Public Administration and the Golden Question

By Tosan Begho

 Imagine a world where the government of a state cannot be held responsible for their actions, a world where due process is absent, a world where laws are not implemented and executed properly. The list goes on, but for us to fully understand the importance and benefits of Public Administration and answer the question “Why Study Public Administration?” you have to define the term.

 The word Public Administration is very often used but very difficult to define, this is because the boundaries of the field have never been delimited. According to Hodgson 1969 Public AdministraWhy Study Public Administration? The Golden Question.tion comprises all activities of people or groups in government or their agencies whether these organizations are international, regional or local in their scope; to fulfil the purposes of these government agencies. This definition shows that Public Administration is government in action, it is concerned with the executive, operative and the most obvious part of government which deals with the formulation and enforcement of public policies. Government cannot exist without administrative machineries for implementing public policies.

 Now that you have a fair idea of the concept of Public Administration, the question still stands “Why should you study the course?” or “What jobs can you end up having?”, well let me share a quick story; you see Public Administration wasn’t my first choice initially, it wasn’t even part of my top 5 courses (and now you might be thinking so why write this article), I was part of those asking “what does an Administrator do, what jobs can I get after this, why am I studying this course” but by my 200L I was in awe of the course, a course so broad and versatile that gave a detailed insight to so many other courses, I found myself studying Accounting courses, Economics, Social Psychology, Social works, Customer Relations Management, Human Relations and Personnel Management, International Relations and so many others all under Public Administration, already these courses gives you an advantage of having variety of jobs to apply for and also a variety of  professional courses to enroll in to add a boost to your CV which you will already have intermediate knowledge of. Amazing right!

 Now it’s time for some of the attractive benefits and jobs available to an Administrator

• Ability to work/manage people: Implementing programs and managing the people who are involved (Managerial Position)Chance to hold important government positions: Some of  the most important government officials followed a career in Public Administration (Cabinet Member, Working with the United Nations, State Governors)
• Make an impact on your government: You can do this by holding the power to implement or recommend programs and also having the ability to make direct impact on your local, state and federal government
• Chance to hold a position in the news and entertainment field: Political analysts for major news networks often pursued careers in Public Administration which helps them understand the political system and provide analyses of the situations.
• Serve as consultants: Many Public Administration professionals can go into consulting and make policy and procedural recommendations for meeting budgets, deadlines, etc.
•  Specific job titles include: Customs Inspector, Labour Management Relations Specialist, Mediator, Systems Analyst, Civil Servant, Foreign Affairs and International Policy Operations.

To conclude this article I will like to take you back to the beginning and ask once more for you to “imagine a world where the government of a state can’t be held responsible for their actions, a world where due process is absent, a world where laws are not implemented and executed properly”, well a world like that needs an Administrator and that alone shows enough importance to study Public Administration.

Charles Uche ESQ

I was recently asked how Civil Society Groups could contribute to the COVID-19 efforts. These are my thoughts;

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) can play key roles in monitoring, documenting and reporting multi-sectoral efforts such as ensuring human rights due diligence and equal access to health care; sensitisation (and combating fake news); tracking – accountability and transparency of measures with particular focus on fund donations; humanitarian intervention. They can also follow up with judicious distribution of relief items to low-income communities and marginalised people.

Although the lock-down is a welcome resolve to enhance social distancing, I am of the opinion that it should not have been extended to some or a coalition of Civil Society Groups working around COVID-19, just as members of the Press were given a free pass.

The restriction of CSOs limits them to advocating for digital accountability measures. This is limiting the call for transparency and accountability in the response to COVID19, knowing that public digital responsiveness and accountability is still quite alien to many Nigerian Ministries, Departments and Agencies.

Unlike in the USA, Nigeria has no Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA) that mandates MDAs to digitally publish all public expenditures. 

To compound this, the Freedom of Information Act would not avail anyone during this lockdown as there would be no one in the offices of these MDAs to take delivery or respond to such requests.

 My concern is that there may be no neutral party in the field to track human rights due diligence; and transparency and accountability compliance. No third party to ensure all humanitarian interventions/measures comply with the humanitarian principles.
Furthermore, CSOs should be involved in the identification, implementation and evaluation of COVID-19 measures and relief disbursement in Nigeria, and also assessing government’s response strategies to the pandemic.
The job of many CSOs is akin to the 4th arm of government – the Press. Any undue restriction is fundamentally detrimental to our democratic and civic space.

Indeed, Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution that empowers the Press and other agencies of the Mass Media to hold the government accountable and uphold constitutional tenets should extend to NGOs.

Those who fail to see reason here may be reminded of the 2012 Flood Relief Fund/Donations which was void of transparency – and flood victims never accessing reliefs mobilised by the government – from private, local and international donors.

The duty of good governance and social justice does not halt in times of crisis. CSOs, same as  the Press, are the bulwark of our fickle democracy.

By Charles Uche ESQ., Staff Attorney

COVID-19: We Are in this Together

Dear Friends of CODE and Follow The Money

Our world is currently threatened by COVID-19, with significant implications on health, personal and professional life. Even at that, this period has witnessed a great level of interdependence—that our collective success does not only depend on how we care for ourselves but also how we are looking out for other people around us.
 

In light of what we do at CODE, constantly advocating for public funds to be used for public goods, especially in the areas of education and more importantly healthcare, we most certainly believe that the state of a nation’s healthcare is tantamount to its wellbeing. Our call for accountability and transparency in public services is to prepare our society, our country and our world to tackle challenges that a pandemic of this kind presents.
 

Today, as the globe deals with COVID-19 and navigate its health, economic and social implications, we at CODE will continue to make proactive decisions to provide marginalised communities with access to information and also to ensure the personal health and safety of our team, our Follow The Money members across Africa, our partners across the globe and you, our friend.
 

We have taken remote work more seriously and have instituted strict social distancing and stay-at-home policies. Still, we will continue to impact our community and advocate for the government to be more responsible and accountable especially in this dire time. We will also be seeing all our engagements through the lens of COVID-19, structuring our work to tackle financial leakages, mismanagement of funds and advocating for social justice in fragile communities so these people can access clean water, proper healthcare and all-round improved public services.
 

We commend leaders, organisations, and individuals who are prioritizing our collective health and well-being over individual profit. Our thoughts and best wishes are with them.
 

Do not hesitate to reach us if you have ideas, resources and information on how we can better reach communities during this time. 
 

Please stay safe.

Hamzat Lawal
Chief Executive, CODE
Founder, Follow The Money

Anne Alagbe

There have been notable improvements in Nigeria concerning the treatment of women. More women are filling roles in public offices but not enough has been done to promote Gender Equality. The law for the prosecution of rape within marriages have still not been passed in court, foreign men cannot claim their wives Nigerian nationalities, and women still experience difficulties in using their documents to access opportunities without the help of their father or husbands (a nuisance I have experienced a number of times). 

Waiters still assume my husband is paying (despite the fact that I pay sometimes). They give him the bill without even giving me an ounce of eye contact. When he firmly and curtly comments to them saying, ‘ please give it to her’ the reaction is almost always the same! A mix of confusion and embarrassment on their part as they meekly give to me the bill. Now imagine, if for people to unlearn and de-condition their mindsets of basic behaviours such as ‘men always paying’ how much harder as a country will it be for gender equality to truly take place.

The truth is that women in Nigeria are not valued as they should be, they are seen as a commodity instead of an important necessity. Thank God we have some women seated in government roles to give us some hope but when you look at the amount, it’s enough to defuse your bubble all over again. It would be idealistic to think the government is responsible for this issue and they should fix it (although a part of it is true), when, honestly, we are all to be held accountable– an orientation that must  be unlearned by the Nigerian population. Citizens need to see women and their purpose differently, and not just as domestic beings. Fellow women need to start deconstructing years, centuries even, of conditioned gender roles and start paving their own paths for change. It’s quite unfortunate that there still are cases of women who are subject to and silent about sexual assault and also harassment at the workplace. Many women are marginalised and are not seen beyond their faces. One wonders  when this degradation will end. 

Beyond wishful thinking and short term feminist campaigns, it will take a complete unlearning of years of conditioned gender ideas and an acceptance from both men and women that, in order to achieve change, we must transform our attitude towards small basic things. Each for Equal is the responsibility of all.

Hyeladzira James Mshelia

Greenhouse gas emissions constantly pose significant threats to flora and fauna,  economic development, as well as environmental sustainability. From shifting weather patterns, to rising sea levels that increase the risk of catastrophic flooding, intense drought, storms, heat waves, warming oceans,  rising sea levels and melting glaciers. We do not need soothsayers to tell us the effect of and unprecedented scale of climate change and global warming.

 I remember having a conversation with a well-learned person on the dangers of leaving electric appliances on when not in use. He insisted he had no interest in matters of climate change because it was neither his concern nor did he believe in it. I thought that was sad. How can something so glaring and severe be easily shrugged off.

According to the NOAA 2019 Global Climate Summary, the combined land and ocean temperature has increased at an average rate of 0.07°C (0.13°F) per decade since 1880. This is alarming. In 2020, predictions of far warmer temperatures have been made, regardless of which carbon dioxide emissions pathway the world follows. 

As one of the world’s most densely populated countries  with a population of over 200 million people, half of which are considered to be in obsequious poverty, Nigeria is known to be vulnerable to climate change. The sunny days are extremely hot while the rainy days are extremely wet.  The Nigerian agricultural sector depends largely on rain and fair weather–from crop production to livestock rearing to fisheries name it all. How then do we intend to survive when  the rainy season fluctuations and the weather temperature that tends to be unbearable for livestocks? Research shows that livestock mortality has increased drastically. These impacts are already being felt and will increase in magnitude if action is not taken. Despite increasing awareness on the effect and dangers of climate change, scores of people still claim ignorance. Many are ignorant of their adverse contribution they are making to increase climate change and are very much oblivious to the moral significance of mitigating climate change.

No one is asking you to restore beach vegetation to shade marine turtle nests in the Caribbean or Secure access to fresh water for elephants during periods of drought yet. Instead, we need to ask: “what can we do? What little efforts we can make towards mitigating the effect of climate change. Proper education on the subject matter is crucial at this point.

 Healing the planet starts in your living room, kitchen and garages.  Limiting the use of fossil fuels such as oil, carbon and natural gas and replacing them with renewable and cleaner sources of energy. An attempt to switch  to a ‘green’ energy provider and change what you buy and eat, turning off electrical appliances when not in use; are important steps to reducing climate change.

Saater Brenda Ikpaahindi 

Walking up the stairs to Connected Development’s (CODE) office, I wasn’t sure what to expect.  The first thing that caught my attention as I reached the door was the graffiti and pictures sprawled on the wall that instantly told me this was going to be a cool place to work. As I sat across from Hamzat Lawal (Chief Executive of CODE) telling him why I wanted to volunteer with CODE, honestly, I was clueless about how I was going to be of help to the organisation. I knew I wanted to volunteer because at the time, I was newly out of a job and felt that I could do some pro-bono work for an organisation and I was referred to CODE. The conversation was at best awkward as I grappled with what to say.

I remember Hamzy (as he likes to be called) saying that the organisation needed someone to support the communications team, especially around social media. Wow! Social media was not really my thing I thought. Although I knew enough about social media, I hadn’t jumped on the bandwagon of using it daily and just caught up with it from time to time (I love technology but social media… let’s leave for another discussion). But, after much inner turmoil, I agreed. I was determined that I had something to give and determined that I would add value to the CODE team. And to be honest after seeing that cool graffiti, who wouldn’t want to work here? I had to be that ‘someone’!

On reaching home, I started to think about all the things I believed I could bring to the team. I listed all my strengths and how I thought these would benefit the organisation and so began my journey with CODE. I started off by working with the communications team at CODE, supporting the team to draft and edit documents. The programme’s team also asked me to support in drafting project proposals, from this, I was given the opportunity to lead an application for the 100 million & Change MacArthur grant. A task that not only challenged me but enhanced my perseverance and team skills.

Working at CODE also helped me to tap into my creative side. New ideas were welcomed and celebrated, and this was one of the best things I loved about volunteering with CODE. The air felt light. I was unaccustomed to the idea of an open-door and easy access policy with senior management in a workplace. I remember walking in on a Monday morning to pitch an idea to Hamzy and he said go run with it,  I was taken aback, but I ran with it. The focus here was not really on bureaucratic processes or not making mistakes, it was about how what we do can positively impact people’s lives across Nigeria and Africa.

At the heart of CODE’s work is a determination to bring social change to marginalized and vulnerable communities and this drives the people who work here. It was palpable, I felt it in the way each staff member worked, their drive, their passion, young people, who are determined that public funds work for the people; young people who are determined that Nigeria becomes a better place; young people who are ready to go to the most remote and hard-to-reach communities to empower them to demand for essential public services. Their words, their pictures, their videos of work in communities across Nigeria says it all and more. What they want, what they work for, what they fight for, what they envision is for every community in Nigeria to have access to quality schools, health care centres and WASH facilities in order to end extreme poverty and inequality.

One thing I realised from this experience is that, it is important to challenge yourself. You may be at the start or the pinnacle of your career but there is always something new to learn. It also reinforced in me that it is important to do what you love because your passion will drive you to excel and be excellent. Find you niche and slay at it.

For many young people out there, my advice is to actively seek out volunteer positions, not only do these roles help you gain new skills, help you to meet new people and expand your world, they can also be a pathway into an exciting career path. For organisations, I encourage you to take on volunteers. What many young people need especially in a country like Nigeria with a myriad of challenges is an opportunity. 

If given another opportunity, I will gladly volunteer for CODE again as I immensely enjoyed working with the organisation.

Although as they say in CODE, no one ever really leaves CODE, so, I’m still a CODER!

By Anne Alagbe

The idea of social justice continues to be far-reaching especially in a country like Nigeria. We still grapple with fair treatment and advocating for equality seems to be daunting. There is a component of social injustice at every level in the country.

Unemployment in Nigeria remains at a staggering high of 23.10%. The roads are dotted with street sellers, trying to sell anything they can from groundnuts to crossword books for children. Okada bikers and Keke drivers recklessly put themselves at risk while facing the brutality of the roads in order to earn a living for themselves and their families. Then, there are the saleswomen who wake up early to sell their merchandise in the markets persistently negotiating prices with their customers in order to provide money to feed their children. One may wonder where justice is in such a broken system. A system which benefits the rich and consistently puts the poor at a disadvantage.

The theme of this year’s Social Justice Day is ‘Closing The Inequalities Gap To Achieve Social Justice’. It may appear impossible a task to achieve here in Nigeria with all the chaos taking place, the hundreds if not thousands of people in the towns of Lagos who have now been rendered jobless due to the ban of Keke and Okada bikes– a strong avenue for crime and other atrocities to thrive, if you ask me. With actions like this, one may wonder if Nigeria can boldly speak of Social Justice for all.

According to an article written by the UN, ‘Social Justice is an underlying principle for peaceful and prosperous coexistence within and among nations.’ The truth is, in order to truly achieve this ‘peaceful’ and ‘prosperous coexistence’ in the country, much more than empty government promises, citizens need to be prioritised more than selfish interests. There must be a complete and utter revamping of a system which has consistently been broken, alongside the reprogramming of a mindset that can ensure people begin to trust the leaders.

Social Justice Day advocates for poverty eradication and fair treatment in employment and support for social integration. This is a goal that we should thrive to achieve, however, with the statistics showing that one in five workers still live in moderate or extreme poverty coupled with stagnant wages and gender inequality, socio-economic growth is hindered greatly.

Despite the disorder which is currently taking place and how uncertain things may look, Social Justice can be achieved if tackled with a sense of urgency and a determination to completely transform the status quo. One of the main ways to achieve this is ensuring citizens are able to access basic human facilities such as clean potable water, decent healthcare facilities, good quality education for all, well-paid jobs made available amongst many others. Corruption from the top being state governments not using the full funds that they were received to fulfil the needs of its citizens, corruption of policemen and army officials waving their guns around at drivers whilst coarsely asking for money, and may God help the unfortunate soul who refuses to pull out a few hundred Naira’– all must be frowned against and tackled. 

We will truly be able to advance Social Justice once all barriers, including tribalism, ethnicity and religious discriminations are obliterated, promoting a wholesome society where everyone has an equal opportunity and an equal right to succeed.

Kingsley Agu, Kaduna State Chapter Lead

Kingsley sensitizing head teacher, community & SBMC members in Fadan Kamatan, Zango Kataf LGA, Kaduna state.

In 2017, my team and I began tracking education projects in grassroots communities across four Local Government Areas (LGA) in Kaduna state, Nigeria. During the course of tracking, we adopted a more sustainable approach which was to get the community buy-in and collaboration. This means they take responsibility for ensuring these projects are implemented. We decided to review existing structures that address education issues at the community level.

Prior to this, we had heard a lot of discussions about how the community members cannot really comprehend and actualize development projects because of their technicalities. We identified this as a knowledge gap and devised strategies to empower the people by building their capacity on understanding these projects.

We chose the community structures because they are the direct beneficiaries of the work being done at the community level. They have children attending schools built at the community level; they receive healthcare from the Primary Healthcare Centres and because they are directly impacted by the outcomes of these projects, it is important that they own the tracking processes.

The task at hand was to track the construction of 70 schools within a frame of three years in four LGAs of Jema’a, Kudan, Kajuru and Zango kataf Local Government Areas, so that more children in marginalised communities can access basic education.

Since the Follow The Money team cannot be everywhere at a time,  we set up a structure made up of already existing Community Based Organizations (CBOs), School-Based Management Committee (SBMC), the Parents Teacher Association (PTA), Artisans, Community members (Youth and Women leaders) and Traditional rulers in some instances. These groups formed what we call the School Monitoring Team (SMT).

Kingsley sensitizing head teacher, community & SBMC members in Nisama, Jema’a LGA, Kaduna state.

We identified gaps in the capacity of the SMT, the quality of information and the amount of information they had access to regarding constructions or Projects going on in the communities. We discovered the gaps in the way and manner with which they implemented the guidelines for their associations. For example the SBMC has a guideline that empowers it to monitor schools in its local communities but the unit has not been optimal so our job was to empower and build the capacity of the  team.

To get them ready, we organised a series of training targeted at the gaps we observed. We also provided them with information needed to offer  oversight on education projects particularly the Universal Basic Education projects in their respective communities. We were able to access information (including the Bill of Quantity)  about the projects from Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board (KAD-SUBEB) using the Freedom of Information act. We trained the SMT on how to interpret and make use of a Bill of Quantity (BOQ), how to effectively track, monitor and report their findings and how to carry out a Community Action to demand for accountability from respective government agencies in whatever project-education or healthcare-in their communities. By empowering their skills, we were giving them a voice to demand accountability from their government.  Together with these community members, we formed a formidable team. We attended meetings with Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board, engaged them in tracking activities and tracked projects going on in 23 schools in the four local government Area worth over 1.5 million US Dollars in just a bit above one year.

Outcome of the capacity of these groups that we had built was that the community members independently petitioned the anti-graft agency, Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) to sanction SUBEB in Taban Sani to apologized to the Contractors for acting ignorantly in Kufana to the detailed Community members of Fadan Kamantan down to ever active Nisama Community members, they are the unsung heroes of our tracking Success. They understood their right from the onset that if these projects were not properly implemented, they would suffer for it. They knew that their livelihood depended on the success of these projects, they understood that they have a role to play in ensuring better service delivery at their respective communities and they delivered- the SMTs delivered!

Together with their delivery and our engagements with Kaduna State Universal Basic Education Board, the community members earned themselves a seat at the procurement table and tendering process of the board and will be part of the project pre-contract processes and KAD-SUBEB has also made a policy that no Contractor will ever go to any community to carry out any project without first informing the community, a policy we helped influence.

By Lucy Abagi James

‘My daughter forfeited her chance to study Engineering at the University of Port-Harcourt because she had compounded breathing problems caused by soot.  She is currently learning how to sew clothes and we are hopeful that by the next admission season, she will gain admission to study at another University’. – Anonymous

A lady (in her late 30’s) who lost her younger brother a year ago to cancer, believes his death was linked to environmental pollution’ of black soot. Sadly, these harrowing experiences are the daily realities of people living in Port-Harcourt, Nigeria. 

Many years ago,my grandmother journeyed from her village in Oron, in search of a ‘better life’ in Port-Harcourt. Her countless stories on her sojourn for a better life in Po-ta-kot (Pidgin) as she fondly called it, kept arousing my inquisitiveness to understudy Port- Harcourt. The city of PH as it called, is one of the boisterous in Nigeria,  and the capital of Rivers State, Nigeria. Through the benefits of the Nigerian Petroleum Industry, PH further developed, becoming commercially viable and attracting migrants from other States who sought better means of living.

The narrative has since changed. A city that was once the dream of a people has suddenly become their nightmare.  This situation is further worsened for the marginalized and deprived sub-sect.

People have not only lost their means of livelihood but also their lost loved ones to the clutches of the Black Soot. Some have had their health deteriorate, and have been diagnosed with cancer. Others have had to relocate to other cities for fear of the dreadful. The town covered in black, has now become a shadow of what it used to be. If you swipe a finger at a car glass, the colour on your thumb is black soot. Food, windows, beds, furniture, electronics, merchandise are all  smeared with soot. Children are deprived of the opportunity to explore their childhood because movements are restricted, still, in their small play areas, their feet are stained, and unknowingly the soot particles find their way into their homes creating more harm and unavoidable damages to their health.

Soot broke out in the city two years ago as a result of incomplete combustion of carbon, the burning of crude oil on both illegal refinery grounds or government confiscation policy. Experts estimate that about six (6) million residents of Port Harcourt are exposed to the risk of cancer since the emergence of SOOT in the city.

Black soot is the fine black particle, chiefly composed of carbon, produced by incomplete combustion of coal, oil, wood, or other fuels. Soot can consist of acids, chemicals, metals, soils, and dust. The common trait of soot particles is that they are extremely tiny – 2.5 micrometers or smaller in diameter. This is smaller than dust and mold, and is about 1/30 the diameter of a human hair’. 

As a result of this menace, Port Harcourt is now known as the Black City. Majority believe that the source of this black soot is due to incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons as well as asphalt processing, burning of barges used for oil bunkering and illegal artisanal refinery operations in some parts of the state. 

In a more humane clime, black soot would be called  a national disaster and a state of emergency declared. A saner government would have halted the insensitive activities of these Oil Companies, and evacuated citizens in most affected regions. It would have accelerated the  total clean-up of the region. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Little or low attention has been given to the effect of this environmental and climate conditions The tall buildings and white sparkling mansions are slowly losing their splendour. The town has gone sour and many like my grandmother have long lost faith of a better life in po-ta-kot. 

Clearly, as are many issues in Nigeria, soot is believed to be  hugely politicized, making allowance for roles to be shifted. The State Government points fingers at the Federal Government and vice versa. Painfully, the magnitude of the blast is yet to hit the State, although the menace is not getting any serious attention, most of the people affected still go about  their daily tasks. Experts still maintain that the presence of soot in the atmosphere is dangerous and carcinogenic and constant exposures can result in numerous and diverse respiratory diseases. 

After years of waiting, wailing and increased death toll in the black city, on Thursday 19 April 2018 the people of Po-ta-kot marched out in quantum to demand immediate action by the government. Connected Development holistically joined this march and KC Nwakalor, a distinctive and professional Photographer brushed up his magic camera to gather live images and experiences, so the voices of the residents can be amplified, and the oil rich state rescued from total environmental degradation. 

KC Nwakalor recounting his ground experience, and direct impact of SOOT on the masses, He opined that the black soot settles on everything and finds its way into the corners of living rooms no matter how hard people try to stop it. “Food items in Port Harcourt markets are not spared from getting mixed with these deadly black particles that are massively present everywhere.

Deeply concerned by this issue, should citizens carry placards before a serious attention is drawn to a case of environmental setback like this?  Be that as it may, this march elucidates citizens distrust in the government and lack of human empathy by the bourgeoisie in ensuring that a joint action is taken to support the marginalized and most affected populace of the state. 

Nwakalor further arbitrated that the mass turnout of people was to ensure that likely solutions and steps are taken by the government to stop the activities of Illegal refineries (a huge business venture enjoyed by certain political thugs and loyalists). The Federal and State Governments, security agencies as well as all agencies in charge of environment and other agencies handling related issues, should toe a defined and safe path in handling illegal oil vessels. “The government should constitute local councils into environmental councils to monitor their areas for any possible illegal refining of crude and other dangerous acts that are inimical to human existence.”

I am positive that some day, the tall, gigantic, stainless and sparkling white buildings of Po-ta-kot will return. Po-ta-kot will be scrubbed white and the present black city will receive its redemption and be polished in gold. Our children will explore the blessings of childhood, market women will display their goods in style, the hospitals will not be crowded with victims  and development will return to the Black City.