Your Devt Expectations for Yuletide Period?

Although citizens’ preferences vary from region to region or from different locations around the country, many Nigerians are not averse to regular uninterrupted power supply during the coming festive period of Christmas or Yuletide. Some want roads rehabilitated during the current dry season, some want workers salaries to be paid fully, while others want a greater clampdown on corruption and crime. In your own view, which development expectation do you want governments to fulfil in the coming Yuletide period, and why?

ABIMBOLA AKOSILE

* An improvement in our economic growth and infrastructure would do Nigerians a lot of good. People need to be alive and have sources of sustenance first before they can be led. Nigerians deserve a better quality of life.

– Ms Nkeiruka Abanna, Lagos

* I appeal to Minister of Power, Works and Housing to use his good office to direct contractors handling road projects nationwide to speed up works on our roads to make them motorable for commuters travelling for Christmas to avoid accident on the roads. The government should ensure the prices of food items are reduced to make them affordable for the common man in the streets at this season. Security should also be beefed up nationwide to avoid crimes during this Christmas and beyond.

– Mr. Gordon Chika Nnorom, Public Commentator, Umukabia, Abia State

* Christmas and New Year celebrations without salary are better imagined at a time of harsh economic bites. The effects of arbitrarily high cost of living, insecurity, unemployment, political maneuvers and disunity have prevented full leadership focus and economic development. The solution is to reverse the trend through patriotic leadership. We must also connect our population, demand, supply, price etc forces to discourage smuggling but instead convert their advantages to our collective benefit. This economy in the current dispensation is biting the citizens quite harshly and needs urgent attentions now.

– Miss Apeji Patience Eneyeme, Badagry, Lagos State

* My development expectation for the Yuletide period cannot necessarily by uninterrupted power supply or roads rehabilitation because we are already used to all these. But let there be sufficient fuel to carry people round and subsidised food items to include chicken, beef, fish e.t.c. The Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) can never give you an assurance of 24 hours uninterrupted power supply. We need sufficient food as even in the darkness we are used to, we can still celebrate.

– Hon. Babale Maiungwa, U/Romi, Kaduna

* My development expectations this Yuletide have to do primarily with those economic activities that rain would otherwise disrupt. I see no reason why pertinent road projects around the country shouldn’t be completed, or at least updated, this Harmattan cum Yuletide. Also, I’d like to know why a country like Nigeria is yet to perfect and upscale dry-season farming. Finally, the National Assembly should endeavour to give us all the gift of a ‘passed appropriation bill’ a.k.a. budget this Yuletide.

– Mr. E. Iheanyi Chukwudi, B.A.R., Apo, Abuja

* Government should make this Yuletide period free by providing security nationwide and make our roads motorable for travellers at Yuletide to avoid accidents.

– Mrs. Ijeoma Nnorom, Lagos State

* Nigerian pensioners are dying, despite Mr. President’s directives to pay them their full benefits before proceeding on sick leave abroad, and subsequent budgeting in 2017 and release of bailout fund. Food, medical, school fees, housing, power supply etc are burdened with no relief; instead, termination, dismissal, retirement, unemployment e.t.c. are the norm of the day. Corruption, armed robbery, Fulani herdsmen etc compounded. Roads rehabilitation should be done if need be before the rains.

– Mr. Dogo Stephen, Kaduna

* Regular uninterrupted power supply and fully paid salaries during this coming Yuletide are my developmental expectations. Nigerians are business, travelling, partying, frivolous spenders etc this festive time. Employers, unrepentantly callous oil marketers, and even government have no moral justification to subject the masses to unnecessary future, modern social, mental, economic etc slavery in the midst of our huge natural resources. What is any moral justification for fuel scarcity and hike as always in December and non-payment of legitimate workers’ salaries? It’s unfortunate.

– Mr. Apeji Onesi, Lagos State

* A return to normalcy concerning fuel shortages. A secure nation and most expeditiously a speedy return of all our nationals stranded in Libya.

– Mr. Buga Dunj, Jos, Plateau State

* What I can see is the main problem of Nigeria is ignorance! Our people are so naive to their plight. Every corner we see poverty instead of ignorance. Our people need a wake-up call to have access to information which is the bedrock of empowerment. They are too gullible to a system which has failed them in all ramifications. Knowledge empowers people. Average civil servant does not know what is in our governance. That is Nigerian constitution. Pupils don’t know their rights; patients don’t have a right of how they are treated or where to go for treatment. There is no respect for life, privacy and right to adequate information. The whole country is sick.

– Alhaja Adeyinka Lawal, London, UK

* The state governments should ensure total clearance of outstanding salaries of their workers, now that they have received their share of the Paris Club refund balance. The federal government should also ensure nationwide peace and security in this Yuletide period, which is a favourite bombing time for the insurgents. Anti-corruption agencies should also bury any hatchet between them at this time, in the interest of collective success against corrupt officials and looters.

– Mr. Olumuyiwa Olorunsomo, Lagos State

* At states and federal level all accumulated salaries being owed by the employer in some of the civil services should be paid before Christmas and the New Year. The government should also made announcement for multi-purpose social welfare packages that will cover the transportation sectors, such as giving out free loans for cars, buses to commercial drivers, subsidise the high cost of transportation and living conditions. Government should bring out a policy that will address social needs like security, make an announcement on new Minimum wage that will start from January 2018. Commitments to development of human needs that will translate into employment creation and an enabling environment for the private sectors and giving the farmers hope on supply of farming inputs, addressing agricultural farming problems, with broadcast on the new social welfare schemes for unemployed citizens that will spur entrepreneurship development and skill acquisition and wealth transfers to the poor populace in our societies. We should also have a new economic policy that will address poverty in Nigeria.

– Mr. Michael Adedotun Oke, Founder, Michael Adedotun Oke Foundation, Abuja

THE FEEDBACK

Top expectation: Clear workers’ outstanding salaries

Second: Repair bad road networks, infrastructure

Third: Tackle fuel shortage, ensure power supply

Radical tip: Reduce high cost of food prices!

Total no of respondents: 12

Male: 8

Female: 4

Highest location: Lagos (5)

Next Week: Top Tips to Ensure an Improved 2018?

In terms of development, the outgoing year 2017 can best be described as a mixture of the positive and negative, many believe. Despite the huge N7.4 trillion budget of ‘growth and hope’ which is the highest so far in the nation’s history, and despite the federal government’s various efforts, development has not percolated to the grassroots level fully, with hunger, poverty and unemployment still rife. In your own view, how can development best be improved in 2018?

Please make your response direct, short and simple, and state your full name, title, organisation, and location. Responses should be sent between today (December 21 & Monday, December 25) to abimbolayi@yahoo.com, greatbimbo@gmail.com, AND abimbola.akosile@thisdaylive.com. Respondents can also send a short text message to 08023117639 and/or 08188361766 and/or 08114495306. Collated responses will be published on Thursday, December 28