Happy New Year to all my readers! I thank you for your suggestions and compliments. But more especially, I thank you for your criticisms. One of my regrets, however, is that I am unable to respond to all who sent private mails; but please know that I read and paid attention to all your private and public comments. Welcome to At Home and Abroad, and welcome to 2014! Now, let me begin the first of this year’s essays by letting you know what is bothering me.
The other day, Mr. Kayode Ogundamisi produced a video for SaharaReporters which allegedly shows the “billion naira hotel belonging to Nigeria’s first lady Patience Jonathan under construction in Bayelsa State.” It also shows “the family compound of the Jonathans” in Otueke. Assuming these allegations are true, how were they able to afford them considering that (a) neither inherited millions of dollars from their parents; (b) they were not known to be wealthy before 1999; and (c) their combined savings and legitimate investment since 1999, cannot be more than $2m? Where did they get the money from? Commercial banks, perhaps? Well, maybe, we shouldn’t mistake “simple stealing for corruption.”
Now, to the matter at hand!In the spring of 2013, an American who had spent time in Africa told me that “considering what I saw and experienced, one could make a strong case for the re-colonisation of the continent.” I disagreed! Any type of foreign domination and control is and should be out of the question. Even so, I am not oblivious to the fact that the African continent, no matter what country you point to, is controlled — directly and or indirectly — by foreign powers and institutions.
The typical African head of government is lily-livered, spineless. About the only time they exhibit courage is when they are stealing, or when fanning the amber of ethnic or religious antagonism — or when they are about to plunge their country into senseless wars. The vast majority of these leaders cannot look their foreign counterparts in the eyes. Many do not have the courage to say “No!” and walk away if the prevailing condition do not favour their country and its people. And far too many of them do not have the moral credential or authority to condemn internal or external abominations.
When you take a critical look at the continent, you cannot but be dismayed and dejected by what you see — not just in terms of poverty and hopelessness — but also by the scale of human suffering and man’s inhumanity to man. Every so often, one reads hopeful news about how “Africa is rising,” about how the economy is growing by certain percentage point. Baloney! Many of these hopeful accounts are written by “foreign experts” and are meant to give the Africans hope. Now, tell me: What purpose does false hope serve?
Frankly, whatever development there is, is not only miniscule, it is meaningless. We pay too much attention to white elephants as opposed to human needs. As an aside, do you know that Nigeria produces more pastors than all African countries combined? And in fact, there may be more pastors in Nigeria than all of Latin America, the Caribbean and Pacific Rim countries combined.
In recent times, no African country has touted meaningless numbers and false hope as much as Nigeria. Its finance minister, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and President Goodluck Jonathan have been peddling this narrative for so long you’d think Nigeria is far more than what it is. It is not! Nigeria is a killing field: a place where hope and common sense go to waste; a place where decency and meaningful aspirations are discouraged. It is the place where the best and the brightest are encouraged to run into exile. No meaningful things happen here. And even when they happen, they happen in drops and infrequently.
It is pretty difficult to think of a country this disappointing. In this country, the leaders – at the local, state and federal levels – do not learn or emulate anything good and righteous. Whenever they visit Japan, German, Canada, the United States or the Scandinavian countries, it never occurs to them to reproduce the infrastructure they saw and enjoyed. No, never! But they are good at stealing and misappropriating funds, and good at personalising the rule of law.
Sadly, we the people have been good at enabling the appalling behaviour of our leaders. We don’t stone thieves. We don’t shame them. We don’t denounce them. We don’t hold them accountable either through the electoral or judicial system. But instead, we (1) wait for our turn to continue with the status quo; (2) condone their excesses by being kind, being indifferent or we simply tolerate their nastiness; (3) we hail them and give some of them titles; and (4) we become fatalistic — believing that that’s how “God wanted it.” Surely, he wouldn’t sanction or condone 53 years of suffering, if there is one.
One of the agonising ironies of the poor in Nigeria is that many do not know that they are poor, and that they are being cheated and abused and taken for granted. Many more do not know their rights and entitlements. They do not know that a prosperous life awaits them if they work and fight for their rights and the right type of leaders. They do not know that day after day for the last 40 years at least, millions of dollars are being stolen by Nigerians and by foreigners.
If 1999 through 2013 was bad, well, 2014 and beyond may be worse for the vast majority of Nigerians. Therefore, I am going to repeat what I told you a few weeks ago: (a) You must inform on your parents if they steal from the public treasury because robbery is robbery no matter who commits it; (b) you must engage in civil disobedience if the Police or members of the judiciary or parliament violate the law; (c) you must be an active member of the civil society so as to advance common causes; and (d) you must hold those who steal your vote accountable for crime against our constitution.
Also, now or in the future, you must protest against dishonest, incompetent and corruption-enabling leaders — whether or not they are from your part of the country. Let 2014 be the beginning of all that is positively possible for our country. Once more, Happy New Year, Nigerians!
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