Nigeria We Hail Thee?

Not many citizens will hail the current state of affairs; not with the rising tension everywhere, not with the unabating growth in unemployment, not with the impending strike over fuel subsidy and the subsisting one by ASUU - our university teachers.

If you blame the aggrieved, I hear you. If you blame the miscreants/hoodlums (as the media joins leaders to call them), I hear you. If you blame *US* the citizens, I hear you. Blame not the politicians or their hirelings or their hangers-on or their naked and inordinate greed cum ambitions or their spiritual consultants who see no evil, speak no evil. Chide not our leaders or their ethics or their ineptitude or their tactical rather than strategic cast or their herd mentality or their budget-failure artistry or their mindless looting of our patrimony. They were not responsible, are not responsible, will not be responsible beyond the pot.

So, they get us on the queue to vote and claim the glory. We hail them, they nail us. We hail them, they jail our youths in the visible prison of poverty but tell us we are FREE! Judging by the spending spree of government at many levels, they clearly enjoy the glee.

As duty calls, dear compatriots, who hails NIGERIA?

Voter Education

We must praise and celebrate Nigerian leaders at both individual and institutional levels for the open and total commitment to a credible 2011 elections. This was so palpable and unstoppable during the voter registration exercise. All over the country it was magical - sheer beauty. Oh, it soothes...

And Nigerians responded!

See what a proud people can achieve with right attitude and up-front leadership? A credible voters register. Soon, a credible election. Then self-pride and world prestige. Yes.

What can NIGERIA not achieve!

Our Foreign Missions

As we prepare for change, and I mean sea change, come May 29, it is time to talk about our foreign representation in the new millennium. We have seen a barrage of articles, and press reports about the state of our foreign service, starting with its very unedifying headquarters in Abuja (Not very impressive, is it?). And the news is bad! Pity.

Anyone who studied or had serious business abroad will know the huge disservice that most of our missions have done to both nation and nationals over the decades. But we must move on. Many of the dramatis personae have either moved or were moved on, already. The past be now gone, let's move on.

Our foreign service needs to be totally overhauled, revamped and restructured. We need the very best in all respects, and must pay for it. Nigeria cannot and must not be second rate DIPLOMATICALLY, nor can we load the place with mere bureaucrats. It should be dynamic, multidisciplinary, multisectoral, and fully ICT-compliant. We need balance in demography and geography as well. Plus a solid LINK between the Home and Foreign services.

But most of all, we need PATRIOTS not opportunists and selfish public hands or political fronts for the ruling/thieving elite! We must make our postings to serve and honour our country. Yes.

Finally, I think it is good to have career and specialist officers as well as non-careerists. It must be possible to move readily between home and foreign services for the right calibres and cadres of personnel. The previous dichotomy was unduly restrictive. We need well rounded people in all our services, including the armed services. To further strengthen them, secondments and work placements to the private and NGO/CSO sectors will be absolutely crucial. That way, ALL our missions will better serve the legion of travellers, officials, students, workers and crusaders who need their attention around the globe. No more no less, please.

Our new parliament must see to this. It is a new and ruthlessly competitive world out there!