The messiah of Nigeria is not abroad

Folks back home think that Nigerians abroad are better just because we speak passionately about the state of the Nation, and sometimes share intelligent and insightful views.

The truth of the matter is that we are no saints. The likes of James Ibori, Dimeji Bankole and the Balotelli of Ekiti, Ayo Fayose, who just like his counterpart at Liverpool fc have been given a second chance at the top flight are recent examples. These people and others all came from abroad to hold various public positions in Nigeria but never fared better. We need no further proof to show that some other factors are at play, rather than just the parts of the world we live in.

Firstly, the Nigerian environment which encourages abuse of office, power or position, is one of the contributing factors to why anyone who gets to power irrespective of where they have lived or studied, contributes to the rot rather than implemeting a change.

Secondly, Nigeria has a culture of not digging deep to know a person fully well before committing them to certain responsibilities. We attach too much sentiments to trivalities like 'abroad-ness', tribe, and religion rather than focusing on who the person is really is. If personal integrity was one of the determinants we have used in the past in our selection process, then somebody who had once been convicted of financial fraud abroad would not have been allowed to govern a state.

The saviour of Nigeria is not abroad. We should stop waiting for those abroad to come and help fix the country because we think they are better exposed. Maybe most people don't even realise that majority travelled abroad out of frustration to better their lives, and 10-15years down the line they are still stucked in the work-pay bills cycle. The sad truth is that average Nigerians abroad who want to join politics are not doing so with genuine interest for the nation, but rather see it as a golden ticket to escape from the stressful lives they are living abroad. So what do you expect when somebody with such mindset is picked to operate within that same corrupt environment?

Nigeria needs what i call a system re-engineering. This current system cannot serve the country any further good. A system where even relatives see your position of power as 'your time' to take the family lineage out of poverty. They want you to rebuild the family house, re-accomodate all the olori-ebis, employ all the jobless youths within the extended family.... It has now become a system 'for our family' rather than for 'the people'.

Not even if God were to send down an angel can there be any progress in that land if we do not replace/repair this present system. See what is happening now to madam owe-gele ojuyobo Iweala. The economy under her watch is now in a complete mess despite all her 'abroad' degree and experience. So it's either she was over-rated from the onset and we don't know about it, or she has been corrupted by the system because she seemed genuine when she initially surfaced in the government.

The messiah of Nigeria is not abroad. The system, and the determinants we use in choosing public office holders are what we need to change inorder to have a better Nigeria.

AV