A Chance to Rise and Shine
by
Anthony A Kila
Contrary to what many people believe and imagine in
Nigeria, partly because of their need to project their hopes and
aspirations for a better life outside a country that tends to only
limit and disappoint them and partly due to the flamboyant life many
of our fellow Diasporans led when they go back home on holiday, we all
know life is very demanding in the West and I know Nigerians are very
busy people abroad. I therefore wish to sincerely thank you all
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, and our Friends for taking the
time to be with us here today.
Allow me to remind us that as a people this is a
historical moment for us both home and abroad.
Our country Nigeria is set for elections in April
2007. This is the first time we have a chance to move from one civil
administration to the other. In the run up to these elections a lot of
things have happened and are still happening. Nobody is sure of who is
going to win any seat, a look at what has been written and said till
about three months ago and the current list of candidates will show
that most pundits and analysts have simply got it wrong. Political
Candidates are being disqualified, changed, dropped and rejected; some
individuals that have been hitherto perceived as untouchable and
unassailable have seen their plans ruffled, their actions challenged
and we have seen many of them quietly retreat or dramatically flee.
Our Executives and legislators now make fewer trips abroad and
there’re are media outlets and civil organisations monitoring their
past and presents deeds and utterances. As imperfect and haphazard
these events might be, I strongly believe that these are the
conditions for a possible radical reform if not revolution in Nigeria.
A lot is indicating that this is the chance for people of goodwill to
rise and shine.
For those of us abroad a lot have changed as well:
technology, possibilities of integration and the new breed of
emigrants from Nigeria with their expertise, aspirations and their way
of life have changed the way Nigerians abroad now live. There are now
many abroad based Fuji musicians, Nigerian made churches and various
Diaspora targeted products and services. In the last ten years many
Nigerians have found their ways into, and are leaving their marks in
the Western and Eastern boardrooms and bedrooms. Some of us now defend
and prosecute western tribunals; we teach non Nigerian students and we
treat non Nigerian patients, we are landlords and employers to non
Nigerians. Even our fraudsters have excelled in their own ignoble
field. Some of us are still hoping, I pray God answers our prayers.
Regardless of all our current achievements and
disappointments as individuals, I wonder if as a people we still
remember to ask ourselves why we came or returned abroad in the first
place. Do we still remember the frustrations and disappointments that
led us to seek refuge and a better life outside the shores of our
ancestors? Can we still recall the hopes and excitement that fuelled
our desire to emigrate? Do we still remember our first struggles and
success in a foreign land? Now that we are here, more or less stable,
more or less content, I wonder if we still have time to remember that
the comfort and structures of these foreign lands that we so much
sought or were forced to move into did not spring by itself but were
built by some people like us. The unease that forced us to leave the
land and ways we know is still there and will not go away unless some
people do something about it. I will like us to ask ourselves and
those we know what we intend to do.
Four options come to mind. We can simply turn our
face away and stand aloof like the marsh does, pretending it is not
the river’s kin; we can just talk, complain and comment like people
watching a science fiction film; we can wait, fold our arms, follow
events and try to conform and squeeze ourselves into the system so we
too can get a chance to loot and oppress notwithstanding the benefits
we have reaped from the labours and vision of a foreign land built by
people that did not have us in mind where they were building their
future. We can decide to rise and shine either by finding out what
little we can do to help our homeland in her quest for a better future
or even take the lead in shaping the future of our land.
History is full of examples of the Diaspora taking
the lead. The Irish immigrants left their homeland because they were
faced with the kind of oppression and despair that pushed Nigerians
abroad. They then got to America and almost single-handedly revived
their country by being engaged and taking the Irish problem into the
American palaces. Any observer will today quickly discover how
important the role of the International Israeli community is to the
state of Israel. Italy went into the Second World War under a fascist
dictator came out of it defeated but then rebuilt her economy and her
democratic institutions mainly with remittance from abroad and by
emigrates. India was near complete collapse in 1991 when P. V.
Narasimha Rao opened up to the Indian Diaspora, they responded and now
constitute a relevant part in the economy of that country and they
play an important part in the governance.
Most people point out that for things to better in
Nigeria, we need to change the Nigerian mentality and the kind of
leaders that rule the country. What a task! And yet, at the moment
only a few people are selflessly trying to do something good for
Nigeria. Many Nigerians argue that Nigerians, excluding themselves,
are not ready for true democracy because the elite is corrupt, without
sense of service or dedication to the common good but are in the
public arena just to loot; others argue that Nigerians, excluding
themselves, are too hungry and too poor to do the right thing when
voting, others complain that their actions will amount to nothing. I
believe that Revival of Nigeria can start from abroad. I am convinced
that those of in the Diaspora have the opportunity to change things
back home. With the technology at our disposal, the economic and
social influence we have over our folks back home we can do something
more than sending money and goods to our loved ones. We can show them
the way to follow for a better future we do not need a lot to do much:
just the will to rise and shine.
I am here today to appeal to all Nigerian men and
women of goodwill across the globe to tell their friends and family
back home to do the right thing in next coming elections because
events unfolding are showing us that we have a big chance to put
things right in Nigeria. I am particularly appealing to Nigerians in
the Diaspoara for many reasons.
Unlike millions of our folks in Nigeria we have at
least achieved one dream: crossing boarders and settling down away
from home. Secondly we have the opportunity to not only read about,
but see and benefit from the advantages of countries governed by
capable and committed people. We do not have to live with the worry of
some basic necessities such as light and water. Amongst us there are
people, who because of their age, others thanks to books have had the
opportunity to know and appreciate the Nigeria of Ayodele Awojobi,
Yusuf Bala Usman, Christopher Okigbo, Obafemi Awolowo, Aminu Kano and
Ajie Ukpabi Asika just to mention a few. There are many Nigerians
today in Nigeria that have no idea of that kind of Nigeria; they have
not seen a LMTC numbered bus before. What they know is the Nigeria of
Molue, that of Adedibu, Abacha, Nzeribe and the language they
understand is that of settlement and mobilisation. They message they
grasp is that of what is there to chop. The methods they know are
those of connections, bottom power, 419. It is too easy to just blame
them. Most of these people are hungry; they do not have the time and
the vigour to pursue what is good in the long run. They want something
now.
Most of us abroad however have something now and we
should be able to see we can get more in the long run if we had a well
managed country. Whether we decide to go back home or continue to live
abroad there are immediate benefits for us if our country gets capable
and committed leaders. It will boost our status, we shall have better
chances to invest our financial and human resources, even those
depending on us for sustenance
will be less.
Nigerians are proud people, these coming elections
is a chance for us to show the world that we have learnt something;
that we are as good as we claim to be. Let us use this chance to rise
and shine as a people, let us tell them @ home to vote for the right
person in every seat and for every post. Let us gather information
about the past, the present and the vision of every candidate vying
for any post that concerns us. Let us use our knowledge and resources
to influence those back home to make the right choice.
I am mostly interested in who becomes the next
president of Nigeria and my choice is clearly and openly for Pat Utomi
and I will be telling everybody I know abroad to tell them @ home to
vote for Pat Utomi. Yes, I am partisan; my choice however is a
reasoned one and I am sure I have made the right choice, a choice many
of us are convinced will take us towards the much needed
transformation of Nigeria. For those that do not agree with this
choice I implore them to calmly place Pat Utomi aside every other
candidate and screen them, measure them, weigh them. Ask yourself who
they are and what do they represent? What have stood for or against in
the past? What are their programmes and ideas? Who are their
supporters and sponsors? Why are they contesting? If after doing all
this you still see any other presidential candidate then, for the
benefit of Nigeria please do your best to make sure he wins.
Some people tend to say they will not vote or make
others vote for a candidate because although that candidate is good he
does not have a chance of wining. Let me say here today without
mincing words that such attitude is unwise, cowardly and ungodly. It
is not sagacious to abstain from supporting what and who you know is
appropriate when we all know the inappropriate candidate will still
not do anything good for you or for your believe. It is blasphemous to
act as if God is indifferent to what is right and just or incapable of
beating evil.
Many refuse to actively work towards a better
Nigeria because they think it is not possible to change anything they
say after all these years what have we achieved; they say there are
tired of trying and that they don’t trust any politician. The truth of
the matter is that most people have never done anything to help
Nigeria. Let us ask ourselves and other Nigerians we know how much
money or time have they ever spent for the benefit of Nigeria in their
life? Only the same few have being acting for the benefit of the many
since the history of Nigeria.
Today we have a chance to change all this; we have
chance to rise and shine. We should not be afraid to aspire. We should
remember that if a man has an idea and does not stand up for that idea
then either him or that idea and does not worth much. Ideally we
should put some of our time, some our ideas and some our money at the
service of our country. Imagine if every decent person you know just
gave 20 hours or even 2 hours of their time and say 100 euros or even
10 euro of their money to influence the election of the president of
the biggest black nation in the world. What a difference it will make!
For most citizens of the great nations where we seek refuge this is a
normal act. For many of us this is heroic; the reasons for this will
be reserved for another discussion.
For now, let me appeal to you all to please rise
and shine; let us all find the generosity to do something for our
country. At least one thing before elections come, your simple email
or just your phone call might be decisive for the future of Nigeria.
If we don’t do anything now, we might miss the chance of doing it
forever, and really we should then not speak to complain or criticise
those who get to power by hook or by crook, they have at least done
something. If however we do something we might change things or at
least we will be able to say to our friends and family “in 2007 I did
this or that”.
