During the period of your unfortunate incarceration, a foreign tabloid once described Nigeria as a land which exports what we don't have (democracy to Sierra Leone) and imports what we have (petroleum products). Sadly, not much has changed to date.
At the on going Commonwealth Games, the number of Nigerians that have deserted our country is alarming. David Agali carried Canada's flag at the opening ceremony. Emeka Udechukwu, Tosin Oke, Abiodun Oyeyipo & Phillips Idowu were competing for England. Idowu, son of the former Chairman of Odua Group, former FA board member, had an early lead in the men's triple jump. When, eventually "another" Englishman, Jonathan Edwards outjumped, Englandman Idowu, the entire stadium errupted in spontaneous applause, maybe in relief.
Our doctors are in Saudi Arabia, footballers in Europe, daughters in Italy, engineers in the US but no one is coming over here. This is certainly not good for us.
Most countries are actively courting and taking away the best of our people through different programmes, in the interest of their economies. May be we will show concern when the Senate President applies for the next "Green Card Lotttery". We cannot continue to be acting on the
international scene without considering our country's interest.
Recently we rightly gave assistance to Turkey & Cuba in response to their natural disasters. Each country got $100,000 each, of money we do not have. Why could we not offer them made in Nigeria goods (blankets, drugs, tyres or food). The US would dip into its store of excess grain
for aid, expecting the recipient to also acquire a taste for these goods, thereby creating a market.
I recall Mr. President, offering Bill Clinton a parcel of farm land anywhere in Nigeria. Clinton did not take up the offer, retiring to Harlem instead. Cannot the offer be made to the hundreds of white Zimbabwean farmers whom Harare do not seem to want? This will compliment
the recent restrictions on food imports and offer another fillip for our battered economy. But will they come?
They will come, and we will retain our best and brightest only if we are seriously governed. We have too many ministers, governors and traditional rulers who rudely blare their sirens at us. Our system of governance can better be described as "sirenocracy", the government of
sirens, by the idle for bloated egos to "come and chop".
We do not have elected councilors and we have to wait till the politicians settle their power jostling game, to resume the business of governance. We are assaulted by the scores of 1st Ladies at all levels, running their Foundations, which seldom live beyond the tenure of their Emperor
husbands.
The waste in government cannot be better demonstrated by the example of a request for N120million by the PDP chairman to the Senate President for a retreat for PDP Federal Legislators.
Firstly, where is the Senate President supposed to get that kind of money from? A great number of Nigerians live on less than N120 per day. N120m will keep one million Nigerians alive in one day and a handfull of legislators require that sum for miliki?
The reigning culture is that of sharing, not creation & the process is becoming more rancorous. From the price of oil to the OPEC quota. From the the revenue sharing formula to the statutory allocations. From the federal character to national spread. From ethnic balancing to
rotational government, nothing promotes industry, hardwork and resourceful exploits.
God Bless Nigeria.
Bolade Oyebolu
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