Anyone who has been to the premises of car manufacturing companies in Europe or America, would testify to the fact that a major problem facing the companies is how to sell or ship large fleet of cars, usually to developing countries. To remain in business they need buyers and once a brand of car stays longer than 2 years unsold, the manufacturing companies are jittery. Sales canvassers target African students or visitors returning home, to make or promote sales of exotic cars. White men have learned the vital lesson that luxury is a drawback.
For Nigerian leaders and the political elite, luxury and comfort are the hallmark of arrival or breaking away from the plight of poverty. There is also the culture of creating a superficial comfort zone in the midst of mass poverty and langnour. The masses can “find their level”, while the “elects of the system” can live apart and have their way. Who are the “elects of the system”? They include public “servants” who can spend the sum of N250 million to buy an official car, to be able to serve the masses.
“Elects of the system” include chairmen of public corporations who can declare publicly: “I love cars”, as an explanation why they have a fleet of 11 exotic cars in their homes. Yet, the corporation they supervise remains in debt.
The Nigerian political economy enthroned a cut-throat system which accords recognition to macho-men of raw muscle and power who can terrorise everyone and then get away with such acts of brigandage. Harbingers of a state of anomie include the escort and protection of the caterpillars of the Commonwealth with the security resources of the state, while on looting spree. How else do we explain a situation where a “head of state” could loot a nation’s wealth currently being recovered from various foreign banks? Has looting stopped?
Nigerians were told recently that the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and 192 concerned Nigerians have filed a lawsuit asking the Federal High Court in Abuja to restrain and stop Speaker of the House of Representatives and all members of the House from spending N5.04 billion to buy 400 exotic cars for principal officers and members. We were told that “there is chronic poverty in Nigeria and many state governments are unable to pay salaries of workers and pensioners”.
In a situation where members of the House of Representatives receive huge sums of money as monthly allowances and severance pay on conclusion of their respective terms at the National Assembly, extra luxuries would have been curtailed. Does the wellbeing of Nigerians depend on extra luxuries for their leaders?
Is there no place in the hearts of Nigerian leaders for patriotism and empathy for the poor masses? Would such patriotism and empathy be demonstrated by creating maximum comfort for the leaders, with little or no concern for the larger majority? Why are Nigerian leaders obsessed with exotic cars which must be changed every few years? It is also on record that Nigerians own the highest number of private jets, despite clever duplicity in their registrations. But we dodge tax payments!
For a struggling state like Bayelsa, news about the State House of Assembly approving N2.9 billion “to buy operational vehicles for the governor, deputy governor and other top government functionaries”, was not quite pleasing in many quarters. The N2.9 billion loan would have a repayment tenure of 36 months, perhaps, with some interest, which repayment may affect other areas of the state’s economy. Perhaps, the “operational vehicles” may not be exotic cars but would include exotic boats since Bayelsa has more need for water transport system.
The concern of those who raise issues about the Bayelsa loan for operational vehicles has more to do with the principle of felt-need in governance and economic management process. Yes, there are many urgent demands.
Those who manage resources and people know that there are always many pressing and competing demands, all of which can hardly be satisfied at the same time. The concept of felt-need also known in economics as the Scale of Preference, has to do with needs in order of priority. A felt-need, like a biting pain, does not remain the same all the time. Once there is a relief or solution to address it, a felt-need no longer becomes a priority, such that attention can be given to the next priority.
What is sad in political management and determination of priorities is that a priority can often translate into personal vanity, ambition or fancy, clothed as addressing public interest. An old doctrine of “the greatest interest of the greatest majority” rarely applies in defining felt need. Exotic cars or operational vehicles for a few privileged persons hardly translate into the greatest interest of the greatest majority. Does majority count?
One Logan Pearsal Smith gave an advice to humanity: There are two things to aim at in life: First, to get what you want, and, after that, to enjoy it. Only the wisest of mankind achieve the second.” Defining success or achievement in life goes beyond love of cars.
Dr. Amirize is a retired lecturer from the Rivers State University, Port Harcourt.