I was shocked when I learnt that each delegate to the National
Conference would pocket N12million at the end of the three-month
programme. As a retired civil servant who collected just N2million
after 35 years of service to my country, I am yet to digest what these
delegates would do for three months, which I didn’t do for 35 years.
In my own opinion, I don’t think the delegates would ever reach a
consensus on a number of issues. We are so divided in this country, and
we could have allowed our ‘giant’ to continue to sleep. Waking the
sleeping giant with a national conference would only bring us more
problems.
Again, some Nigerians are beginning to see the conference as
government’s opportunity to reach out to some elite in the society to
‘come and eat’ from the national cake. If I was still in service, I
could submit my retirement letter if I was invited to become a member of
the
conference. After working for 35 years, I earned only N2million,
and if I could join the conference, I would earn N12million!
My God, this country is rich. Our problem is just knowing how to
distribute the wealth. I know that some people have become millionaires
through the conference, which I know would not bring us the solution we
crave for in this country.
However, we should look at how to distribute the wealth of this
country evenly. I think another conference should be constituted, where
delegates would talk about the problems in the education sector; another
on health should be constituted, as well as on unemployment, and no
individual should be a delegate twice. With this, we can re-distribute
our wealth.
I know those who are at the conference in Abuja now would not spend
the money alone; they would acquire new cars when they return, some
would marry new wives, others would patronise new girlfriends, and
through all these, wealth is being re-distributed.
I hope the President, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, would come out with
modalities towards the constitution of new national confabs for each
problem we are having.
Aleke James,
Independence Layout, Enugu.
alekstwo@gmail.com
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