| DIASPORA EXPRESSIONS |
There was an election recently in Nigeria which the result or rather the outcome comfounded all, both local and international. Against a Nigeria whose stories have been rife with negativities the reason for the surprise this time is positive. Once in the history of Nigeria we will add in our annals a memorable “telephone call”. Some one was over heard saying that just by this phone call this man has diffused a time bomb!.
There were two major parties involved in this election – The then incumbent which is the People’s Democratic Party and the All Progressive Congress, which eventually won the election, at the presidential level. Now the the presidential canddate of this APC, Mohammadu Buhari had travelled to Britain two in the heat of the campaign leading to the memorable election. Grapevine had it that man was sick and therefore dartingacross the sea for medical purposes. However reports from members of the media and other interested groups reported that his presence was felt more in places of high political and economic activities in England than in any medical facility.
Then the elections came and went with him emerging the winner. Nigerians saw the visitation of no less a personality than the British political blue eye boy – Tony Blair himself. What was notable about this visit as this writer was in Nigeria all through that period is that we did not see in the tube or newspapers the visitor and the defeated president, though he was still in charge as the innauguration of the new man had not yet taken place and he had openly warned about a “parallel government”. The television and the newspapers on the other hand were filled with meetings of Buhari and Blair and scenes where they had addressed the press together.
In the heat of this, the presidenthad disappeared again to surface in London. He had literary come back for his innauguration from England.
Then the innuaguration on came and went. Quite a wonderful day in Nigeria, when one considers her checkered political history. A powerful American contingent led by the US Secretary of State, John Kerry himself was there. The British, O h the British, they had sent a quality representation. Then there were the Saudi Arabians, South Africans, and many Western countries that are friendly and some not even so friendly to Nigeria in particular and African in general.
Then the next news we heard was that the man had been invited to the G7 meeting in Germany. He went and returned.
Then followed the biggest of all. He went to the United States of America. He was invited by Ubama himself. The story of that visit will be told by Nigerians yet unborn. The high point however is that he had taken time out from diplomatic talks to meet the Nigerian business community in the US.
Comparatively, the overwhelming presence of the Chinese and other Oriental nationals in the socio economic sphere of Nigeria (Industrial, constructions, medical, education etc) and the financially heavy activities going on in these sectors at the time indicate without doubt where the interest of the last government lied.
Now these visitations abroad by the present president and the return visits by the political and economic chieftains from the West we do not need a priest or babalawo to tell us where the overseas actions of this government is going to come from. One carrying a pitcher passes, another carrying an earthen pot passes then another with a calabsh goes by, one does not need to ask where they are going or coming from.
However this excitement over this new or rather renewed relationship between Africa’s giant and the West especially with our “Colonial masters” does not seem to go down well with all. There are very powerful oppsing voices and one will be quite foolish to ignore these dissenting voices. These ones bring to mind with their assertions the expressions of the likes of Chinweizu “The West and the Rest of us”, Walter Rodney and Franz Fanon : Wretched of the Earth and How Europe underdeveloped Africa and other such works. These ones insist that right from the first contact of Africa with these Westerners, through the horrors of the Slave Trade to the unimiginable exploitations of Colonialism, then to the continued post colonial manipulations nothing has changed in our relationship with the West. They insist that the relationship has forever been skewed to the advantage, benefit and profit of the West but sadly to the loss, sorrow and poverty of countries like Nigeria and the rest of Africa. No mater how the tossed coin falls, it is head they win and tails we lose. Is this present romance of Nigeria with the West not the terribled mauled Zebra going back to ask for another dance with the tiger that had mauled it in the past. Considering it was not long, and during one of these likely subservient visits that the Prime Minister of Britain described Nigeria as one of the most fantastically corrupt countries in the world. Yet the shameless president went on with that visit koktow to him.
Nigeria is one of the highest Oil producing countries in the world yet remains one of the poorest nations on earth, inspite our continued relationship with the West. The proponents of these opposing ideas therefore insist that nothing has changed, but if any change has occured at all, it was in the period of the Chinese presence. More people they say got richer, more Nigerians were able to afford the purchase of cars. The telecommunication industry of Nigeria improved tremendously and the road net work and general public transportation system in Nigeria received an impressive boost. They insunuate that while we have the oil and the West has the technology, it seemed like some sort of understanding is in existence as unbalanced as such an understanding obviously is but that if the West has the oil and the technology for sure no Nigeria or African for that matter will ever own a car.
However, we from the Diaspora view point believe that things have changed. First of all, it is obvious that many Nigerians now live in the West. They have learnt the advance ways of the West and imbibed their sophisticated technology culture. One here give cudos to the Americans for coming to the innauguration of the president with Akeem Olajunwo, the ex basket ball player. At least that is the recognition of a Nigerian amongst them and the Nigerian government who allowed this being an indication of its recognition of of the relevance of the Diasporans in the developement of the land.
The opposers of course insist that this is a move in absolute bad faith as Olajunwo is a bad choice for though he is a very rich sportsman has not contributed anything worthy for the developement of sports or any other charity in the land of his birth. His presence was just a publicity ploy albeit a very poor one, they say.
We on the other hand feel that it was a good move. All things considered, on a scale of one to ten it rates a very good seven.
Also, economic reports on Nigeria on the past for the past sixteen years reveals that the corruption in Nigeria in this period was unprecidented. As many people as became rich so did millions of Nigerians become miserably poorer.
So we root for this budding romance between the current Nigerian government and the West. As the president is scouting for officials to work with, let him we advise look towards the Nigerians in the Diaspora. For here he will certainly find Nigerians who have not been tainted by the corruption of the past governments and yet with very impressive trackrecords in their feilds of endeavour, added to high patriotism.
An American was noted as saying that out of every five black scientists in the Sylicon Valley one is a Nigerian, but the sad truth is that they ain’t going home no more. If therefore this president is still that one that said many years and many governments ago, that this Nigeria and indeed future Nigerians have no other Nigeria but this one, so we have to stay and salvage it together, this being in response to Andrew complaining that he was checking out, then it is time to call the checked out Andrews back home to come and serve the nation.
In this view therefore the Dahiscope has a databank of Nigerian professionals in a document titled Belgium Luxembourg Nigeria Trade Index and this bulletin The Scope includes a section profiling Nigerians in the West.
Sadly, these colonial mentality activities by Nigeria has not abated, instead it has increased in a frightening magnitude, and the reasons degenerated to a to a frightening and embarassing low. The Tibunu whom all had said will amend and correct all the economic and international misdeed of his predecessor has outdone Buhari in embarassing and disgracing Nigeria. He is virtually living abroad as his visits there has thrumped that of Buhari and his reason for these visits is to beg for loans.
Nigerias tale of woes under Tinubu is for another day.
