LAUNCHING THE NIGERIAN REFORM MOVEMENT

AND

THE TOTAL RESTRUCTURE OF THE POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC LANDSCAPE OF NIGERIA

By

L. EMEKA OGAZI

Table Of Contents:

Preamble

Opportunity--The Economy

Responsibility

Restoring Community

Preserving Our National Security

Conclusion

Preamble

My fellow citizens, academics, journalists, unionists, traditional rulers, religious leaders, women leagues, students, businesses - please, join us in launching the Nigerian Reform movement.

This movement will represent a cross section of the Nigerian public from all works of life seeking a different direction in solving our Nation’s numerous problems under one voice. We will present a credible, practical workable agenda that reflect the aspiration of all citizens. We will be united in forging an opposition to corruption and mismanagement of our economy.

This movement will have a non- fee-paying memberships, register voters; field independent candidates running for local and national offices under our agenda. We will conduct public enlightenment grass root campaigns to educate the public about our “real solution for real problem” agenda. Our campaign issues will be strictly adhered to our agenda. We will participate as observers on election day at polling stations.

On election day 2007, our members will be deployed all over the country to observe polling stations with video cameras along with international observers for a free and fair elections. Our member representatives elected to office as independents will uphold our movement agenda and work with other legislators to amend our nation’s constitution that truly reflect the aspirations of the people, and hopefully witness what would emerge as the embryo of a new way of running society...

I know by now you like myself are tired of the unabated economic and political decline of our nation with no end in sight. Yes our nation is experiencing a slow death syndrome; and will only survive when you and I put away tribal and ethnic sentiments and indifferences and unite, that she will survive. In order to unite, there must be an unequivocal reciprocal respect, trust and compassion between all tribes and ethnic groups. Let by-gone-be-by-gone and lets move forward. After all, Nigeria is not the only country on earth that has been involved in a civil war; the United States of America also had a civil war.

Look at the state of the nation; banking and financial sectors are in distress, textile and manufacturing in crises, jobless college graduates, our young women deported from one country or the other everyday on grounds of prostitution, high cost of living, high interest rate and worthless naira, high unemployment, outdated infrastructures, restless citizens waiting outside foreign embassy gates to obtain visas out of Africa, (the exodus).

My friends, our Nation deserves better, it’s time to change the status quo and elect a government who has a practical, specific agenda; whose leadership is pragmatic and responsive to the needs of ordinary citizens. Those men who have continued to perpetuate religious, ethnic and tribal sentiments are still in the corridors of power and they have placed our nation on the edge of economic and political ruin with their present and past failed policies. Our country has been unjustly impoverished by few individuals at the corridor of power and their henchmen and cheerleaders, but it is the responsibility of they moral majority to reclaim our lost glory and the soul of our country.

History has shown that the instrumentalities of oppression like apartheid, slavery, communism, colonialism, dictatorship were destroyed through the instrumentalities of men. Let’s concentrate our resources together under the Nigerian Reform Movement and change the status quo and move our country to a new direction of economic and political reform.

We need to change the direction of this nation and all of Africa, and to achieve this, we need a total change in the way government is run, by reforming the cultural atmosphere that breed these authoritarian and corrupt so called African leaders. By encouraging freedom movement all over Africa once again, just like the freedom movement for Africa independence and total liberation from past colonial masters.

They starting point will be Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and the envy of the Black world. Blessed with enormous natural resources, but whose self appointed so called leaders, choose to self destruct and impoverish the entire citizens, but we will not let it happen. We can not achieve this noble goals and agendas without your participation and input through membership and voter registration. This is the time for all of us to concentrate our resources of intellectual capacity and engage in nation building to stop further economic erosion and harm to our economy and way of life.

We need to prove otherwise to those who say that; Africa can not rule herself and that our genes are predisposed to lawlessness and lack of integrity.

Please, spread the news about this movement and our message of hope and change to your congregations, churches, mosques, schools, villagers, co-workers, leagues, internet café rooms.

Let’s put aside our contrived differences and save our nation. Contrived differences

because, in overseas we are each other’s best friends regardless of which tribe or ethnic group we come from. And in Overseas, we are seen as black Africans and judged by the color of our skin not by our ethnic or tribal lineage.

Ethnicity and tribal divide is an instrument used by the ruling elite in Nigeria and other African countries to divide us so they can hang on to power, perpetuate hatred and plunder our treasuries. Just like the “Divide and Conquer” scheme.

For those who are nursing the idea of a divided Nigeria, think again, because ethnic divisions also exists even within the major and minor tribes so, were do this quest for separate country agitation end…... Wake up people…….

Nigeria is on the wrong track. The Nigerian people are hurting. Our dream of being one of the most prosperous nation based on our natural resources is fast fading.

Many families are working hard, playing by the rules, but still falling behind. Poverty has exploded. Our people are torn by tribal and ethnic divisions.

Our leaders’ mismanagement has disarmed government as an instrument to make our economy work and support the people’s most basic values, needs and hopes. Our leaderships brought Nigeria a false and fragile hope with unfulfilled promises of prosperity and so will leave behind broken souls. Our naira was devalued because of SAP---false hope. Privatization without security safety nets and safe guards-----false hope. And the many false hopes and failures continues……..

It is wrong to devalue the naira. It is wrong not to empower and invest in our people. It is wrong not to provide infrastructures and invest capital equity in the villages. It is wrong not to invest in affordable free universal technical education at all levels. It is wrong not to have full employment. It is wrong not to invest in affordable free healthcare. It is wrong to neglect our citizen’s need and watch them helplessly die and perish in the desert trying to cross through North Africa into Europe by foot. It is wrong for public officials to squander billions of dollars without fear of reprisal while many die daily of hunger and starvation. It is wrong not to protect lives and properties and watch our citizens helplessly traumatized by day and night marauders with big guns unafraid of authorities.

Let’s not be an unwilling coconspirator and participant of our own misery and demise by continuously voting and supporting these individuals because, of same tribe and ethnic lineage, that’s wrong. We have witnessed their dirty handwork and misery perpetuated and unleashed on our people in the past and present, this time, we will unanimously say no more false hope and deny them another chance at the highest office of our nation.

Nigeria citizens are capable of electing genuine and knowledgeable political novice in office, who has a strategic vision and specific economic and political agenda, than a political veteran speculator with no real sense of leadership and lack the will to make real economic and political reforms that Nigeria desperately need.

Let’s RESPECT each other’s opinion without prejudice, and rid ourselves of indiscipline, lawlessness, self aggrandizement and lack of compassion and trust which runs wild in our society today. We have suffered enough.

Good drinking water, electricity, telephone, mass transit in every village is a right, not a privilege. Modern infrastructures are needed to attract business into the community and promote tourism. Yearly tourism revenue alone in Nigeria will generate about 3 billion dollar into the economy and create about a million jobs if properly implemented and coordinated.

We hear the anguish and the anger of the Nigerian people. We know it is directed not just at the present administration that had power, but at previous regimes also. We can no longer afford business as usual - neither the policies of the past administration of mismanagement, lack of leadership and vision, cuts in services for citizens, nor the adoption of no programs to alleviate the suffering of millions.

It is time to listen to the grassroots of Nigeria, time to renew the spirit of citizen activism that has always been the touchstone of a free and democratic society.

Therefore we call for a revolution in government - to take power away from entrenched bureaucracies and narrow interests in Abuja and put it back in the hands of ordinary people through the Nigerian reform movement agenda and the village standard uniform development code.

Through the “village standard uniform development code’’ we vow to make government more decentralized, more flexible, more uniform in development and more accountable -by having official businesses and government institutions located, operated and managed from each village, under the administration of a village council government comprised of industry specific council members and an administrative manager for day-to-day operations and management. With industry specific state and federal government officials as overseers, regulators and advisers. Bribery and corruption will be the first casualty of this system because, perpetrators will have no hiding place to practice their ill gotten craft. Traditional rulers will be allowed to perform their normal ceremonial functions not to interfere with Village management.

To avoid duplicity we support the abolishment of the local government system and replacing it with the village level government for better accountability. All non-strategic redundant bureaucratic federal offices and cabinets will be abolished. State and federal government officials will share responsibility in the management of strategic infrastructures like the military and national security, railways, post office, NNPC,NEPA, seaports, national airports. We support the realignment, reshuffling and consolidation of some cabinets to reduce bureaucracy, duplicity and accountability.

Next time citizens have questions about pension fund payment, electricity and phone bills, tax, passport, import or export licenses, banking, post office, Drivers’ license, Printer’s shop, census bureau office, garbage disposal, education results, road maintenance, police dept, local court hearings, jails/prisons; you will go no farther than your village square.

Institutions like Primary school/community technical college, university, super market {like super walmart},shopping center mall, (for independent traders, merchants, farmers, other entrepreneurs),bakery, Poultry farm, theaters, community playhouse, gymnasium, hospital, Drivers’ license office, census bureau office, Printer’s shop, jails/prison, police dept/court house, will be built standard in each village. Flour manufacturing mills will be built standard in each state to supply all bakery and flour needs. One animal zoo will built in each state. Secondary schools and WAEC will be abolished. JAMB will be completely restructured and it’s sole purpose will be to help place students in various colleges/universities in different states for diversity purpose only.

Government will provide money, materials, equipments, expertise, industry specific overseers with Village administrative manager in charge and the village people will provide voluntary labor and get paid salary every two weeks on the 1st and 30th of every month. Wages for all occupations will be almost about the same amount for all to close the earning gaps between they have and have not.

After all public work projects are completed everyone will be retrained to work in these facilities though, the public works ministry will be retained. Feasibility study will be conducted to determine how much all these projects will cost before work commences. A conservative estimate cost put it at one hundred billion dollars, but don’t worry we will find the money.

The revolution is about putting people first, promoting economic growth with the belief that an expanding, manufacturing, service and entrepreneurial economy of high-skill, good wage jobs is the most important family policy, village policy, labor policy, and foreign policy Nigeria can have.

we support a strong non-floating commercial convertible new naira pegged to our largest trading currency US Dollar or a basket of other currencies namely the Euro, yen and pounds sterling. Price stability is fundamental for sustainable economic growth, the naira due to it’s volatility has become a major contributor to the ill health of the failing Nigerian economy. The exchange rate of the naira is doing enormous damage to the Nigerian economy and unfortunately bringing poverty and unemployment to the masses.

Our buying power and quality of life has diminished enormously since 1986 when the naira was devalued. There is no known developing country where devaluation alone has actually lead to sustainable growth and creation of wealth for the masses. Unfortunately, the IMF that was created solely to balance out the imbalances and weakness of the present system has itself become part of the problem.

Refining oil in Nigeria would make good economic sense and create lots of jobs, about 2 million to be precise when other oil and gas related products are added, plus help our currency by way of increase in export volume of finished products with foreign exchange earnings. More refineries will be built to satisfy domestic demand. About 700 million barrels will be stored as strategic reserve to avoid petrol shortages. There are no sensible and acceptable economic reasons or justifications for why we should export crude oil that is in abundance in our backyard at a give away price only to import their refined products at exorbitant prices and then argue we have to raise prices to international levels, when we can produce them locally and cheaper.

Now, for the refineries to function they will require chemicals and other inputs. Because of the eventual high demands of chemicals required, some chemical producing companies are likely to be attracted to invest and produce locally, other industries that have chemical related base would eventually be attracted to site their plants in the country.

Our OPEC membership will be re-examined and reviewed to reflect our national interest and the desire for equitable re-distribution of quotas to benefit ordinary Nigerians.

We will form partnerships with foreign car and truck makers to build assembly plants and genuine auto parts manufacturing plant. The iron and steel industry construction must be facilitated to accommodate the auto industry, construction materials, cell phones, plasma TVs. Estimated job creation 3 million. The textile, wood and furniture works, fishing and transportation boats manufacturing industries must be revolutionized to meet today’s demand for quality safe and efficient products to supply all of Africa with quality products which are badly in demand. About 4 million jobs will be created from this industries.

These are just few examples of how manufacturing jobs can be created on national level.

The service sector economy creates employment faster and cheaper than manufacturing and is self supporting. Examples are, grocery, bakery, poultry, Fishing, banks, restaurant, hospitality, hotels, theaters, sales/retails, gas stations/ healthcare/ insurance,

Education, Auto/transportation, construction/trades, customer service. Estimated job creation 60 million jobs.

We oppose further liberalization and privatization of government properties and industries without a safety net to protect the public and a research on it’s merits. Citizen’s benefit must come first and right now we don’t see any benefit to the citizenry except for some few greedy unscrupulous officials who see another quick way to enrich themselves.

Polices imposed by the IMF and World bank via “readjustment policies” have forced government to open internal markets without improving our under performing, under developed manufacturing economy and low productivity level of Nigeria industry to compete with foreign importers which make our export expensive.

We must review our relations with the IMF and World bank to determine what benefit these institutions’ policies are to improving lives of ordinary Nigerians. We can no longer be stooges of imperialism.

Developed and capitalist country like the USA has strategic ventures directly financed by the government like the Amtrak passenger train service to transport the public. It has a huge strategic oil reserve to prevent petrol shortages. It gives loan subsidies to farmers so they can be competitive all over the world. It subsidizes the Dollar so it doesn’t lose it’s value like the naira. It’s called currency intervention.

It subsidizes all the schools especially community colleges to retrain displaced workers so they can be technologically competitive at all levels, the airlines, even low income and elderly citizens are given some form of discount subsidy and credits to supplement their buying power.

Pensions or social security, unemployment insurance and worker’s wages are promptly paid.

The list goes on and still that’s not enough safeguards against privatization, considering the fact that personal debt burden and monthly bills keep rising. In Europe, Japan and Canada, it is even more obvious. These are some of the safeguards instituted by industrialized governments to help citizens absorb shocks of privatizations.

Developing country like Nigeria with little industrial base and no safety net for her citizens should emulate industrial nations and improve and manage her infrastructure better instead of selling off her sovereignty. This “ZOMBE” and “FOLLOW, FOLLOW, what I say, but not what I do” government policies must be immediately stopped.

Above all, the Revolution is about restoring the basic Nigerian values that built this country and will always make it great: personal responsibility, individual liberty, tolerance, faith, family and hard work. We offer the Nigerian people not only new ideas, a new course, and a new President, but a return to the enduring principles that set our nation apart: the promise of opportunity, the strength of community, the dignity of work, and a decent life for senior citizens.

To make this revolution, we seek a New Covenant to repair the damaged bond between the Nigeria people and their government, that will expand opportunity, insist upon greater individual responsibility in return, restore community, and ensure national security.

With this agenda we take our case to the Nigerian people.

Table of Contents

1. OPPORTUNITY

Our first priority is opportunity -broad-based, non-inflationary economic growth and the opportunity for jobs for all, (full employment). For years our country has had no economic vision, leadership or strategy. It is time to put our people and country first and build economic strength grounded on a healthy domestic economy and reduce our inflation rate to about less than 3%..

Investing in Nigeria.

The only way to lay the foundation for renewed Nigerian prosperity is to spur both public and private investment. We must strive to close both the budget deficit and the investment gap. We must invest in infrastructures-roads, railroads, telephone/ high speed cable/ wireless, uninterrupted electricity with a brand new 100,000 mega watts power station/ transmission lines, refineries, and the information networks and technologies of the future, national information network/ open source software.

These infrastructures will in addition, attract both foreign investments and tourism…create more jobs for everyone.

We support the Provision of free computer and television set for every citizen and each family with an electric or gas cooker. Computers will also be used for voting on-line during elections starting from year 2011 right out of your home)..

Federal Government will be willing to use her huge buying and negotiating power and shipping and airline capabilities to negotiate and buy in large quantity, certain goods and products not manufactured at home from foreign countries at discount manufacturers’ prices and sell to local traders who would not otherwise travel overseas and compete.

In order to achieve this, state -of-the art air-conditioned Distribution warehouses will be strategically built all over the country in each state connected with railway lines for easy distribution of goods and products to registered traders only. This is also called controlled importation. Medicines in large quantities will be stored and bought out of this warehouse to ensure quality and public safety.

Farming/ fishing and road maintenance equipments and machineries will be made available for rental by the federal government and managed by the Village council.

Support for Innovation.

We will invest in new technologies and encourage young entrepreneurs with loans in the development of cars, trains, airplanes, Tvs, Refrigerators, cooking stove and range, washer and dryers, computers, electronics, pharmaceutical drugs, etc.

The Deficit and Foreign debt.

Addressing the deficit and foreign debt requires fair and shared sacrifice of all Nigerians and foreign lender countries for common good. Years of government corruption and mismanagement has given rise to high interest rate, inflation, rising interest on foreign debt and an empty treasurer. We will renegotiate and refinance all our foreign debt obligations so, as to fulfill obligations to citizens. Our country cannot afford to set aside 65% of capital expenditure to service foreign debt which is about $3.1 billion interest each year and about $28.4 billion over the next ten years while our people are without jobs and starving. Our $30 billion foreign debt can be easily paid off if all stolen money stashed in foreign bank accounts are recovered, which we will do, in addition to some refinancing.

In place of past administration inaction, our investment, economic conversion and growth strategy will generate more revenues from a growing economy. Spending must be checked, savings will be encouraged to help local banks give credits.

We must shore up our foreign reserve.

Defense Conversion.

Our economy needs both the people and the funds released from defense. We honor and support our veterans . Departing military personnel, defense workers, and defense support personnel will have access to job retraining, continuing education, placement and relocation assistance, and incentives to enter the civilian fields. Redirected national laboratories and a new civilian research agency will put defense scientists, engineers and technicians to work in critical civilian technologies.

The Villages---Standard modern uniform development code-.

It is in all Nigerians’ interest that the Village be the center of government business activity to readily serve the community and present a front for a real grass root democracy. The federal government will draw up a uniform master plan for every project located in the Village and act as overseer. The projects will be managed by the village industry specific economic council with an Administrative Manager as head. The District layout will be divided into: Religion and School District Blvd, Government District Blvd and the Business District Blvd.

Same uniform project will be located in each Village no matter how small or large or population density. Each Village will have strategic investments and the center of the investments will be an air-conditioned Super market like, (super Walmart which has a bank, post office, grocery store, car repair shop, restaurant, all-in-one).

Shopping center mall. Others will include air conditioned municipal court, jail, Police station, local ministry offices, drivers license office, primary/technical college/university, hospital/ ambulance service , Library, gymnasium, movie theater, community playhouse, hotel/restaurant conference center, public transport, community cable access, newspaper, poultry farms, bakery. All buildings will be air- conditioned, equipped with video tape camera recordings, operate 24hrs,except the council.

All the above business investments will be built by the federal government and managed by the village Administration and profits will be deposited into local banks and used to pay for village services and perform payroll functions. All employees will be paid every 2 weeks. Other village functions are maintenance of infrastructures, balance budget, payrolls. All banks will be connected with a central ATM network, so citizens can withdraw and deposit money anywhere in the country with plastic cards and pin #.

An independent accounting firm will be retained to audit all Village/ State and National financial books yearly to maintain transparency.

There must be a weekly account press conference presented by the Village administrator, state governor and president about the state of the village/state/nation.

Agriculture and the Rural Community.

All Nigerians, producers and consumers alike, benefit when our food and fiber are produced by hundreds of thousands of farmers receiving fair price for their products. To achieve this, access to affordable fertilizer, poultry feeds, fisheries, cow and pig feeds is necessary. Ready market like the village supermarket will be a good customer plus sales to other ECOWAS countries and all of Africa.

Rental offices for farm machineries and equipment will be located in each village. Strategic warehouses located all over the country will be stock piled with affordable fertilizer and feeds. New 100,000 mega watts electric power generator plant / transmission line will provide non-stop electricity and water irrigation service to farmers and other businesses to prevent further business loses and economic erosion which cause citizen hardships.

Farmers will also be encouraged to fish, grow groundnuts and cottons, cocoa, rubber and timber, palm oil and kennel for home consumption and export.

Lifelong Learning.

A competitive Nigerian economy requires the market’s best educated, best trained, most flexible workforce. It’s not enough to spend more on our schools; we must insist on results.

Education will be provided free at all levels but students will buy books at affordable prices. Access to interactive TV and internet service is necessary. Secondary school and WAEC will be abolished and replaced with a national uniform curriculum based technical college with site-based exam and certificate issued by each school/college/university.

Youth service corps will be extended to high school graduates. Schools will open year round.

Presently all the 54 universities have vacancy for only 200,000 students out of 1.5 million students that applied for admissions. That means only less than 15% will be admitted this year and this is unacceptable and unfair to all well meaning citizens. Our goal for universities in every village will take care of this chronic learning shortage and provide tons of employment. Distance learning is good but there is no substitute for real world application/ hands on practical classroom/ laboratory, teacher/student interaction approach. Lets obtain real practical education in addition to distance learning.

Affordable Health Care.

All Nigerians should have access to universal free quality health care-not as a privilege, but as a right. Patients pay for affordable safe prescription drugs. Hospitals will be built in each village and Ambulance service will be provided free.

Fairness.

Growth and equity work in tandem. People should share in society’s common costs according to their ability to pay. To broaden opportunity, we will support fair lending practices. Our country will move towards egalitarianism and avoid aristocracy. Fair and equal pay for all. Little or no personal income taxes for all.

Sales taxes will be charged on consumer goods and services down the road in about 20years when oil revenue dwindles.

Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Development.

We will make our economy more efficient, by using less energy. We will build a new 100,000 mega watts of power plant/ transmission line to support new industries, businesses and new housing developments. This will prevent power outages that interrupt our daily lives and destroy our businesses. We will refine our own crude oil. We will shore up our nation’s strategic reserves to a capability of about 700 million barrels. We will adopt a coordinated transportation policy, with a strong commitment to mass transit service (speed or bullet train and boats), Pollution prevention, conservation and recycling should be encouraged. We oppose privatization of NEPA.

Civil and Equal Rights.

We will fight to see that no Nigerian suffer discrimination or deprivation of rights on basis of age, disability, language, religion, tribal or ethnic characteristics irrelevant to ability. We support the ratification of the Equal Rights amendment; affirmative action; stronger protection of voting rights for all. Starting from the year 2011, voting will be done on-line from personal computers right in your own home. Everyone arrested for a crime must have access to a lawyer immediately. No one should be unduly held without charges or be released.

The general welfare and safety of all our citizens around the world and in other African countries must be protected and addressed. Recent daily independent online news article dated Feb,19,2004, about “Edo indigenes living abroad are suffering”, says Igbinedion and many other instances alike must be addressed.

Civil and equal rights/ public enlightenment ministry will be established. Ministry of Education will inculcate civil rights and diversity education in addition to all Nigerian major languages in it’s education curriculum.

Strong and honest independent judiciary is important to the success of our Democracy.

11. RESPONSIBILITY

We will put government back on the side of citizens who play by the rules. We believe that by what it says and how it conducts it’s business, government must once again make responsibility an instrument of national purpose. Our future as a nation depends upon the daily assumption of personal responsibility by millions of Nigerians from all walks of life-for the religious faith they follow, the ethics they practice, the values they instill, and the pride they take in their work.

Strengthening The Family.

Governments don’t raise children, people do. People who bring children into this world have a responsibility to care for them and give them values, motivation and discipline. We favor ensuring quality and affordable free day care centers in every village for working and non-working parents. We support the needs of our senior citizens for productive and healthy lives, including hunger prevention, income adequacy, free public transportation and abuse prevention.

Making School work.

Education is a cooperative enterprise that can only succeed if everyone accepts and exercises personal responsibility. Students must stay in school and do their best; parents must get involved in their children’s education; teachers must attain, maintain, and demonstrate classroom competency; school administrators must enforce discipline and high standards of educational attainment; governments must provide free educational opportunity for all; and ensure that teachers’ pay and living quarters are adequate. Standard and Uniform national school curriculums and text books enforced. Nigeria government should recognize education as the core of our economy, democracy and society.

Labor-Management Responsibilities.

The private sector is the engine of our economy and the main source of national wealth. Nigeria’s corporate leaders have a responsibility to invest in the country. Managers must work with employees to make the workplace safer, more satisfying and more efficient. Workers must accept added responsibilities in the new economy.

Local content policy must be adhered to. We salute the Nigerian labor congress, (NLC).

Responsibility for the Environment.

For ourselves and future generations, we must protect our environment. We will protect our old growth forests, preserve critical habitats, provide a genuine commitment to preserving the wetlands, reduce dependence on toxic chemicals, conserve the critical resources of soil, water and air, oppose new offshore oil drilling and mineral exploration and production in our nation’s many environmentally critical areas, and address pollution by reducing oil and toxic waste spills. We will insist that private polluters clean up their toxic and hazardous wastes, and vigorously prosecute environmental criminals.

We will reduce the volume of solid waste and encourage the use of recycled materials while discouraging excess packaging. We will actively support energy-efficiency, recycling, and pollution prevention strategies.

Responsible Government.

We will challenge the government to be more responsible, more responsive, and be accountable, starting with the hardest and most urgent problems of the deficit, foreign debt and economic growth. Rather than throw away money at obsolete programs, we will eliminate unnecessary layers of management, cut administrative costs, give people more choices in the service they get, and empower them to make those choices.

To foster greater responsibility in government at all level, we support giving greater flexibility to our villages in achieving federal mandates and carrying out existing programs. eliminate the local government council all together and give the state and federal government very limited role in governing.

Responsible Officials.

All branches of government must live by the laws the rest of us obey, determine their pay in an open manner that builds public trust, and eliminate special privileges. People in public office need to be accessible to the people they represent. We must limit overall campaign spending. Starting from year 2011 all election voting will be done on-line with a home personal computer. All voting will be completed within a space of 3hrs between the hours of 7am-11am. Results will be made available immediately to avoid fraud. All foreign embassy offices world wide will be restructured and streamlined to be more responsive to the needs of Nigerian citizens abroad with emphasis on visa and passport issuance and renewal, census of citizens living abroad, open better line of communications.

Responsible judges will be appointed to benches to uphold the law and protect our constitutional integrity and help straighten our democratic principles. National /state and village treasury must be audited yearly and made public except to protect national security.

All nation/state/village government heads must present to citizens an account of the state of the economy and other issues of importance relating to our welfare weekly and at the end of the year. Failure to perform this duty will result in impeachment.

111. RESTORING COMMUNITY

The success of democracy in Nigeria depends substantially on the strength of our community institutions: families and neighborhoods, public schools, religious institutions, charitable organizations, civic groups and other voluntary organizations. In these social networks, the values and character of our citizens are formed, as we learn the habits and skills of self-government, and acquire an understanding of our common rights and responsibilities as citizens.

Many years of irresponsible government have undermined the spirit of mutual dependence and obligation that binds us together. Our leaders have urged Nigerians to turn inward, to pursue private interests without regard to public responsibilities. By playing tribal, ethnic, religious, based politics they have divided us against each other, created an atmosphere of blame, denial and fear, and undone the hard-fought battles for equity and fairness.

We must cherish and understand the diversity of our cultural heritage. But it is also essential that we preserve and pass on to our children the common elements that hold this mosaic together as we work to make our country a land of freedom and opportunity for all.

Combating Crime and Drugs.

Crime is a relentless danger to our communities. Over the last 20yrs crime has swept through our country at an alarming rate. In our country today, murder, rape, burglary, political killing are committed at an alarming rate. The pervasive fear of crime disfigures our public life and diminishes our freedom.

Crime is not only a symptom but a major cause of the worsening poverty, unemployment and lack of investment and tourism in our country today.

To empower Nigerians, we pledge to restore government as the upholder of basic law and order for crime-ravaged communities. The simplest and most direct way to restore order in our country is to resolve the unemployment crises first, use 24hr manned community policing (homeland security) with mini-gated entrance to every village. Build Police station with two police officers in each village with car to assist the community policing.

The use of authentic picture ID card (imbedded with chips to avoid counterfeit) as a required form of identification for all should be instituted. All Village entrance mini-gates will only be opened with this access card and the movement information stored in the central computer chips to track movements. This same card will be used to enter public places like the municipal court, churches, supermarket, library, Buses, Trains, gymnasium, schools, seaports, airports. Crimes can be easily traced with this chips. Video cameras will be strategically placed in every village and monitored 24hrs by community police, (homeland security).

Community Policing--(homeland security).

Neighborhoods and police should be partners in the war on crime. 24hr Community police will monitor the video cameras, assist tourists entering the village, man the village entrance mini- gate and if possible detain persons until police arrives. Offices will be located at gate entrances equipped with videos, computers and cars.

Firearms.

Citizens who fear their life is in danger can apply and be granted firearms permit for home protection only. The gun and bullets must be engraved and registered in their names so it can be traced when used. Anyone caught in possession of an unregistered gun will face long prison sentence or death penalty.

Pursuing All Crime Aggressively.

Leniency toward white collar crime -which breeds cynicism in our country about impartiality of our justice system-to all those who betray public trust, loot and plunder government treasurer, will be punished to the fullest extent of the law. We will redouble efforts to ferret out all stolen money, at home and abroad in foreign offshore bank accounts. This is our oil money and we want it back wherever the are hidden for our DEVELOPMENT.. The selfish actions of these individuals have impoverished our country and turned us from a creditor to a debtor and beggar nation. This is why we need honest and independent judges on the bench who will uphold the law and prosecute these individuals. Jails will be built in each village.

Immigration.

We support immigration policies that promote fairness and non-discriminatory that reflect our constitutional freedom of speech, association and travel. We will negotiate with other countries to guarantee easy passage and travel of our citizens and safe return on timely basis as agreed, and likewise their citizens. The sight of desperate citizens at the gate of foreign embassies seeking visas out of the country is an embarrassment and a sign of desperation and hopelessness.

Hopefully with all our promised economic reforms and infrastructures in place, our citizens will not have the need to travel to other countries in search of better life as they do now.

Housing.

Safe, secure housing is essential to the institutions of community and family.

We support homeownership for working families and honor that commitment through policies that encourage affordable houses located in planned housing zones not on farmlands. Houses will only be built on approved housing zones to preserve farmlands.

More public apartment buildings will be erected in urban areas or cities to reduce housing crunch and overcrowding. The housing crises in the cities only benefit greedy landlords who charge 2 years rent in-advance and like a nightmare you hope that when you wake up all this housing crunch will be a bad dream; but it’s not, it’s life in the daily lives of Nigerians.

What is the government doing about all this?, nothing as usual, unresponsive and unperturbed.

Cements and other building materials will be stored in our warehouses and sold at affordable prices.

National Service.

We will create new opportunities for citizens to serve each other, their communities

And their country. By mobilizing hundreds of thousands of volunteers, national service will enhance the role of ordinary citizens in solving unresolved community problems and help rebuilt some trust and ravaged communities. Some of these communities are Ogbakiri, Rumuokaru, Reumuada, Odioha, Ikporowo, Rumoaro, Ahai, just to mention a few. National Youth service Corps will remain in place for students.

Arts and Travel.

Community playhouse, museum, theater and gallery, will be built in every village.

Tourism places of interest will include the development of the Coastal Mangrove swamp in the Niger Delta, Tropical rain forest in the south, A plateau of savanna and open woodland in the middle belt and semi desert areas of the far North.

The historic ancient city kingdoms of Kano, Zaria, Sokoto, Benin, and others will feature artificial man-made lake. Other places of interest includes Argungu fishing festival in Kebbi state, Ikogosi warm springs near Akure, Kano dye pits, Olumo Rock in Abeokuta, Yankari game reserve in Bauchi Town near Gombe, etc.

Calabar, Lagos, Port Harcourt and other harbors will feature golf and lake resorts with flourishing artificial reef, a long stretch of walk able beach front, convention centers. Lagos bay beach will be enhanced. All the Islands will be connected so boat rides will be used as means of public and private transportation,.. (all aboard). Shallow rivers will be dredged.

We will host the first ever, yearly all black arts/ films festival and cultural exchange, comprising of all the black peoples of Africa, the Americas including Haiti and the Caribbean and the European in Nigeria. First Black World Economic Summit, First black world sports festival. Featuring basketball, soccer, tennis, golf, ping pong, etc. World Tennis open tournament, Golf and Soccer championships, will be hosted at different times of the year in addition to the All African Games. We will also contest to host the summer Olympics games and the OPEC Ministers‘ meetings.

Convention and visitors/ tourist bureau will coordinate this multi-billion dollar industry.

Rental offices will be established in each village to lease cars/ Trucks or boats.

International Airports will be located in each State. Directional road signs with lights will be on every road including rest stops furnished with restrooms. National/state and village telephone/ address directory assistance book with accurate business listings, maps, driving directions, direct links to related websites will be available.

Restaurants will be willing to expand menu to include limited continental cuisine from all five continents, North and South American dish including Mexican, European including French, Asian--Chinese, Middle East, Australia. All residential roads will have trees planted on both sides of the streets nationally. Indoor and outdoor public parking and side walks will be located in every village.

Iv. PRESERVING OUR NATIONAL SECURITY

In order to preserve and protect our growing population and the integrity of our borders; we will retrain our military forces to properly protect our territorial borders. To achieve this, new and efficient planes must be purchased. The seaports and airports must also be protected, new ships, planes and surveillance equipments will also be purchased.

Human rights abusers and dictators all over Africa must be put on notice and not be rewarded and not challenged. The environment must not be neglected , but be protected. Nigeria’s ability to compete in global economy has been dulled, not honed. It is time for new Nigerian leadership that can meet challenges of a changing world.

Restructuring Our Military Forces

Our military have helped end violence, aggression and conflicts all over Africa. What we need now is a comprehensive restructuring of the enterprise to meet the threats that remain, example, border protection, fighting terrorism, etc.

Military Strength.

We must strengthen our rapid deployment capabilities to deal with new threats to our security posed by international drug traffickers, terrorists, cross border armed robbers and local armed conflicts that can threaten the peace of entire regions. Our military will benefit from new technology, timely intelligence, good mobility, etc.

Trade Agreements.

Our government must work to expand trade especially with ECOWAS and other African countries, barring all tariffs (free trade Zones) while insisting that the conduct of our trading partners are fair. It must fight to uphold Nigerian interests--promoting exports, expanding trade in agricultural and other products, opening markets in major product and service sectors with our principal competitors, and achieving reciprocal access. Nigeria government must firmly enforce our laws against unfair trade.

Multilateral trade agreements can advance our economic interests by expanding the global economy. Our government must assure that our legitimate concerns about environmental, health and safety, and labor standards are included.

Promoting Democracy.

Support for democracy serves our ideals and interests. A more democratic Nigeria and Africa that is more peaceful and more stable is in the best interest of all of us.

We must act decisively with our African neighbors to support freedom, diminish ethnic tensions, and oppose aggression and dictatorships. We will institute a five cardinal point agenda for all legitimate African leaders: Human rights, Democracy, literacy, standard of living improvement and full employment . African leaders who are unwilling to participate and improve the lives of her citizens will be asked to step aside and let those who can, to govern. No more business as usual. Like the old movement to oust colonial masters on African soil, this new revolution will oust all non-democratic African leaders on African soil. This is our land……The African continent can no longer afford to feature on the deficit side of the global economic balance sheet.……

Human Rights.

Standing everywhere for the rights of individuals and respect for others against the repressive acts of governments--against torture, political imprisonment, and all attacks on civilized standards of human freedom is part of democracy. African leaders should no longer plead domestic argument to deny her citizens the relevant rights to human dignity. Human rights issues transcend domestic boundaries. Nigeria and many African countries are a party to many international treaties with the obligation to promote and guarantee democratic rights to her citizens and should be held accountable for what they are a party to. All political prisoners in our prisons must either be charged with a crime or released from prison immediately. Brutal dictators like Abacha’s brutal regime, Idi Amin, Bokassa, Sese-seko, etc, should have taught us some lesson by now about the arrogance of power and disrespect for rule of law. Where are they now?

We should not regress from the progresses made so far on human rights. We will relentlessly work with other legitimate African leaders to release all political prisoners on African soil. “How long shall we imprison our intellectual brothers and sisters’ seeking democracy in their Homeland, while we all stand beside and look and do nothing in the name of sovereignty“. The time for policy change in Africa is now, not tomorrow. All African newspapers and journalists should start publishing names of political prisoners in their respective daily newspapers now not tomorrow.

Their names can be obtained from relatives, Human Rights watch and Amnesty International.

Africa is like one big global village without boundaries and our destiny is inextricably intertwined; what hurts one person hurts another. Today many intelligent and educated Africans are sitting in different jail cells under inhuman conditions on trumped up charges of state security breach, subversion and treasonable felony. Sound familiar?, (the European colonial masters leveled the same charges against all African founding fathers).This new so called African leaders are worst because, some African democracy seekers are indefinitely jailed without trial and sometimes summarily executed without ever being charged or tried in a court of law. We would not have founding fathers and independence had the colonial masters did what some so called African leaders are getting away with today.

My friends this is not right. We must speak out in protest and search our souls and say no to injustice and unequal rights. We must say to these African leaders that continue to set our development clock back: no more human and intelligence waste, your time is up, quit or you will be moved or shall we say, effect regime change by all means necessary.

Names of all African political detainees will be published on government websites and daily papers all over Africa until they are released. This will take everyone’s collective input including assistance with other international entity like Amnesty international and Human Rights Watch. Military solution is not the answer, but we will achieve this through many available resources available to us and ever present today like the will for a complete change, litigation at international courts, civil disobedience, mass peaceful demonstrations and the likes. History has shown that “no one man or few individual groups can overcome multitudes’’. Unity is Strength. This is our chance.

Preserving the environment.

The future of the earth is challenged by gathering environmental crises. We must preserve our environmental heritage and work actively to protect the planet’s biodiversity and preserve it’s forest.

As a nation and as a people, we have entered a new era. A new type of leaders have emerged, a symbol of national unity, true Nigerians, true Africans, who will move our nation and Africa to greatness. Leaders who carry the people with them, with great compassion for the poor, understand the feelings of the masses and the people on the street.

Your support is needed to determine the direction of our country come year 2007. It is no longer enough to change the presidency, we have to change the way government is run. We have to make them adhere to real principle of the democratic process. We must say no to revolving door politics and leadership, where they same inept leaders of the past resurfaces again and again to peddle their recycled relic failed policies on our good continent.

Please join our movement by registering and campaigning on our behalf. Register and vote, donations will be accepted and the struggle continues………………..

Thank you and God bless,

L.Emeka Ogazi.

Founder and Chairman, NigerianReformMovement.org2004

P.O BOX 34552,OMAHA,NE,USA,68134

OR

P.O.BOX 584, OWERRI--IMO STATE--NIGERIA.

March 2004