THE Resident Coordinator of the United Nations in Nigeria, Daouda Toure,on Monday, 24 October, 2011 sounded a note of warning, and one can only hope that those to whom the words were directed heard him very clearly.While celebrating the UN Day in Abuja, the nation's capital, Mr Taoure said there was a great need for governments at the three tiers to ensure an 'improvement that will be seen to leave no one behind, one that indeed stands for the poorest and the most marginalised, for without it, conflict in its worst manifestation remains a risk.'This warning , coming from the UN at a time when the economy has remained comatose, despite the plethora of economic wizards working in government, is one which every serious minded government official ought to take very deliberate and painstaking action on. The UN chief had noted the inevitability of 'conflict in its worst manifestation' if urgent solutions are not proffered to mitigate against the abject poverty under which Nigerians currently are forced to live.And the realities are already here with us.Parts of Lagos State last week experienced an orgy of violence occasioned by the killing of a youth by a military man. According to the report, the youth who happened to be a leader of other youths in the area had boarded a commercial bus, unknown to him that it was being driven by a millitary man, a soldier. Traditionally, policemen do not pay transport fares as a result of the larger-than-life picture they insist on in that lawless city. The report had it that the formerly unemployed youth, who had recently been employed by the police felt it was time he started living the lie that the lives of most policemen are. He told the driver that he was a 'staff'.Traditionally, when a passenger on a commercial bus in Lagos State tells the conductor or driver that he is a staff, what that means is that he is either a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), or a policeman. Both categories do not pay bus fares. He expected that he would be allowed, therefore, to disembark without paying but the soldier who was running the commercial bus as a means to make ends meet, due to the prevailing economic climate, would not have such rubbish. He promply parked, took the errant passenger on, and in the ensuing melee, he brought out a dagger with which he reportedly stabbed the youth who died before help could get to him. His colleagues of course took over from there and the result was a riot. Both the soldier-driver and the youth were obviously acting under financial duress. The reality of the Nigerian situation is a sad remainder of prodigal living. In the 70s, Nigerians lived in such opulence that a former Head of State was reported to have lamented that the country's problem was not money, but how to spend it. Even though many had thought that his comments were foolish, seen from another prism, he was actually saying the truth, a truth he obviously could also not comprehend at the time.The flitering away of the nation's resources under several guises is what has brought us to this sorry pass. If our past leaders had been sincere enough to muster the needed will and sincerity of purpose to plan and save ahead for the unborn generations, by now, no one will be giving us a lecture on how or what to do to take care of the citizenry, a task which is primarily why government exists.Monies budgetted to execute projects are usually padded to feed corruption while even the paltry sums that eventually get expended rarely get to do quality job. The monitors in government are only interested in what they can get for themselves, forgetting that what goes round comes round. A government official who because he had been bribed refuses to ensure due dilligence on a contract may end up losing his son or mother in an accident on the badly constructed road.The coming of economic gurus like Barth Nnaji, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Shamsudeen Usman, Olusegun Aganga and others like them, ordinarily should raise the hopes of the masses that there will be an improvement in the nation's economy but so far, that has not proven to be the case. This is most unfortunate. A former Minister of Defence and Army General, General Theophilus Danjuma, last week lamented the rate of unemployment in the country, warning that something urgent must be done to reverse the current trend. While Danjuma himself may be said to have been part of the coterie that has brought us to this unfortunate state, there may yet be hope that with a strong commitment to diligent planning and due execution of developmental programmes on the part of government, Nigeria may yet be save.It is, however, regrettable that instead of making provisions to ameliorate the pains that Nigerians are undergoing at this stage, the removal of the mirage called petroleum subsidy is the only concern of the Nigerian government at this time. There is a need for our policy makers to reverse the trend of making the poor pick the bills for the luxury enjoyed by the corruption-fed politicians and their accomplices in the public service. A situation whereby those who are already suffering are made to bear the brunt of government's inability to confront those who subvert the process can only lead us to the Tunisian debacle. And when that happens, no one will be able to say who will be alive to report unfolding events.Lewis, omotayolewis@yahoo.com (08055001746)ReactionsWhat does Abati really do'Sir, I just finished reading your write up on Friday Tribune.I really appreciate your view and observation on the leadership of Nigeria. We need a dynamic political framework that will form the bases for all politicians to operate. I believe this is one of the way forward.President Jonathan should replicate the Nehemiah style of leadership to prove his critics wrong.Gbenga Akinola,Ilorin,Kwara State.08121225103----------------------------------------------I believe Abati is confused himself and would be angry that he did not listen to wise counsel.Feyi Akeeb Kareem,08094418491
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