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Several times in the last few years General Olusegun Obasanjo has attempted to
arbitrarily increase the internal price level of petroleum products in Nigeria. So many times have Nigerians resisted
the move to a point of bloodshed. The general's tactic is to pull back and let off the steam only to come back
soon with yet another attempt. It has become a ritual. This agbada clad general
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seems to forget that the logic of Nigerian intellectuals, trade unions, and the generality of the people is distinguishable
from that of the marine commando.
While in the Marine commando the language is force and the logic is willy nilly, in the civil soceity the language
is persuasion and the logic is intellectual; it comes from the cerebrum not the nuzzle of the gun. This is only
civics lesson 101, and I think it is simple.
Now Obasanjo must even go beyond civics 101 to learn that listening is the formidable ingridient of communication
and that listening means hearing what is said and applying it in either doing what the source wants or using it
to respond in opposition with some sequence of logic. A listener that ignores this will certainly block communication
from taking place.
The problem with Obasanjo is his adamant refusal to listen to Nigerians. If he listens at all, he seems not to
hear. With him Nigerians appear to be engaged in that proverbial futile bid called the dialogue of the deaf.
At times one wonders whether there is any voice anywhere shriller than that of Nigerians to sound it loud and clear
enough to vibrate in the general's ear drum that Nigerians are sizzling in the inferno of his purposeless and fruitless
administration. Too broad? Okay, take the increase in petroleum product for an instance. Oga, Obasanjo, what Nigerians
are saying is that they
will not allow you to increase the internal price of oil when you have nothing to show for the millions of dollars
a day worth of their oil that you have sold in the last five years. This makes sense to me. Does it not to you?
Again, Nigerians suspect and rightly so, that the extra money you demand from them by way of oil increases will
go down the drain as usual. This suspicion sounds valid to me, does it not to you, Obasanjo? Further, Nigerians
believe that you and your "team" may not account for the extra petroleum money you plan to collect since
yours is a culture of lack of accountability. To me, this belief appears to be supported by history and experience
does it not to you? It does not take the brilliance of a rocket scientist to understand that Nigerians will allow
you an increase in petroleum prices when and only when you account for your last five years of stewardship. What
part of this simple and modest demand does the general not understand?
I know that in Nigeria all hopes are not lost and things will get better quicker than all of us expect if only
Obasanjo and his associates in the business of Nigerian government will begin to listen to the language of the
intellect and logic rather than the language of "hop hai!" of the military environment.
Ifeanyi Ekenasi, Attorney at Law
Charleston, WV
Does the Military Baron in Agbada Understand
what Nigerians are Saying?
Kenax Law Offices
Charleston, WV
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