Nigeria Content Online

‘One Small Step’, a
docu-drama by Remi Vaughan-Richards is based on real life experiences.
It is about a survey carried out by a research team on the activities
of Nigeria’s local governments in 2009.

The film highlights
the responsibilities of the local government which include: regulation
of public markets; provision and maintenance of public toilets;
maintenance and improvement of local roads and construction and
maintenance of primary schools. Administration of health centres and
provision of sewage and refuse disposal are also mentioned.

The inadequacies of
the local government are vividly portrayed in the film. The general
belief that it is the closest form of government to the people is
negated as it seems oblivious to the problems of the people. Bad
sanitary environment, unhygienic water and inadequate medical
facilities are some of the issues Nigeria’s local governments fail to
address.

The corruption in
the system is also portrayed when the Local Government chair that ought
to serve, gives bribe to Fidelis the headmaster. The chair doesn’t stop
there; he buys himself a jeep with money meant for provision of basic
social infrastructures for the public. While the people suffer from
pollution and die from diseases, the chair and his accomplices enrich
their pockets with government funds.

Grace Fidelis, one
of the characters played by Eucharia Edet, is a mother whose son
suffers from cholera as a result of water contaminated by the filth the
local government totally ignores. The fact that she waits long hours to
see the doctor when her son is dying shows the poor health care
provided by the local government. This is reinforced when the doctor
complains that there is not much he can do but advise the people to
boil their water, prescribes drugs and sends them home.

It shows that the
doctor’s hands are tied especially as the government is not ready to
make the environment healthy and hygienic. Grace is just one of the
many people disturbed by the dirt but nobody seems ready to complain to
the local government because they have been threatened and bribed not
to.

However, armed with
the fact that her son is dying and the drugs her husband brings home
will not stop the cholera outbreak, she meets with the local government
chair. Though he is not receptive, she is undeterred and takes her
complaints to the local government councillor.

It is indeed
ironical that Boniface attests to the fact that the local government
runs an open office policy yet he complains that Grace barges into his
office. “People capitalise on our open door policy to barge into our
office to make complaints on virtually everything,” he says. ‘Virtually
everything’ de–emphasises the importance of Grace’s visit. He describes
her action as someone who “joins the national team without first
joining the Under Seventeen team” thereby suggesting that she has not
followed proper procedure. He also complains that the local government
is for the community and not for an individual so he will not address
an issue just because of her.

Commendably, ‘One
Small Step’ not only depicts the inadequacies of the local government,
it also highlights some of its good deeds. Some local governments
including Ethiope West in Delta State and Magumeri in Borno State that
have provided good schools and water, are also shown in the film.

After a revolt that
takes place when Tola’s baby dies from cholera, everything is put in
order. It becomes clear that the film depicts the fact that the local
government is not corrupt in itself but has some bad eggs. Boniface is
sacked for a long list of crimes such as diverting funds meant for the
provision of portable water, refuse collection, running a ghost
workers’ scam, and conniving with the contractors meant to supply
medicine and equipment for the community clinic.

The film shows that it takes dialogue and cooperation as a team to
make changes in the community and that it begins with one small step.