Imo State Governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha always enjoys a good measure of media attention. He’s an orator. He’s also left no one in doubt that he is not afraid to pursue his dreams. But since he erected statues of some African leaders in Owerri, including the South African President, Jacob Zuma and the Liberian President, Mrs Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, not a few believed he had taken his dreams too far. Without being a speaker of the Igbo language I know what ‘akpuola gi’ means. Those are the most trending Igbo words in the social media now.
Then the governor had another brain wave. He came up with the Ministry of Happiness and Purpose Fulfillment. That was the clincher, widely adjudged as Okorocha’s most ridiculous exertion ever. Besides the anger that greeted the announcement, the happiness ministry idea is now a source of one amusement or the other. Many of my friends have got appointed by Governor Okorocha as commissioners on Facebook through a test created on en.testony.com. To many, the governor’s action is not so much about happiness, but laughter.
But isn’t there a problem with Okorocha’s quest for happiness? His statement when the Air Officer Commanding Ground Training Command, AVM Sampson Akpasa, led some Air Force officers on a courtesy visit to him in Owerri a few days back suggested that he had even conducted a study on Nigerians’ happiness level. While addressing the visitors, the governor urged them to take a cue from him by introducing a happiness and purpose fulfillment department to address the needs of some junior officers who might have some forms of dissatisfaction in the discharge of their duties.
Then he reeled out what looks like the country’s happiness index statistics. According to the governor, only 89% of Nigerians are unhappy “in the real sense of the word happiness.” Only 4% are truly happy while 7% pretend to be happy.
A search, however, revealed that the happiness ministry idea wasn’t invented by Okorocha.
As far back as 2013, Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, created a Ministry of Supreme Social Happiness, which, he said, would coordinate the anti-poverty programmes created by the late President Hugo Chavez. He was heavily criticized by Venezuelans who saw the move as a political trick.
In February last year, the United Arab Emirates also announced the creation of Ministry of Happiness, Tolerance and Future, which would drive government policy to create social good and satisfaction for the citizens.
Many Indians were also alleged unhappy and their government last year decided to create a happiness ministry dedicated to “putting a smile on every face.”
But the UAE’s first minister of happiness, Ohood bint Khalfan Roumi, said since her ministry was set up she had been getting strange requests, such as: ‘My parents won’t accept my marriage. Can you help convince them?’ ‘I got a traffic ticket. Can you fix it?’ or simple ones as, ‘Please, make us happy.’
The Indian government’s happiness drive is a little different. According to chief minister, Shivraj Singh Chouhan, “the state will be made responsible for happiness and tolerance of its citizens and will engage psychologists to counsel people on how to be always happy.”
The Indian happiness ministry would oversee up to 70 social programmes spanning yoga, spirituality, meditation and the arts, as well as offering free religious pilgrimages to senior citizens.
While defending his own creation, Governor Okorocha noted that, “there is no activity of mankind that is not geared towards providing happiness. But regretted that, “this vital element of our social lives has not been properly addressed. Governments at different levels have created several ministries and departments to achieve this, yet people are bitter, angry with hate speeches, which lead to crisis, war and even terrorism.
“Happiness and Purpose Ministry therefore, is established for the lost time to correct the policy framework to guide Ministries and Department on what they must do to guarantee the citizens’ happiness and contribute better to the society.”
Truly, the essence of governance is to ensure that citizens live fulfilled and happy and, in this regard, Governor
Okorocha’s desire to make Imo people happy and indeed his observation that majority of us are unhappy are not misplaced.
However, his logic that the inefficiency of existing government agencies that has made the citizens unhappy must be corrected through a happiness ministry that will guide other ministries and departments in delivering happiness is faulty.
If your existing ministries and parastatal agencies are not living up to expectation, then that only calls for a reform, either of the institutions or those who operate them or both.
Government cannot decree happiness and a ministry intended to monitor how other agencies are delivering happiness cannot guarantee happiness.
Those in government only need to generate resources and utilize them to fulfil the promises for which they were entrusted with power and leave the people to choose their happiness. The source of happiness for one individual may not be for another. Even in countries where governments have succeeded in largely satisfying the basic needs of the people, many still remain unhappy. How can a government that lacks the resources to construct roads in all places necessary; build well-equipped hospitals in all towns and villages; provide food and accommodation for all citizens as well as good education and jobs for the needy guarantee happiness?
Ministry of happiness anywhere is a political gimmick. But while it may win support for the creators in a country like the UAE where the condition of living is relatively good, it will forever attract anger and scorn for the initiators in this clime.
Governor Okorocha and his ilks involved in ridiculous interventions such as happiness ministry, wheelbarrow and noodles empowerment need to get more serious, lest they end their race as losers. Some Nigerians had been privileged to be governors since the return to civil rule in 1999, but while they are still alive, nobody still remembers that they held sway within just two decades. Neither they nor their actions while in government are still relevant today because they did little or nothing for them to remain in the hearts of the people.
Re: Economic migration: Any alternative to Libya?
Abdulfatah, you have said it all in “ECONOMIC MIGRATION: ANY ALTERNATIVE TO LIBYA?” hitting the nail on the head with those responsible for plight of Nigerian emigrants to Libya in search of gold mine, which their leaders failed to provide for them; in exchange of inhuman treatments in libya. A typical Nigerian is usually strong hearted, daring and risk-taking. All these are premised on a seeming general faith of succeeding where many fail, apart from their belief that whatever God has made their portion, nothing can block or change it. That I figure was what SSA to the President, Mrs. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, was subtly expressing by her pronouncement that Nigerian youths were warned not to make the journey to Libya. Considering the tough stance of Nigerian youths on risky Libya-trips, the quoted experiences of Irish, welsh and youths of a few other European countries who went through similar hard emigration experiences Nigerian youths are going through now seems to justify their stubborn resolve to take such a risk. Under normal circumstance, maltreatment of emigrants to another country should stir concern of their countries; if they are lawful emigrants. Even, where they are not but are proven to be Nigerians, government should use its diplomatic rights to protect them. However, Nigerian youths should be discouraged from taking senseless risks for “better life”. What does a dead man gain from such a risk? It is suicidal! However, the Libyan story should make government look into ways of providing jobs instead of engaging in sacking even those who are engaged now; as Governor El’RUFAI has threatened to do with teachers in his state. Furthermore, government is a continuum. Any proactive programme left behind by past government should be adopted by the present and improved upon, not politicised.
–Lai Ashadele.
There is an adage that says if woman is married two husbands, she would know the better one .what I’m saying is that those who leave the shore of Nigeria for greener pasture should have a rethink of which one is better. Let them know that they can make it in Nigeria with the money wasted on failed trips. l use this medium to appeal the govt to create jobs & improve on our economy to end nigerians exodus to europe for greener pasture .There is resource to make it here rather than taking deadly trip.l believe our security agencies are not livimg up to expectation to arrest this ugly trend.
–Gordon Chika Nnorom, Umukabia
Abdulfatah, I most sincerely appreciate your courage in choosing and so succinctly treating the topic: Any alternative to Lybia? The answer as your conclusion aptly suggests, is no. And the reason is failure of governance. It is clear to any careful and sincere observer now that our politicians don’t have the interest of the citizenry at heart. All they care for is their personal interest and may be those of few of their cronies. The funniest aspect is that those in government both at federal and state levels continue to deceive themselves by claiming imaginary achievements when they in the real sense, should be apologizing to Nigerians for falsely raising their hopes very high while campaigning only to so woefully dash them when elected. It is lamentation everywhere. Both the rich and the poor are crying now; it is a great pity. As you rightly pointed out, if a young graduate after going through the stress of our tertiary education system continues to stay at home to still be catered for by the same parents that just managed to see him or her through school with the hope that things will get better; and nothing positive happens, frustration and desperation will set in; and at this point, no amount of sermon will stop such a person from believing that his or her luck will be different from that of those that either die in the desert or perish at sea. The irony of it all is that those at the helm of affairs never own up to their disastrous performance. They perpetually continue to point fingers at those that were there before them as the reason for non performance. One is always brought to tears after watching some dehumanizing videos of our young men and women being humiliated by their captors in foreign lands. These young people leave our shores not minding what befalls them because all they see from the highest to the lowest level of government, are lies, deceit, corruption and propaganda. While it must be noted that some of these young people embark on this perilous journey out of greed as the huge amounts they pay before embarking on these journeys to nowhere could start them something reasonable here in Nigeria, government has the greater part of the blame for failing to provide an enabling environment for citizens to fend for themselves in a decent manner. If part of all these billions that are being stolen daily as we see on television and read in the papers are distributed to capable and willing young Nigerians as loans without the stifling interests to venture into whatever area they are interested in, over time, those presently parading the streets looking for jobs will become job creators. Our prayer is that our leaders will urgently allow God to touch their hearts. Thanks. –Emma Okoukwu.