The WW 1,which lasted till November 1918 and settled via the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919 between Germany and the allied forces, left the Soviet Union in ruins. The empire, at the end of the war in 1918, started counting her losses. Expectedly, millions of lives (military personnel and civilians) had been lost; economy was in a mess, there was political impasse, poverty and starvation reigned supreme in the communist society due to the damage caused to the empire economic and political strength by the war.
The WW 1,which lasted till November 1918 and settled via the Treaty of Versailles in June 1919 between Germany and the allied forces, left the Soviet Union in ruins. The empire, at the end of the war in 1918, started counting her losses. Expectedly, millions of lives (military personnel and civilians) had been lost; economy was in a mess, there was political impasse, poverty and starvation reigned supreme in the communist society due to the damage caused to the empire economic and political strength by the war.
In order to come out of the quandary, the popular Stalinian five-year plan came into existence by creating the theory of "Socialism in One Country". The theory then begot the policy of "collectivization" where the commoners were turned to peasants. No matter your profession, you just have to go back to the land and cultivate it. The authority went on a slaughtering spree by butchering millions of animals owned by Nomadic herdsmen as a way of coercing them into farming. Ranches were converted to farm lands and peasants were equipped with modern tools in other to farm and increase agricultural product.
However, by the second year of the five-year plan of collectivism, aggregate demand for agricultural products increased and production fell short of local demand without any reference to exportation. As a consequence, famine set in and poverty top it. The policy turned nearly all, except the ruling class and few middle class people,to peasants. Shortage of labour was experienced in other sectors of the economy.Riots,cultural conflicts and political unrest in cities.
In mid-1980s, during the Cold War, under the new leadership of Mikhail Gorbachev, a new policy called"perestroika"-a Russian word meaning restructuring or reformation-was instituted to reform the socio-political and socio-economic environment in the Soviet Union. Gorbachev aimed at moving the communist economy closer to capitalism; strived to align with western democracy and shift the Soviet culture to the middle,if an outright shift to western culture was perceived more elusive and too unpatriotic.The policy, inter alia, aimed at dismantling established price control system operated by Soviet government which hindered successful business environment by cutting off free-market operation. Institutions were reformed and optics were re-directed.Finally,Gorbachev resolved with the Americans,the long disagreement over nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles at a meeting with Ronald Reagan in Reykjavik,Iceland in 1986.
The same stalinian scenario is playing out in Nigeria today where the government has come to the public reciting the chorus about the people(plebians) going back to the land and become farmers. This Buharian policy of collectivism is a modern and re-fashioned policy of the Stalinian policy of "socialism" in one country.
As a tenant occupying a 2 bd flat at Ogba.Should i ask the house owner for a space to turn to a cultivated land in his house? Will the people living in Ikeja,Shomolu,Wuze zone 2,Ademola Adetokunbo Crescent, V/Island,Burdillion, Obalende,etc.also retun to the land and start cultivating all available streets, including BRT lanes?
Public servants with specialities are advised to go back to farm and become peasants. Medical doctors are expected to farm.Nurses are expected to cultivate the land. Must we all become farmers for food to be in abundance? Must civil servants become peasants for the local economy to grow?
The present government resorted to farming by all Nigerians as the only solution to the current guagmire in which the country has found itself.This is very very unfortunate.
Research institutions across the country are in shambles. No innovation.No investment on R&D.The government wants to diversity yet it has not properly invested on R&D.
So,who will bell the cat? Who will be that Nigeria Gorbachev that will institute Nigeria perestroika?
Ire ooo!
SAO
BY S.A ODUNUGA LOPPY
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