December 29, 2000
I have been mulling over the above organization for a couple of days now (since reading about it in a press release).
These are my thoughts on the formation of NIDO and I hope this will give us the opportunity to dialogue and hopefully come together and help break the continuing spiral of ineptitude that consume the country we call HOME.
Let me use this opportunity to wish you all the best in the new year and I think the year 2000 has been eventful but we are yet to take that ultimate step toward making the difference that is needed in our country.
I hope this new year will bring us closer to this goal, so that as we look down south toward home, we can demand what we ourselves can do to make things better for our people, and what we can do together to make our country a better place for all Nigerians.
May all your wishes come true.
At first glance, the idea of an organization like NIDO is not only timely but seems an appropriate avenue for integrating all the positive energy been generated by Nigerians abroad, into one dominant and effective channel, for infusing into the Nigerian society an important
resource for nation and state building.
One of our major concerns at the Atlanta meeting, was the absence of an effective post - dialogue mechanism for implementing and following up on all the goals and agenda set at the meeting. So from the beginning, NIDO seems very appropriate and needed.
In a response to an email from a colleague, I reiterate an open mind toward all efforts and organizations dedicated to promoting and protecting the interest of all Nigerians for the benefits of all Nigerians.
I am interested in seeing what it is all about and hope to dialogue with other Nigerians on the purpose and the benefits of an organization like NIDO. In fact, I immediately supported the
participation of the Nigeria Democratic Leadership Forum (NDLF) in a possible meeting coming up in January.
I think this will provide us all an opportunity to have a first hand knowledge of what it is all about and to assess the appropriateness of such an organization, given the history of our nation in general and Nigerian governing elite in particular.
At the same time, I couldn't resist the temptation to address some questions raised by the formation of this organization.
Some of these issues were also raised in emails* sent by some of my fellow compatriots.
Some of their questions should guide us as we respond to this call by the Nigerian government and help determine the level of our response to the organization, if any.
First, there are many organizations (socio-cultural, political and or economic in nature) in the diaspora, whose objectives, one way or the other is to promote an agenda or two (however particular or general they may be) in the country.
Whatever we may think of these organizations, they are a required part of the landscape in a democratic society.
The increasing development and evolution of these idealist groups is a necessary and contributive factor to sustaining our fledgling democratic experiment.
The independence of these organizations and their ideals should not be compromised.
Secondly, should the government be involved in establishing an NGO?
In my honest opinion and given the level of democratization of our governmental structures, the government can initiate any project it desires but they should be considered as such- government operated, funded or and controlled. Any attempt to give the opposite impression
should be considered to be manipulative and corrupt.
In reality and given the lack of trust in our government and the overt use of organizations in the past by the Nigerian leadership, for their own personal and political gains, the government have no business establishing any organization- non-governmental or non-profit.
The onus lies on the people to organize and if necessary seek governmental recognition, through an agency, established to perform such a function.
During my college days at Ife and as a national vice- president of ANUNSA, we received recognition, funding and assistance, like many other student and youth organizations, from the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sport. The Ministry coordinated all students and youth organizations throughout the country and helped facilitates relationship with other sister organizations in other parts of the world.
If the government had created a youth organization or a student organization, some people would have joined in but they would have automatically become a pariah. That is the nature of the game.
The same could be said of trade unions and other civil organizations. The question remain the
same in this case, do we want to be seen as an arm of the Nigerian government? Or an independent group of Nigerians, although willing to work with the government to change the way we do things for the better in Nigeria, but not ready to be compromised and ready to stand alone for our respective organizational integrity and objectivity.
If the government wants to set up an agency, to dialogue with Nigerian organizations abroad and to cultivate a relationship with these organizations in a way that might be congruent with the goals of the government, that might seem appropriate to me.
In essence, it is my hope that, those that will be attending the January meeting, should make this clear and formulate an alternative agenda, creating an umbrella organization, bringing all Nigerian groups and people together for the benefit of ordinary Nigerians, not as a vehicle for a specific Nigerian government.
In the press release, there is also reference to funding from the government.
A direct funding of such an organization will definitely undermine its integrity. It will make it difficult for the organization to work within our community without it been referred to as
an instrument of the regime.
It will therefore not be able to work in the interest of all. Not that, many of our social organizations do not receive grants from the embassies and consulates, in fact the government
could do more in that regard to help change the image of Nigeria abroad.
On the question of control. It will be easy for the government to control the organization, especially if it is responsible for its formation talk less of funding it.
As we contemplate this organization, I will enjoin all those interested in participating in the next meeting to raise the issue of its independence. It is with such an autonomy can we promote and protect the interest of all Nigerians for the benefit of all Nigerians.
I am always a fool for whatever will bring us all together to ponder what we can do together to ameliorate the condition in Nigeria.
It is time for us to rise to the call.
To come together to challenge the status quo that has consistently, while simultaneously incorporating new recruits into its ranks, violating the rights and the will of our people, since independence.
If you think it is going to stop- when is it going to stop?
If you don't do something to stop it now- nobody will.
Hence the circle of deceit and neglect will continue. Nobody should be allowed to squander the will of this generation. I believe the voices of our generation should be heard.
We have seen a lot of problems in Nigeria and it is not going to go away until a people-minded set of leadership challenge the agents of squalor that parades our nation today.
We came abroad, each of us for a reason and our nation suffer still from the flight of our expertise and yet our leaders tell us not to come home.
In many other countries, leaders ask all their citizen to sacrifice and help revitalize their motherland, not stay away for now while our hospitals lack the medical expertise (while Nigerians have moved ahead of Pakistanis as the largest group of foreign doctors in the
United States), our colleges lack the necessary resources and our country the brain to make it compete effectively.
But you all know what ills our nation. We can stay here and look down their poverty stricken
faces and the lust for a release from their present quagmire. Or we can reach down deep inside us and reach out to them and lift them up and together help preserve a better nation for our children.
That is the task before us this new year, my brothers and sisters (all of you wherever you may hail from), let us rise together and respond to the call to do our best for the future of our motherland and therefore our children.
Arise O Compatriot !
Happy New Year to you all
Bamidele A Ojo
December 29th. 2000.
Stroudsburg, PA 18360.
email: mosbam@noln.com
website: www.geocities.com/ndlf
For more on NIDO
*Thanks to Kenny, Dominic and others.
Guides
Pondering The Formation
Of NIDO