If Nigerians are serious about change they should make waging a war against extravagance and ostentation the first criteria for determining who to vote for next year

Ayo Akinfe

[1] My people are yet to smell the coffee but the fundamental problem with Nigeria is that we consume more than we produce. We are not productive enough to sustain the lifestyles we live, so have no choice but to be a little more modest. Cutting back on out opulence is a must or we will simply perish

[2] As a first step, we need to end the use of the phrase Your Excellency for all public officials. What does this mean anyway? Does it mean the person is excellent? Also, end the display of portraits of government officials in public offices. These people call themselves "Your excellency" hang their pictures in public places but do nothing other than steal our common wealth

[3] End the use of all these needless titles like Apostle, Otunba, Chief, Alhaji, Dame, Elder, Engineer, Barrister, Sir, etc. Promote the use of simple Mr and Ms

[4] End the handing out of honourary doctorates. There are only two types of doctors on earth - PhD holders and medical doctors. Anything else is fraudulent and impersonation

[5] Pass laws imposing a punitive 60% environmental tax on any family that owns more than two cars

[6] End this wasteful practise of spraying money at parties. Give the money to the needy instead. Better still, put this money into cooperative societies and invest it in our economy. That is how Europe developed, as you can see from this photograph

[7] Impose a hefty holiday tax on members of the elite who shun Obudu Cattle Ranch, Yankari Game Reserve, etc to enjoy vacations abroad

[8] Make the use of bleaching creams illegal. They are health hazards so their use should attract a 12 month jail term.

[9] Make the reservation of special pews for VIPs in churches illegal. Why should it matter where you pray in church?

[10] Gradually phase out the humiliating tradition of househelps and drivers. There is no dignity in the kind of labour they do. Their easy availability has made the elite lazy, vane and arrogant