“We Need More Of Ecology And Not Economics” By Gbenga Olumekun

                                 

Nigeria spent so much money on me to ensure I can take an academic look at my environment and nation and proffer solutions to perceived problems as a Biologist. I have never been shy and will never be shy of voicing an opinion that will deepen our nation's search for sustainability.

I find it hard to imagine that many of those promulgating economic policies for our nation have the most basic understanding of the principles of economics nor whether they even have an interdisciplinary façade. But then it's no longer ECONOMICS that we need but ECOLOGY.
I am a student of Ecology which means I have an intricate understanding of the interrelationships between organisms and their abiotic environment. We and everything around us exist in an environment that is interdependent and co-dependent. Our nutrition patterning alone often elucidate a complex web called the FOOD WEB hence an ECOLOGIST who is more focussed on a FOOD CHAIN will lose the real kaleidoscope of activities in the ECOSYSTEM within which we are forced to live. The activities of one interferes often with the ability of another to discharge his/her/its responsibilities to the ecosystem. In view of the fact that it is a web, LINEAR or LATERAL THINKING can never offer any meaningful solution to our problems.
It is unfortunate that those who pretend to know more than the rest of us are actually compounding our problems by their short-sighted and ill-digested regurgitations of what they term economic policies. Time have come to abandon economics for a while and apply the laws of ECOLOGY.
There are too many issues to attend to, to the extent that I do not know where to begin. For instance, what is the wisdom behind obliterating the value of your currency when you live an import dependent life such that we even prefer to purchase and wear used braziers and panties from Europe? It's shameful enough that we do, but WHY? How long do our locally produced goods last? What Governmental/institutional support do the producers have as incentives to improve on quality?
Worse still, I heard on the news that the Nigerian Navy has just destroyed several thousand litres of illegally refined Diesel as well as the illegal refineries. What better definition than RESOURCE WASTAGE can we adduce to this dastardly practice? The bigger question is, where did the crude come from? What would we have lost if we had found better use for the confiscated fuel which was produced at a premium to our economy and environment? Diesel is imported because we do not produce enough locally, yet a few of our countrymen have demonstrated the spirit of innovation by adapting/adopting local technology. Is there any sin if we encourage these folks to come out of the woodworks and organise them in order to refine the technology they have adopted?
Our policy makers need to really have a rethink. Are we promoting PROACTIONISM or REACTIONISM? My little understanding tells me that the former engenders development while the latter is a display of negativism at its very apogee. Do we want to move forward? Let's rethink!
Sorry if feathers are ruffled but forget about the messenger and critically appraise the message.

God Bless!