IMBECILE INSTITUTIONS, MISGUIDED ECONOMIC POLICIES, AND SELF-AGGRANDISEMENT: Bane of Nigeria’s Development – By Samuel Dr. Enajite Enajero

Imbecile institutions, misguided economic policies, and self-aggrandisement remain the greatest impediments to Nigeria’s development, reaffirmed Nigerian academic based in the United States, Dr. Enajite Enajero, yesterday.

“Ceremonialism has overshadowed our minds in Nigeria and the Okpe Kingdom. The three economic players—leaders, entrepreneurs, and consumers—have become ineffective. Leaders have failed in governance because of a 'my-village-first' philosophy. Our Okpe elites cannot be entrepreneurs and set up businesses that could employ the youths, because one must be purposeful, deliberative, and calculative to be successful in business. We cannot even be consumers owing to complete devotion to past habits. We consume foods our forefathers consumed, not because of their nutritional content. Ceremonial behaviors have brought poverty to the land. Leaders, elites, and commoners must learn to separate ceremonial from instrumental values like many other nations, or we must purge ceremonial habits from our long-term memory and acquire instrumental behaviors to attain sustainable development in Nigeria and the Okpe Kingdom."

Dr. Enajero, a Ph.D. holder in Economics, spoke during the 94th anniversary/annual conference of the Okpe Union in Lagos.

“The misguided economic practices introduced in Nigeria since independence that are unsuitable for its stage of development have resulted in repeated failures and are examples of future-binding ceremonial encapsulation.”

Speaking on the theme of the conference “The Socioeconomic Development in Nigeria, Particularly Okpe Kingdom,” Enajero said that since Delta State was created in 1993, successive governors have prioritized setting up projects and universities in their villages without regard for location or program duplication.

“Delta State is a microcosm of the entire Nigeria when it comes to ceremonialism. Since 1993, successive state governors have focused on setting up projects and universities in their villages, disregarding location and program duplication. This has led to inefficient use of state resources. The only reason for locating projects in hometowns is the adoration and exaltation by home folks to the detriment of other places in the state. This ceremonial habit will continue until, hopefully, every clan and village has a university."

He pointed out that successive governors failed to aggressively develop the private sector or solicit investments from abroad.

“To make matters worse, successive governors have focused only on revenue allocations from the federal government. They ignored the fact that an economy comprises both public and private sectors. The private sector, if properly tapped, could generate substantial economic activities and provide employment for Deltans compared to the public sector. All successive governors failed to aggressively develop the private sector or solicit investments from abroad (Europe, the U.S., Arab nations) that could create jobs and hope for graduates of these universities.”

He urged Governor Sheriff Oborevwori to clean up the state’s reputation before soliciting foreign capital.

“The international community has not forgotten the activities of MEND, replicated by incessant kidnappings, banditry, and robberies. The recent murders of 17 soldiers in the state reveal that cleaning up the state’s image will require a bold, calculative, and relentless effort to assure potential investors that Delta State is open for business.”

He also advised Oborevwori to showcase the state's shores internationally and make them attractive to private investors.

“State resources include water, land, and people. We have a beautiful Atlantic coastline in the state. If the federal government fails to utilize the deep seaports due to ethnic marginalization, the state administration could adequately showcase the shores internationally and make them attractive to private investors. Sapele waters lie in waste because successive governors, including champions of 'Urhobo Ovuovo,' saw Sapele, giggled, and looked away.”

He asked the Federal and State Governments to take advantage of the vast reservoir of human resources abroad.

“Furthermore, I am acquainted with several Deltan chemists and engineers who worked and retired from city water plants in the U.S. They would be willing to advise the governors on constructing pipe water plants in towns and villages across Delta State. State resources are more than federal allocations; they include domestic and diaspora technocrats. Governors can reward party chieftains with public positions. However, they need scientists and technocrats locally or abroad to develop the state. For the past three decades, China, India, and the Arab world have benefited from their citizens in developed countries. Nigeria does not take advantage of its vast reservoir of human resources abroad.”

Enajero identified self-aggrandizement among Okpe politicians as a major challenge to the development of the kingdom.

“Beyond ceremonialism that dominates and strangles instrumental behaviors in Nigeria, plus ethnic-focused projects in Delta State, Okpe land faces local institutional problems. The most daunting is self-aggrandizement among Okpe politicians. Consider, for example, how many federal projects and educational institutions have come to Okpe land since the state was created in 1993? Zero. Whom to blame? Okpe people sent you to Asaba and Abuja to negotiate, vigorously engage in political maneuvers, and win projects for Okpe land. Besides, what happened to the Sapele Polytechnic? It is left in ruin. I hope the Orerokpe School of Social Science is not viewed as a solace or a substitute for the Sapele Poly!”

The renowned U.S. academic poured encomiums on the founders of Okpe Union.

“The Okpe Union has come a long way from its inception in 1930 and existed long before Nigeria became independent. This attests to the acumen and enduring socio-political self-awareness of the Okpe people. The Okpe Union seems to be the first ethnic organization in Nigeria, yet Okpe is not identified as a distinct ethnic group in Delta State and Nigeria. Until recently, the Okpe Union worked collaboratively with the Okpe Monarch for the socioeconomic development of Okpe land. In fact, the stool of the Okpe Monarch was vacant until 1945 when the Okpe Union worked tirelessly to restore the throne. Ironically, Okpe Kingdom had no monarchs for years due to fears that a new Okpe King would act like its predecessors, who were dictators. Currently, the Okpe Union is split into two factions, and any attempt to reconcile the Union has been elusive.”