By Ogenyi Ogenyi, Uyo
Former Minister of Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Chief Nduese Essien, has delivered a scathing critique of the widespread empowerment schemes promoted by politicians across Nigeria describing it as a wasteful cover-up for consistent governance failures at all levels.
Essien who made this known in Eket yesterday insisted that what is popularly known as empowerment is nothing more than a ruse, designed to mask the government’s inability to provide basic amenities and economic opportunities for its citizens.
According to the former minister, it is this long-standing failure that has pushed Council Chairmen, Lawmakers, and other public officials to assume responsibilities that should be handled by the government, such as providing necessities to the people.
“Governments are supposed to create an enabling environment in which people can live in dignity and cater for themselves. Throughout the colonial period, the short-lived independence era, and even military rule up to 1999, empowerment was not part of our political vocabulary. It simply didn’t exist, because government, in many ways, did its job.” He said.
Essien argued that no serious government could sustain poverty alleviation by handing out foodstuffs and cash to its citizens instead of focusing on long-term investments that build human capacity and stimulate productivity.
“What responsible governments do is invest in people’s capacity to thrive by creating jobs, building infrastructure, and ensuring access to quality education, healthcare, and credit.” He said.
Citing examples from around the world, the elder statesman pointed to Brazil and Mexico, where conditional cash transfers are linked to measurable outcomes such as child education and health checkups.
He referenced Bangladesh’s successful use of microcredit and skills development to empower women and grow small businesses nothing that Ethiopia has tied safety nets to public works programmes, while Rwanda has invested heavily in vocational education and small enterprise development.
“These are not acts of charity. They are smart, sustainable systems that restore dignity and build capacity. That is what good governance looks like.” He said.
He also expressed disappointment with the Ministries of Humanitarian Affairs at the federal and state levels, which he accused of becoming notorious pipelines for large-scale embezzlement.
“One would have thought that the creation of these ministries would make a significant impact on the welfare of the people. Unfortunately, they have become conduits through which public funds are stolen with utter recklessness.
“All the ministers of humanitarian affairs in Nigeria have been accused of misappropriating and embezzling billions of naira meant for people in distress,” he said.
He lamented the inability of Nigeria’s anti-corruption agencies to bring indicted officials to justice, calling for a complete review of how the government responds to the needs of vulnerable citizens.
“That is why I am calling on the government to take another look at what has come to be known as empowerment and find better, more sustainable ways of providing safety nets.
“We must stop the routine sharing of food items and cash to people who will return to the same queue the next day. It is neither dignifying nor effective.”Essien said.
According to him, what Nigerians truly want remained opportunities to work and prosper, including access to land, loans, training, stable electricity, and consistent policies that enable them to farm, trade, and grow their careers and businesses.
“What we need is infrastructure that supports markets, technology that opens new doors, and policies that attract investments,” he said, urging public officials to stop wasting resources on politically motivated handouts.
“The truth is, many people who were ‘empowered’ since 1999 are still standing in the same queue, waiting for the next round. The impact has been minimal despite billions spent over the years
“So, let us correct these mistakes. Let us restore government to its proper role. Let us learn from models that work and develop homegrown solutions that build dignity, not dependency.”Essien concluded.
