Not the Nigerian attitude
By Leke Adeyemi
ONE thing that always remains constant (until a fallout occurs, usually over loss of position, pride or material spoils) is the loyalty those who have been recognised by any particular government in power, with positions close to the top. There are the loyalists to Zik, the loyalists to Gowon, the loyalists to Murtala Mohammed, the loyalists to Shagari, the loyalists to Buhari, the loyalists to Babangida, the loyalists to Abacha (some of whom appear to be in cooler over the destabilisation/coup saga of recent), the loyalists to Abdulsalami Abubakar and now we have the die-hard loyalists to Obasanjo. It is worth mentioning that Mr. Ernest Shonekan may not have stayed long enough to have cultivated loyalists.
Loyalty is often commendable, but one problem with loyalty as practised in Nigeria is that few have the backbone to criticise and stand up to their leader where contrary advice is necessary or needed. That is one reason why no one ever resigns (albeit an extreme). The "leader" must be lauded, his (or her, one day) ego must be massaged; he must be followed at all costs pied-piper style. Furthermore, minions tend to so personalise their office that they just hate the idea of ever leaving. Abuja is an addictive elixir.
Where I disagree with the piece by Ambassador-elect Mrs. Funlayo Adebo-Kiencke is that she "In defence of H.E. President Olusegun Obasanjo" attributes dissent and opposition to mere impatience. Nigerians have every right to be impatient when five years into governance a government has failed to deliver by making an appreciably positive difference in the lives of 130 million people, 80 per cent of whom live below the acknowledged poverty level. She also assumes that we misunderstand government policies. Yet fails to appreciate that a policy devoids of effective implementation and or possibly inadequately articulated to the governed, is a prescription which we can justifiably adjudged a failed enterprise.
Adebo-Kiencke talks of how the president is abusively derided. Abuse and lack of respect for the office of the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I do not agree with, but as to the definition of what is abusive, I am sure there are a myriad of opposing views. My feeling is that loyalists are too quick to see abuse where there is hard-hitting or personality based criticism. You only have to read criticisms of Blair and Bush (George "Dubya") and even Schmidt (in Germany) in the newspapers of their home countries, to see that Nigerians are little different from their fellow electorate in the Western world, and arguably are more tamed.
Furthermore, in his presence, Nigerians are always respectful to a president. I have yet to see an egg thrown at Obasanjo or any of his ministers, not uncommon in Europe.
But lets face the derision once again. She says we should help the president. Of course we should support the government in power to an extent, otherwise you have anarchy. But where it is failing you, why should you ideologically support it. Moreso when the president is so widely known to loathe criticism and apparently personalises his responses to the harbingers of such. Recently I forwarded some suggestions to the president. I got no reply. When I took it up with two of his closest advisers (so called friends) the answer I got back was very revealing. Once they had read my suggestions, both, completely separate from each other, said the president won't like it.
Adding that I would likely not get much shrift on any other matters I was pursuing (should I send the message and he actually received it). How sad! But can you now see why there is derision. Even Bush has at times had to apologise, but be it Buhari, Babangida or Obasanjo, our presidents invariably have "no regrets" and see no reason to ever apologise or admit they have done wrong or do not have all the answers. Our leaders (and here, I admit, not unlike the average Nigerian) are never wrong!! Obasanjo merely follows a long line of precedents.
On poverty, she says that we do not live in "perpetual hunger". Hunger is relative but I agree we are not Sudan or Ethiopia. But they say, "to whom much is given much is expected." Nigerians are hungry for more, and justifiably so, because their present lot is way below expectation. You cannot compare a child with an adult, compare an adult with his or her peers. Nigeria and all it has at its disposal cannot compare with those countries of "perpetual hunger", yet regrettably on the poverty indices of the Bretton-Woods institutions, we stand shoulder-shoulder with them. It is a disgrace, and after five years of the same government we have a right to expect more.
Ambassador-elect Adebo-Kiencke then talks of the ban on imports and seems to see criticism of it as invidious. Permit me to say this much; the ban as I understand it has two underlying reasons which are, in themselves, reasonable (neigh, possibly essential to our growth and development). First to save foreign exchange and secondly to promote and encourage production. On the foreign exchange saving front, the policy however ignores the fact that ordinary Nigerians pay for their foreign exchange needs, and as such must make it work for them, so that imported products produce businesses which provide incomes for families, provide jobs and ultimately feed consumer habits or needs. Importing, on balance, is part of the economic cycle. On the other hand the huge government mis-spending, mishandling and misapplication of foreign exchange on travel and moribund embassies etc, is a far greater problem, with little trickle down benefit to the populace or the economy.
As for local product manufacturing, a more holistic approach than simply an importation ban is needed. I humbly submit that we need to produce more local raw materials for example, to make local production more cost effective. Otherwise you only subject Nigerians to buying more expensive (and sometimes lower quality) locally made products, than their imported equivalents. In fact, I have it and good authority that some of the banned products are in fact raw materials that are needed by some of our manufacturers. What better fuels the frustration with government than policies that do not seem to always be thought through. Furthermore look at how many importers that have magically transformed themselves into manufacturers on paper by simply ordering leather chairs, for example, in CKD form. How laughable. It does not help the cattle herders and tanneries, only the rotund Customs men doing the assessments. You also have to look at the lack of infrastructure that add huge costs to the manufacturing process (not least of all, the fact that after five years and near $1 billion in expenditure, the electricity situation is as bad as ever).
There are many other points I would like to raise in rebuttal but I would also like to end in some agreement with Ambassador-elect Adebo-Kinecke. The churches I agree are deficient and in many respects have turned the gospel on its head to dove-tail into the malfeasances of our society. It is a pity that the ban on import could not have been replaced with a ban on churches or at least some form of taxation given that they continue to be an immune growth sector of the economy (as hardly disguised corporate franchises and the such-like). I also agree with the get-rich-quick mentality that has sullied the work place and the sense of responsibility of employed Nigerians. However, nowhere is this more apparent than in government circles. The near failure of the anti-corruption crusade at the highest of levels in government and within the ruling party itself, only fuels the discontent with a presidency that made such a crusade a fulcrum of its policy endeavours. Where leadership has failed, is it any wonder where society takes its queue.
I had wanted to end on a note of agreement but I can do so only partially. She mentions the observation of a young visiting Nigerian. Yes Nigeria does represent opportunity, and moreso if the government can lead by example and set out a conducive enabling environment. But let me ask you, if things are so great, why did the young visiting Nigerian (who made the observation), or his/her parents, decide to live elsewhere
Adeyemi lives in Lagos.
