The coastal highway wonder-gift to Nigerians!

I have said it necessarily ad-nauseam that by mere simple common sense that God (or if anybody else prefers then, nature) endowed every human being with, it is very easily understandable that the sole purpose of politics is the pursuit of the common good of everybody in the polity, evenly, no matter who they are and without any discrimination whatsoever.

For this reason, true politics ought not to be partisan; because partisanship immediately begins to defeat the very right purpose of that politics. This is why even at beyond the local government administration and because of the wider voting constituencies now involved, when political party-based politics becomes inevitable, bi-partisan or multi-partisan political culture becomes mandatory for all those who wish to do so properly.

However, in retrogressive countries, well needed and healthy bi-partisan political behaviours are considered anti-party; and such good politicians never survive in the midst of the usual political wolves in those places. This is not to say that frank prostitute politicians do not exist in those retrogressive countries. Indeed, they exist there more than anywhere else.

However, their fake bi-partisan or multi-partisan politicking is generally easily seen as such prostitutions or the political brigandries that they are! Anyone who desires to examine these basic facts will know for himself where Nigeria exists politically among the nations of the world in relation with all these simple political civilisation issues.

The other issues such as political constructive criticisms as an essential part of healthy politicking, is that in many politically malfunctioning countries of the world, many so called educated people would tell you that such constructive political criticisms do not
produce any good results; or at least not ones that one may see in his life time. So, they conclude that they would not take part in such necessary national construction or reconstruction.

Such people do not quite realise that by saying and doing so, they have become part of the evil system. Others are afraid of criticisms of any sort because as they say, they are afraid for their lives; because of the supreme evil- mindedness of the many politicians against people who criticise what they do. This is so even if they do so objectively, in other to help them to do better and so to take the glory.

Of course, constructive criticism of anything is a moral duty and an essential service to the entire polity. One does not do it because he dislikes anybody but because he loves everyone, including especially those he is positively criticising in order to help them improve in what they are doing.

So, in deciding to constructively examine the Nigeria coastal highway, I will just be asking a few simple questions in that regard. Let us please remember that these political implementors are telling us that it is a wonder gift to Nigerians whose type they had not seen and may never see in all their lives. So, these questions are as simple as these:

The towns that this wonder road is intended to connect are sea port towns – Koko, Sapele, Warri, Yenagoa, Port Harcourt, Opobo, Eket, Oron and Calabar. Why do we not develop these ports instead and import those goods there as is really what they deserve?

Lagos, which this road is going to be connecting with these sea port towns has two ports already all by itself, and in virtually walk-able distances of each other, as the only truly functioning sea ports in Nigeria; with all these other seaports yet undeveloped! And you are going to be building a land highway between these sea ports as a development? To further the national deliberate undermining of these seaport regions of the country or what?

The people who live in these coastal areas do not travel between themselves by road but by sea. And you are going to be building roads for them and not developing their sea ways, our Nigerian seaways for everybody and especially those living there and wish to travel as naturally should be, right there?

Of the direly needed roads that Nigerians need on dry hinterlands where they actually live and travel, we/you are not able to build and maintain these dry land roads, and you are now going to build the more difficult seaside road and maintain it, where nobody usually travels by road?

The vast majority of Nigerians live in the hinterland and you are unable to provide roads for them there; but now you are going to build it at the sea coast so that they will come from hinterland to travel by those roads, to where? The sea coasts? And doing what?

The development of the long, undermined seaports in all these long deliberately undermined regions of Nigeria and their needed inland roads from all those ports to the rest of Nigerians where they live hinterland, does not appear clear to you as the thing that needs to be done; and you believe that propaganda will blind us all about these real national needs?

The established national sea costal lives, normal livelihoods and properties of Nigerians that you have already caused their undermining or losses in Lagos alone, and will cost even more in these poorer rural coastal areas, as you are planning to go, are not clear enough to you as yet? Is this because your selfish personal and partisan interests are blinding you to these simple matters or what?

All the national uproar against what you are insisting to do, because of all these negative effects that your actions are causing and/or furthering, are being ignored by you because of the selfish interests that you have, and many of which are known to many; and you think that everybody will eventually be fooled by you?

Even if the original plan for this wasteful and nationally undermining and under-developing project had been that of another selfish group of persons, would it not have been wiser for you, if you have the real interest of the common good at heart, to have cancelled the idea, educating people that the development of the ports in these being further undermined port cities, and doing the shorter hinterland roads from them to all the other parts of Nigeria that are closer to them, would be the proper thing to do?

The group of you hell-bent on this wasteful and sectionally nationally undermining and further undermining project, some of whom had been state governors in the past, had done similar things because they benefited your own private companies, those of your sons, daughters, wives, relatives or evil business associates that are well known. Some of these resulted to losses of lives that you presided over, very well known to many (even if you pretend to yourselves that nobody knows it); and you are not done yet?

Constructive criticisms and healthy question asking are provided to people doing things because the people doing so truly love those doing these things; whether they know it or not. They may accept it and use it in their personal interests. But if they fail to do that, the patriots doing so will only know that they have served their nation as best as they can. The rest they must leave to posterity to judge. So, let those who have ears listen! God save and bless Nigeria!
Dr Asuzu is a retired professor of Disciplinary Public Health and Community Medicine of the College of Medicine of the University of Ibadan; but currently serving in the same capacities at the University of Medical Sciences, Ondo.