreneurs and other investors
are being crippled by erratic electricity supply.
This has led
to more blue-chip companies relocating from Nigeria to neighboring countries,
where conducive operating environment is guaranteed. Whereas in Nigeria that
aspires to be among the first 20 frontline economies in the world by 2020, 120
million of the 160 million people after 53 years of independence, have no
access to electricity supply.
Also, as at
2006, more than 60 million generators were imported into the country yearly
while a whopping sum of N1.6 trillion was expended on fueling generators.
It is
scandalous that even The Presidency and the various tiers of government across
the country are contributors to this avoidable waste and drain on the financial
resources of the country. Importation of generators has become a big and highly
lucrative business handled by a powerful and influential cabal. This seems why
over the years, nothing is working in the power sector.
As long as the
generator business is booming, the problem of epileptic power supply will
persist since there is criminal collaboration between importers of generators
and some unpatriotic and corrupt persons in high places.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2013/08/53-years-after-120m-nigerians-have-no-access-to-electricity-egharhevwa/
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