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It is their duty to provide for those coming after them, in the light of their prevailing circumstances. In any case, most of the permanent buildings in our secondary schools, and most of our permanent hospitals and health centres would become slums and be demolished in 40 years’ time or so. Since we cannot afford, and it is at any rate extreme folly for us, to embark on permanent prestige buildings that will last for centuries, we should content ourselves with building for, say, 30 years at a time.
In this way, our present slender resources, bolstered by community efforts, will go much further than would otherwise have been the case. Lest we are accused of being impractical, we would like to say that this was precisely the policy pursued, in regard to primary school buildings in the Western Region, when it was decided to introduce free primary education in 1955. In the urban areas, the problem is different. But it can be solved as it was in the Western Region. There are many existing Government buildings which can be converted into primary and secondary schools, and which are now being occupied more or less free, and unjustly so, by Government functionaries.
Furthermore, the money for acquiring land and paying contractors to erect temporary buildings can be found. All we need to do is to attach top priorities to buildings for education and health instead of to buildings required for the housing of Government functionaries. Every year, the Governments of the Federation spend millions of pounds on building inessential houses and offices. They will need much less for capital expenditure on education and health facilities-in one year, if the policy is to erect temporary structures. There is an old saying which is as true as ever in the context of this discussion. ‘Where there is a will, there is away.’ Ifwe have the will, and the iron resolve to embark on free education and health facilities for our people, the way to their successful accomplishment will open. The present civil war is an apt case in point. It may sound incredible, but it is true, that for the nine months of I September, 1967 to 31 May, 1968, the Federal Government had spent on the civil war, in local currency alone, an aggregate total of £48m., an average of £138,300 per day. When it is remembered that the total revenue available to the Federal Government, for the whole fiscal year of 1967/68, for spending on its own services, is £93m., it can be seen quite vividly what the will of man can achieve when it is focussed on a problem.
It is our conviction, which we believe will be shared by most Nigerians, that ignorance and disease are deadlier enemies than the rebellion which has demanded and is still demanding so much sacrifice from us in money, property, and lives. The war against ignorance and disease must, therefore, be waged with at least the same grim determination and resolve. In this creative, life-saving, and nation-building war, the cost in money will be much less; the only casualties will be ignorance, disease, and poverty; and the victorious survivors will be a united Nigerian community which is economically free, and which is prosperous and happy.
It will be seen from the foregoing exposition, that the case for the practicability of free education at all levels and free health facilities for all, even under our present capitalist and subservient economy, is conclusively established. ffthese schemes are essential and practicable under the capitalist system, a fortiori they are more so under the socialist system. For the avoidance of doubt, we would like to emphasize that when education becomes free at all levels, it is imperative that the courses of instruction should be such as would help effectively and efficiently to promote and achieve the country’s social
objectives. Otherwise square pegs would be produced for round holes, and the country’s resources would remain as under-utilized and mis-utilized as ever.
We now proceed to show how the social objectives which we have stated at the beginning of this chapter can be achieved.
In Nigeria’s efforts to attain to these objectives, one of two paths are open to it: the capitalist or the socialist system. To an under-developed country like Nigeria, groping its way to economic freedom and prosperity, the capitalist system is very tempting. Its achievements are not merely a matter of theoretical exposition, or of the recorded history of a distant past; they can be seen everywhere around us, particularly on the continent of Europe, and in North America and Australasia. Besides, the cardinal virtue of the capitalist system, which is naked self-interest or greed, otherwise known as private enterprise, has special appeal to every man and woman. Until he or she has been completely seared, and rendered prostrate and helpless by the evil forces of the system, everybody believes that the capitalist system is the best, and specially designed for his or her personal economic advancement and aggrandizement. We have in two previous chapters almost exhaustively examined the capitalist system; and our considered verdict is that in the long run it is doomed to extinction, and that, as long as it lasts, it is bound to generate secular social injustice and disequilibrium, and persistently widen the gap between the rich and the poor, in the society in which it operates. On the other hand, because of the attributes of the socialist system which we have abundantly indicated, it is clear that this system is undoubtedly superior to the capitalist system. To be sure, socialism, as a practical economic way of life, is only fifty years old. Even so, by the achievements of the U.S.S.R., Eastern European countries, and People’s China, it has shown its superiority as a more dependable and surer means of securing material well- being and social justice for all and sundry, than capitalism in all its more than two centuries of existence.
If, therefore, the aim of Nigeria is the attainment of economic freedom and prosperity for all its citizens, at a comparatively early date, then there is only one choice open to it. It must, forthwith, adopt the socialist approach to all its social problems. In this holes, and the country’s resources would remain as under-utilized and mis-utilized as ever.
We now proceed to show how the social objectives which we have stated at the beginning of this chapter can be achieved.
In Nigeria’s efforts to attain to these objectives, one of two paths are open to it: the capitalist or the socialist system. To an under-developed country like Nigeria, groping its way to economic freedom and prosperity, the capitalist system is very tempting. Its achievements are not merely a matter of theoretical exposition, or of the recorded history of a distant past; they can be seen everywhere around us, particularly on the continent of Europe, and in North America and Australasia. Besides, the cardinal virtue of the capitalist system, which is naked self-interest or greed, otherwise known as private enterprise, has special appeal to every man and woman. Until he or she has been completely seared, and rendered prostrate and helpless by the evil forces of the system, everybody believes that the capitalist system is the best, and specially designed for his or her personal economic advancement and aggrandizement. We have in two previous chapters almost exhaustively examined the capitalist system; and our considered verdict is that in the long run it is doomed to extinction, and that, as long as it lasts, it is bound to generate secular social injustice
and disequilibrium, and persistently widen the gap between the rich and the poor, in the society in which it operates.
On the other hand, because of the attributes of the socialist system which we have abundantly indicated, it is clear that this system is undoubtedly superior to the capitalist system. To be sure, socialism, as a practical economic way of life, is only fifty years old. Even so, by the achievements of the U.S.S.R., Eastern European countries, and People’s China, it has shown its superiority as a more dependable and surer means of securing material well- being and social justice for all and sundry, than capitalism in all its more than two centuries of existence.
If, therefore, the aim of Nigeria is the attainment of economic freedom and prosperity for all its citizens, at a comparatively early date, then there is only one choice open to it. It must, forthwith, adopt the socialist approach to all its social problems.
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The PDP spokesman recalled how the opposition party had on various occasions alerted that the APC government had ceded sovereignty over a large portion of our country to terrorists, “many of whom were imported into our country by the APC.”
He further stated: “From the video, in a brazen manner, terrorists as non-state actors boldly showed their faces, boasting, admitting and confirming their participation in the Kuje Prison break, some of whom were former prison inmates who were either jailed or awaiting trial for their previous terrorism act against our country.
“Nigerians can equally recall the confession by the Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai that the APC government knows the plans and whereabouts of the terrorists but failed to act.
According to Ologunagba, about 18,000 Nigerians have been killed by terrorists between 2020 and 2022 “as the criminals continue to be emboldened by the failures and obvious complicity of the APC and to which the PDP had always drawn attention.”
“This is not politics; this is about humanity and leadership, which leadership sadly and unfortunately is missing in our country at this time,” he said.
The PDP added that it is appalled by “the lame response by the apparently helpless, clueless and deflated Buhari Presidency, wherein it told an agonizing nation that President Buhari “has done all and even more than what was expected of him as Commander in Chief by way of morale, material and equipment support to the military…”
“This is a direct admission of incapacity and failure by the Buhari Presidency and the APC. At such a time, in other climes, the President directly leads the charge and takes drastic measures to rescue and protect his citizens.
“In time of adversity, the President transmutes into Consoler-in-Chief to give hope and succour to the citizens. Painfully, Nigeria does not have a President who cares and can stand as Consoler-in-Chief to the citizens.
“It has now become very imperative for Nigerians to take note and realize that the only solution to this unfortunate situation is to hold the APC government accountable. We must come together as a people, irrespective of our political, ethnic and religious affiliations to resist the fascist-leaning tendencies of the APC administration.
Ologunagba called for an urgent meeting of the National Council of State to advise on the way to go over the nation’s worsening insecurity.
“Our nation must not fall. The resilient Nigerian spirit and ‘can-do- attitude’ must be rekindled by all to prevail on the President to immediately and without further delay, accede to the demand by the PDP and other well-meaning Nigerians to convene a special session of the National Council of State to find a lasting solution since the President has, in his own admission, come to his wit’s end,” the PDP spokesman declared.
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