On The N500 Billion PALLIATIVE FUND.
July 17, 2023
H.E. (Sen) Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR
President,
Federal Republic of Nigeria,
Aso Rock Villa,
Abuja
My President,
PLEASE DO NOT DISBURSE THE N500B SUBSIDY PALLIATIVES TO INDIVIDUALS IN AKWA IBOM STATE
-My Humble Plea!
I bring you good wishes.
My name is Arc. NYA-ETOK Ezekiel. I contested the Governorship Elections in Akwa Ibom State in the just-concluded 2023 polls, under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Seeing the weight on your time, please permit me to be as brief and as direct as possible.
I wish to humbly appeal that Akwa Ibom State be left out of the distribution of N8,000.00 to 12Million extremely poor Nigerians, over a period of six months.
It is my respectful opinion that if the said sum is divided among the 36 States and the FCT, each of the 37 Units will receive a little over N13.5Billion on the average.
REASONS FOR MY OBJECTIONS.
Considering that the national register of the poorest in our country has over 40million Nigerians, choosing 12million of them, without doubting the integrity of such choice process, would show that only one out of every five of them would benefit.This is a far cry from the about 120million multi-dimensionally poor Nigerians.
The implication of this is that:
1. Taking those in the register, for everyone that benefits from the transfer, four others will be wondering why it was not them; and will definitely be unhappy.
2. Those that benefit from it will likely have a dependency syndrome created, that will manifest after six months; as the money will no longer be coming. They will face the double jeopardy of not being able to continue the lifestyle they will probably have become accustomed to, and also, the reproach and the scorn of those who were ab-initio unhappy that they were not captured.
3. Above all, at the end of six months, N500Billion would have disappeared into thin air.
MY PROPOSAL
My proposal is to establish 10 ENTERPRISE ESTATES (one in each of the 10 Federal Constituencies in Akwa Ibom State).
WHAT IS AN ENTERPRISE ESTATE?
In 2014, I was privileged to be given a global platform (THE GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING, IN KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA), to present to the world a Unique Housing Model that I had proposed which caught the Global attention. In Nigeria, I was asked to present it to the Housing Policy Update Committee where I was privileged to serve as its Vice Chairman ( with the late Sir Fortune Ebie as the Chairman. This unique Housing Model that I conceived and presented was subsequently adopted as one of the Federal Government Social Housing models (Chapter8 of the approved National Housing Policy).
This housing model is an unconventional One-Stop Center that addresses several national concerns.
It is a model that establishes 200 studio apartments, each fitted with a Portable Farm and Fish Pond (that will take about 500 fingerlings) externally; and a micro processing unit internally.
The Estate will be managed by an Estate Enterprise Operator (ECO), who is vested with the responsibility of providing technical support for all the ‘tenants’ that will have a period of one to two years before they graduate and become the extended arm of the Enterprise Estate in their various localities.
(Technical details are available).
RESULTANT EFFECTS:
At the end of one to two years, these people who will be exclusively young people that are fit (including persons living with disabilities; with the only necessary pre condition of being able to read and write), will be trained in the cultivation of the chosen crops (eg tomatoes) and other enterprises like snail-rearing, honey from bees etc.
While the Enterprise Estate Operator provides the seedlings; the technical details et-al, at cultivation time, he will buy off the produce at the market rate while deducting cost of inputs.
This will result in young unskilled people being given accommodation, skills, and being paid at the same time.
Imagine therefore a situation where in an Estate, we have 200fish-ponds (that each holds about 500 fingerlings), 200 portable Tomato Farms, and a Micro Processing Unit (MPU) where certain cottage industry products are undertaken.
At the end of the one to two years, these ‘School Tenants’ would have learnt certain basics and fundamentals of business like book keeping; success fundamentals and imperatives; and the disciplines for business success.
They would also be ‘indoctrinated’ in Patriotism and Nationalism, seeing how good government has been to them.
Amongst other benefits, the initiative would create a pool of Nigerians that are adequately profiled, for the Bank of Commerce and Industry (who would be in constant touch with them over the training period), to adopt as their SMALL SCALE INDUSTRY CHAMPIONS!
This program is guaranteed to create URBAN-RURAL MIGRATION. Because it is rural-based, it will become the most effective way of developing the rural areas. It will also bring about FOOD SECURITY and INDUSTRIALIZATION.
JOB CREATION THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION.
Of equal importance is the construction phase, as about 200 units of Studio Apartment (one bedroom) buildings will be constructed in each location. On account of the number, virtually every village in each of the Federal Constituencies will have contractors.
This is besides suppliers of building-materials like the cements, blocks, wood, sand, iron rods, etc. The list is endless.
COST:
At an average cost of N3.5Million to N5Million Naira per building, the project will need less than N1billion for the construction for the buildings.
Another N200Million would go to the provision of certain basic infrastructure, and creation of the Enterprise Centers, while the balance will go into empowering local Consultants on the project.
The low cost on basic infrastructure is because all roads within the Estate will be surface-dressed, and maintained by sweeping, as morning-duty for the ‘Student Tenants, as ‘KEKE’ vehicles will ply internal roads for movement of produce to the Enterprise Center. The State will ensure motor-able access to the project site.
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, while other States would have had their N13.5 Billion sent into ‘voice mail’, Akwa Ibom State will have 10 THRIVING INDUSTRIES, each engaging thousands of workers and training empowered youths (200 x 10) per cycle for over 15 to 20years.
I have adopted Akwa Ibom State as an example, to paint a vivid picture, and by extension, do a comparative analysis on this Project.
I do believe that virtually every other State would choose to adopt this model.
It will be my pleasure to present you with the formal detailed analysis of this Proposal.
It is therefore my belief, Your Excellency, that this proposal will meet your kind approval, in your spirit of doing things DIFFERENTLY.
Please accept the assurances of my highest esteem.
Arc. NYA-ETOK EZEKIEL.
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