As Jonathan admires Thomas Malthus (I)

The question is: when would President Jonathan stop displaying his ‘wide of the mark’ disposition? His call for a legislation to limit the number of children per Nigerian family is yet another proof that he does not actually feel the pulse of Nigerians; many of whom hustle daily in poverty and unemployment with hunger and […]

The question is: when would President Jonathan stop displaying his ‘wide of the mark’ disposition? His call for a legislation to limit the number of children per Nigerian family is yet another proof that he does not actually feel the pulse of Nigerians; many of whom hustle daily in poverty and unemployment with hunger and disease symbolically written (or rather engraved) on their faces. If President Jonathan were in touch with the realities of life in modern Nigeria, he would rather be talking of measures being taken or planned to be taken by his administration in order to give Nigerians some relief from the socio-economic woes bedeviling the country. I wonder if those appointed to serve as ministers, advisers and aides realize that they have a responsibility not only to give Mr. President correct and adequate information about people, events and issues in the country but also to guide him properly as to guarantee the introduction of progarmmes or policies that would be in the interest and for the common good of all Nigerians. They have a duty to caution Mr. President against accepting ‘failed’ western concepts (such as birth control) which in essence are inimical to the socio-economic development of developing nations including Nigeria.

President Jonathan noted in his speech that Nigerians “are extremely religious people” and added “both Muslims and Christians believe that children are God’s gifts to man…” As followers of revealed religion, we remind him that his proposal for birth control law in the country is tantamount to declaring war against nature. It cannot be described as war against God because that is never possible. It is rather a war against nature because nature by definition includes all creatures of Allah (SWT), concrete and abstract. Nature can simply be called the “handiwork of God”, which of course takes account of the process of human procreation.

It would be recalled that the United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Kimoon and his team of advisers were in Nigeria in May 2011 during which working visit Mr. Ban Kimoon’s special adviser, Prof Jeffrey Sachs, warned that Nigeria’s population figure of 150 million could balloon to 730 million by 2100. Prof Jeffrey proposed during the visit that “…Nigerians should work towards attaining a maximum of three children per family”. Nigerians vehemently reacted to this proposition (including this column); alerting our political leaders not to consent to any western plot called “birth control” which negative consequences outweigh any seemingly advantage its proponents desperately want us to accept as true.

Within the context of modern international politics, it was not so surprising that Ban Kimoon and his adviser brought their birth control crusade to Nigeria; given the fact that it is a black African country with huge human potentials and natural resources which if properly harnessed could make it a key and strong player in everything that constitutes or adds up to a “super-power”. The interest with which the west focuses on Nigeria could be understood from this perspective. Nonetheless, Nigerians least expected that Jonathan would get converted by Ban Kimoon’s sermon to become, fourteen months after the latter’s visit to Nigeria, a zealous admirer of Malthusian theory.

Thomas Robert Malthus (1766-1834) was an English scholar in political economy. His theory as popularized in his famous treatise ‘An Essay on the Principles of Population’ asserts that population increases in geometrical ratio whereas food supply increases in an arithmetic proportion. This simply means that people multiply at a rate faster than food supply. Malthus theory was based on two assumptions: (1) Food is an essential component of human existence; and (2) Humans have the basic urge to multiply. Malthusian theory basically sprouts from the hypothesis that the power of population to multiply is greater than the power of the earth to provide subsistence for man. We shall get back to interrogate Malthus on this in the second part of this piece.

There are two ways according to Malthus of putting population under check. They are the “positive” and the “preventive” means. Malthus believes that while natural calamities such as famine, war and death serve as positive checks, birth control (in his opinion) is a preventive means of controlling population growth.

Many have faulted Malthus for establishing his theory mainly on two premises: food supply and population growth. A major weakness of this theory is its failure to widen its scope to consider other factors such as improvements in technology as influential variables. Karl Marx, among other critics of the theory, argued that Malthus failed to recognize the potential of human population to increase food supply. Thomas Malthus is accused by many to have failed as an economist to comprehend man’s ability to use science and technology to increase food supply to meet the needs of an increasing population.

These criticisms of Malthusian theory suffice evidence to convince President Jonathan to denounce his obsession for the artificial theory propounded by Malthus about 200 years ago. In a bid to further persuade Jonathan to abandon the path of Malthus, it may be relevant to ask his Minister of Finance assisted by the CBN Governor and Population Commission Chairman to remind him of the negative consequences which sharp decrease in population has had on some western countries including England, France, Italy, Sweden and Germany in the period between the First and Second World Wars.

In the 1930s, the French Government alarmed by the decline of France’s population started a “baby boom” initiative and thus declared as unlawful all publicity, education and instruction in devices of birth control. Dissemination of knowledge in favour of birth control, written or verbal, overt or covert and by way of private advice, in the individual or public capacity, became forbidden throughout France. About a dozen laws were promulgated and incentives provided to couples by the French government to encourage them to give birth for increase in population. The French became pro-natalist to undo the wrong they had done in earlier decades of adopting birth control measures. They rebelled against the laws of nature but had to garner bitter fruits.

This discussion continues next week insha Allah. May Allah (SWT) guide our leaders to say and do only those things that would profit Nigerians, amin.