YAKURR 2011: LET THE DIALOGUE BEGIN (1)

After I lost in my bid to become Executive Chairman of Yakurr Local Government Area of Cross River State in Nigeria (2007), I vowed not to have anything further to do with Yakurr politics (I will explain why, shortly). For those who are not familiar with Nigeria’s political system, the Local Government Area (LGA) is the arm of government closest to the people, coming after the Federal and State Governments. A collection of LGAs make up a state, and all the states make up the Federal Republic of Nigeria. As enshrined in the Federal constitution, each LGA is an autonomous entity with an elected executive head, elected legislative council and a corresponding administrative structure to implement policies that emanate from the executive and legislative arms. To give bite to this arrangement, each LGA draws a monthly allocation of funds from the Federal Coffers in addition to any locally generated revenues that are realized. A conservative estimate of Yakurr LGA’s monthly share of the federal allocation can be put at Seventy-five million naira (N75, 000, 000). This is about Five hundred thousand US dollars monthly. I currently have the responsibility of managing an HIV/AIDS project with an annual budget of Eight hundred and fifty thousand US dollars and I appreciate how far funds can go if managed properly. Let us assume that 50% of the Yakurr LGA monthly revenue goes to overhead in terms salaries/allowances for civil servants and political office holders as well as recurrent expenditures like office maintenance, equipment and consumables; this still leaves the Yakurr LGA with an average monthly allocation of about N38, 000, 000. Add internally generated revenue and Yakurr LGA should boast of at least N40, 000, 000 monthly for development projects. The question is: WHAT ARE THE DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OF THE YAKURR PEOPLE? While every Yakurr man and woman can proffer an answer to this question, the fundamental truth is that collectively, the Yakurr nation currently does not know its developmental needs. This is because in recent history, there has not been any forum that would provide the opportunity for Yakurr people to discuss their situation and articulate a common front in terms of their socio-economic and political situation.

Try some of these developmental needs for starters: AGRICULTURE. The typical Yakurr man/woman is a farmer. Our people have farmed as far back as we can remember, but our farming systems remain pristine and under subsistence levels. Our soils can raise such crops as rice and other cereals, yams and other tuber crops, all manner of vegetables as well as economic crops- palms (oil, raffia and cocoanut), rubber, cocoa etc. However, unlike their counterparts in northern Nigeria who now know how to use fertilizer and get it at subsidized rates from their LGAs; who depend on their LGAs for tractors and other farm equipment; who depend on water supplied by government for the irrigation of their often arid farmlands, the Yakurr farmer who is blessed with water by nature does not even know that the LGA has a responsibility to assist him, not to talk of fertilizer, farm equipment etc. This is a clear developmental need of the Yakurr people- education for our farmers on modern and more productive farming methods and support in terms of infrastructure and equipment. EDUCATION. Agreed there is a general downward slide in the quality of Education in Nigeria beginning from the early 90s, but it is the responsibility of every self-respecting group to secure its future by ensuring that its youths get as much education as it is possible to enable them compete with their counterparts elsewhere. Today we are quick to mention that the Yoruba’s are everywhere- Education, Finance, Banking, Engineering, Medicine, Architecture- but we seldom remember that Obafemi Awolowo saw the importance of educating Yoruba youths and made sure as many of them that are willing to receive western education, got it to any level that they desired. Like in America and other developed countries, the first degree is fast becoming just the beginning of a complete education- but how many Yakurr parents can support their children up to the first degree not to mention an additional degree? Yakurr sons and daughters who do well in their first degrees, but do not have the wherewithal to advance their education should be supported through bursary and scholarship awards to do so. The more educated a person is, there more he is able to contribute to his community. INFORMATION, COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY (ICT): This is the year 2009 and the world has gone and is still going cyber and digital, yet Yakurr people do not have access to the Cross River radio and television stations not to mention access to the worldwide web. So how do we key in into developmental initiatives at the state and federal levels? We use to make the erroneous assumption that the average Hausa man is stupid because he does not speak the English language, now I know better. The first thing a Hausa person acquires when he comes of age is a portable radio receiver! National and state radio programs are delivered to him in Hausa language, Voice of America, British Broadcasting Service and most other international news services are delivered to him in Hausa. Currently the universal search engine Google has a Hausa version. Who would be more empowered? The “less literate” Hausa trader or farmer who has at his disposal all kinds of information in his native language and the “more literate” Yakurr man whose only source of information is hear-say from those who are opportune to travel to Calabar on a regular basis? In South Africa I saw local government authorities in the Kwazulu-Natal region working with local communities to establish and run community radio stations that break down international news, agricultural and community development programs for the understanding and application of ordinary community people. Yakurr LGA is the only LGA in Cross River State if not in Nigeria that can boast of a Community Newspaper- the X-Ray. Most people find it difficult to separate this budding newspaper from the personality of its publisher, thereby failing to realize the potentials of the X-Ray. With no internet access, no radio/television access, Yakurr people are gradually depending on the X-Ray for news from within and without. The Yakurr nation needs to strategically connect its people to the outside world using all available ICT platforms. A collaborative relationship between the X-Ray and the Local Government Council could be a step in the right direction. Yakurr LGA secretariat needs a website and for less than N5,000,000 the council will be wired via broadband and all staff beginning from the Chairman down would have functional access to the net for internal and external communications. ICT is a developmental need of the Yakurr people.

These and several other development needs of the Yakurr people can be addressed through careful and strategic planning, efficient utilisation of available human and material resources as well as the involvement of all stakeholders. The Local Government as an arm of governance is at the heart of the people and it is too important to be toyed with in the name of politics. Each time leadership is forced on the Yakurr people, the people loose several years of advances they may have made through personal strive. This vicious cycle must stop. HOW? In about a year, the jostling for who becomes what, politically in Yakurr LGA will commence (assuming it has not started already) and the battle will be within the PDP except somebody materialises out of the blues overnight, with the brains, brawns and bucks to once again take on the PDP in Yakurr LGA. The battle within the PDP will be between those who currently hold political offices and those who aspire to those positions. Between now and then, those who currently hold offices would be very careful- kowtowing to the powers that be (the state government and the PDP leadership) – to prevent any loss of patronage from their godfathers. In the process, the good people of Yakurr and their aspirations would be sacrificed for 2 or 3 political positions that never make a difference in the lives of the people. We have only two options: ACCEPT THE SITUATION AS IT IS AND STOP COMPLAINING or DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE OUR SITUATION AS A PEOPLE. According to Barrack Obama (He needs no introduction): “We are the change we are looking for”.

As a way out of this developmental conundrum I propose an inclusive YAKURR SUMMIT to be convened on or before the end of 2009. I am saying in effect that Yakurr people should begin to dialogue with each other. Dialogue in its simplest definition means: “Intentionally seeking to understand by listening deeply, inquiring and advocating in order to uncover meanings, reveal assumptions and experience the reality of another; seeking new ways to understand each other and to create a shared sense of meaning through conversation”. It is in this sense that I propose a summit. Such a summit should aim at healing real and perceived wounds and rifts amongst our political leaders, and developing an agenda/blue print for the social, economic and political advancement of the Yakurr nation with the full involvement of all key sectors- politicians, academia, the professions, business class, farmers etc.
In part 2 of this series, we shall explore in details the aims and objectives of the proposed summit, the ways and means of organizing it, the key participants and other issues. Your reactions (whatever they are) are very crucial to sustaining this dialogue. LET US TALK TO OURSELVES AS BROTHERS AND SISTERS.