opinion
By Gbolabo Ogunsanwo
CONTINUED FROM YESTERDAY
Rice
Rice is the most important human food eaten by half of the world’s population. Ensuring there is enough affordable rice for everyone or rice security is equivalent to food security. In Africa, Asia and Latin America, rice is becoming a more important stable food for everyone.
Nigeria has 84 million hectares of arable land with only half cultivated. Water is abundant in Nigeria with over 250 billion cubit metres but grossly and terribly underutilised.
Nigeria’s current milled rice demands is said to be 6million tonnes for a 170m population. Nigeria’s population by 2050 may reach 600 million according to international estimates and rice consumption may grow to 20-25 million tonnes/year. Nigeria should have the largest rice growth rate in the world.
Officially, Nigeria’s rice imports will be 4 million tonnes this year according to informed reports. Officially, considering that most parboiled rice sent to Benin is smuggled into Nigeria. Nigeria is actually the number one importer of rice in the world. Nigeria may be consuming between 6-7 million tonnes of milled rice or needing 10-11 million tonnes of paddies.
China, which was the world’s biggest importer of rice in 2014 along with Nigeria, would raise its import volume by 5.2 per cent to 4 million tonnes in 2016 due to higher demand in the mainland, according to the FAO rice market monitors.
In 2014, China and Nigeria (officially) each bought 3 million tonnes of rice from abroad, out of which we consumed 6 million tonnes. Is anybody laughing? We consumed 6 million tonnes out of 3 million tonnes. Why do all our custom officials have potbellies?
Nigeria, through the bitumen resources of Agbabu, Ilubirin and Ode-Irele in Ondo State has the second largest deposit of bitumen in the world- second only to Venezuela’s. But like the prodigal son, we have totally neglected bitumen as a commodity that cannot just earn foreign exchange for the whole country, but provide massive employment for the locals and totally transform the lives of the whole community.
According to the U.N food agency, the global milled rice trade this year is forecast to drop to 41.3 million tonnes due to good stockpiles or higher production in Asia. Nigeria may be importing over 10% of this global rice trade or over 4million tones (officially but unofficially about 8 million tonnes). Global paddy rice output in 2016 is forecast to edge up to 749.8 million tonnes.
Thailand is expected to be the world’s largest milled rice exporter this year with shipments of 11.2 million tones followed by 9.3 million tonnes from India and 6.5 million tonnes from Vietnam.
As such, the three Asian nations would account for a combined 65 per cent of the world’s rice trade. This is a commodity we should be exporting to the whole world.
Sugarcane
The sugarcane industry – including cultivation, processing and refined products – represents an important segment of the Brazilian economy. In 2012, the sugarcane sector contributed $43.8 billion to Brazil’s GDP – equivalent to almost 2 per cent of the entire Brazilian economy and higher than the GDP of a European country like the Czech Republic ($42.5 billion). When one adds in the various suppliers and stakeholders who depend on Brazil’s sugarcane industry, the entire sugarcane agro-industrial system generates gross revenue totaling more than $86 billion annually. That means that the Brazilian sugarcane industry is larger than the entire oil and gas sector in Nigeria.
Nigeria is blessed but not using most of its potentials. Indeed Brazil and Nigeria lie on the same tropical equatorial climate belt, yet Brazil’s sugarcane industry is larger than oil and gas in Nigeria. Sugarcane could be a multi-billion USD industry in Nigeria just like Brazil. The Climate, the arable land and cheap manpower are all available in Nigeria.
From the Rice Revolution in Brazil, the last President Mr. Lu da Silva produced an astonishing 12 million middle class Brazilians in 8 years – Leading to President Obama to saying that Ex-President Lula was the most awesome Head of State, indeed a “political phenomenon”.
Cassava
Almost 70 percent of world’s Cassava production is concentrated in five countries namely Nigeria, Indonesia, Zaire, India and Columbia.
Between 1984 and 1994, total Cassava food use rose from 76 million tonnes to 96 million tonnes. Nigeria is the world’s largest producer of Cassava. In 2009, Nigeria produced about 45 million tonnes which is about 19 per cent of the world’s production.
Yet, a Dutch company, DADTCO (Dutch Agricultural Development and Trading Company) from a country whose climate is not even hospitable to Cassava production is possibly the world’s leader in production of Cassava processing machines. DADTCO has development and patented innovative “split” processing technology that has dramatically changed the way Cassava is processed.
Although based in a winter-infested Europe, this and similar companies in the Netherlands make more out of Cassava processing and export thereof than the world’s No 1 primary producer. One of its principal towns – Wageningen is literally built on Cassava proceeds.
Groundnuts
The United States, Nigeria, Argentina and Indonesia are the largest producers annually producing between 2 to 3 million tonnes per year. Quite expectedly China has jumped into the business along with Brazil, Thailand, Vietnam, Mexico, South Africa and Myanmar.
Everybody knows about the peanut and peanut butter business in the United State, whereas Kano State alone, let alone the whole country could dominate the world’s trade in peanuts and peanut butter. Cry my beloved country. A role looking for an actor!
Bitumen
Nigeria, through the bitumen resources of Agbabu, Ilubirin and Ode-Irele in Ondo State has the second largest deposit of bitumen in the world- second only to Venezuela’s. But like the prodigal son, we have totally neglected bitumen as a commodity that cannot just earn foreign exchange for the whole country, but provide massive employment for the locals and totally transform the lives of the whole community.
But it seems that all we are interested in is to rent our land to the “Oyinbos” who would exploit it, declare whatever quantity they want to declare for us as their production figures because the technology for measuring oil production does not belong to us. Meanwhile, the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB_ is languishing in the National Assembly while the “distinguished senators etc” on their way from Dubai, are busy inspecting the latest fully-loaded Toyota Prado Jeeps.
Nollywood
Even the crudely developed products from Nollywood in Nigeria has made a lot of Nigerians famous millionaires and transformed lives – almost without any assistance from the federal government. Can we develop the industry and help perfect their production?
Nollywood, now comes after Hollywood, Bollywood (India). Hollywood, Creative Industries added $504 billion to the GDP of the United States in 2014 and it employs directly and indirectly millions. Obama calls Hollywood one of the engines of American economy.
Besides, it is the major promoter of America and American values all over the world. It is what has led our brainwashed young men to be wearing earrings and tattoos. It is all Hollywood’s fault.
Textiles
We have a large domestic market to support twice as many local textile industries that have closed down. This is where Adams Oshiomole made his name. The textile industry should be revived.
Tourism
All we need to do is to look over our shoulder to Gambia with its Tourism mono economy and how the citizens are living such contented lives even employing foreigners to propel the economy. We have a lot of Copacabanas as our coastline.
We can also learn from Dubai, U.A.E – with its Dubai annual shopping festival – and Dubai 2020 World Expo. For Dubai 2020, Dubai is furiously trying to build – yes – 283 brand new hotels to be able to cater for the 22 million visitors expected. A role waiting for an actor.
ICT
Information Communication Technology (ICT) is another area where we could enhance our economy. Telecoms networks have achieved ubiquitous world coverage wider than power grids, roads and other social infrastructure. Telecoms is the fastest growing contributor to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product with 10 per cent average quarterly growth in 2014, 8.2 per cent of Nigeria’s GDP (i.e. N6.62 trillion) contributed by telecoms in 2013, said Mr. Oyeronke Oyetunde, GM Regulatory Affairs at MTN.
Fishing
Why do we have to spend billions every year importing Titus, and other branded tinned fishes etc in spite of the enormous fishery resources of Nigeria? Nigeria has been importing Titus sardines since my mother was a virgin. Haba! We no get shame?
Cocoa
Nestle can produce chocolate massively in Lagos if the right framework and enabling environment is given and also if the right workers are available. They will save on their shipping cost of Cocoa and on their wage bill – but they have worked out scenarios, that it is cheaper for them to ship the Cocoa to Switzerland, pay higher wages, manufacture it there – ship it back to us – and make profits. Companies like these cannot tolerate policy inconsistencies.
One day, you ban importation of rice, the next day, you lift the ban – so they will rather invest in Asia in rice fields and mills and export their milled rice to Nigeria.
Fruits
In our Middle Belt states, we can produce tropical fruits – Oranges, Pawpaw etc both for local consumption and for export.
Coal
There is little or no need to begin to market Coal as a possible economic resource of Nigeria. Before, Oil and Gas distorted our economic vision, coal used to be one of the major economic strengths of the country. In our present circumstances, with all hands needing to be on deck, we have to go back more aggressively into exploiting this resource. I am aware that since the country has as it were abandoned coal a number of private investors and amateur miners and speculators have gone into the business.
Unfortunately, none has had the kind of neither huge capital investment nor the modern coal extraction technology to realise the great potential in this resource. Nigerian coal is one of the most bituminous in the world, because of its low sulphur and ash content. As of today, there are over 2 billion tonnes reserves especially in Enugu, Benue and Plateau.
Duty free export zones
In the last days of the Obasanjo government, he launched the TINAPA Village in Cross River State. That was an imaginative project conceived then by the outgoing state governor Mr. Donald Duke. It was designed to be a duty-free export centre where both Nigerian and foreign manufacturers could come and utilize both Nigerian raw or semi-finished materials and local cheap labour to produce goods for export. This is one of the strategies of the Chinese economic revival. Quite a lot of the American-named electrical, electronic, telecommunications and telephones are actually being manufactured in China under
Chinese licences.
The PMB’s government should immediately revive that project, which was abandoned by Mr. Donald Duke’s successor. He should also establish another similar centre in Lagos State possibly in Badagry. It is common knowledge that all the Apple I-Phones, I-Pads etc are all made in China.
Cattle ranching
Also in the North, instead of the present primitive cattle development programmes that is leading to conflicts in the Middle Belt and in the South West as Fulani herdsmen enter farms with their cattle to ravage farms, we should wake up to the fact that cattle-rearing has gone far, far beyond our present primitive level. The order of the day is large-scale cattle ranching. That is one of the biggest industries in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay and even in the U.S out of which corned Beef, is exported all over the world. Why can’t we solicit technical partnerships from these countries to transform our primitive, antediluvian cattle producing business from what it is now to the big industries that they should be – and employ thousands – if not millions of our countrymen?
Budget 2016
Coming to the present federal budget, according to reports, the federal government would like to employ 500,000 as teachers in primary or secondary schools.
What thought has gone into this? Do they think anybody can be teachers and impart knowledge? I am not sure that the Nigerian Union of Teachers would not feel insulted by the idea behind this – that anybody can teach or has the temperament or even desire to teach. That is why in the good old days Nigeria had Teacher Training Schools and Colleges of Education. These were the institutions that produced the Buharis, the OBJs the WoleSoyinkas, the Chinua Achebes, the AfeBabalolas, the Enoch Adeboyes, the Kumuyis, the Oyedepos and the first generation of Nigerian rulers. They were not produced by reluctant teachers. Besides, in all honesty, what is the quality of current Nigerian graduates – that we are entrusting the future of those to take Nigeria to great heights into their care?
Are they aware that many foreign companies in Nigeria these days, employ graduates of local Nigerian universities – and than re-train them in special In-House training centres for at times upwards of two years, teaching them – the uses of English Language etc before allowing them near their operations? That is why many of these companies prefer foreign universities’ degree holders – and that is what has led to Nigerian parents’ desperation to send their children to foreign universities.
I understand that even some locally produced graduates – some who bought their second class (upper) for cash or slept their ways to graduation are unable to string together a grammatically competent English paragraph. Besides, a look at the 2016 Federal Education budget would suggest that the decision might have been a hurried one. Assuming that the government pays each graduate about N50, 000 a month, it could need 500,000 x N50, 000 x 12 to pay these emergency teachers in one year.
That works out a N300, 000,000,000 – Just for one year. How do you pay that out of the 2016 total budget of N8 trillion? How also do you pay all other employees of the Ministry? Are they using Taiwan calculators at the Federal Ministry of Finance?
Financing Nigeria’s great leap forward
I want to strongly suggest that everybody who has spent 15-20 years in the public service (state or federal) should be encouraged to retire and go to participate in the many development opportunities that are to become available in Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Food Processing, Export etc.
With 15-20 years of public service experience, at least 50 per cent of them should be able to stand on their own and survive as entrepreneurs. To assist in this objective, Nigerian banks should be required to deploy 50 per cent out of their net profits to assist or partner with these new entrepreneurs in SMEs etc from which large scale entrepreneurs will develop in the future. Dangote did not develop overnight. They should go and do likewise. He developed through grit, determination acute seriousness assisted by indigenous local banking support.
National Redevelopment Bond
The Federal Government should set up a 20/25 year National Redevelopment Bond to be promoted by the Dangotes, the Felix Ohiwereis, the Mike Adenugas, the Jim Ovias, the Tony Elumelus, the TheophilusDanjumas, the Oshunkeyes – but we need our Perception Capital to be properly in place.
Items to be banned
Respectfully, the import of the following items should be banned immediately – Rice, furniture, KekeNapep and all these other useless imports. Where is our national pride if we cannot even feed ourselves? Indians are preparing to send people to the moon while we are importing KekeNapep. If we must perish without imported Rice or KekeNapep, let us perish! Period. That was the spirit of the founding fathers of America and the convicts that were exiled from Europe “to die” in Australia! They have produced an Australia, which reportedly now has the BEST medical services in the world. Almost every Nigerian now has at least a Samsung GSM phone – but what has been the investment of Samsung in Nigeria?
The N5,000 monthly dash
There is the issue of N5,000 monthly “allowees” that PMB proposes to pay unemployed graduates. I don’t know what is the idea behind this programme and whether it has been well thought out.
To start with, who has done the census of unemployed graduates in the country and their geographical location? What is the guarantee that this is not another scam in the making even with present economic dilemma facing the country? Who are the people to administer these funds? How can anybody stop self-employed graduates working at home from collecting these “allowees”? I thought that there should be somebody around PMB who would tell him that the only place money comes before work is in the dictionary. Even in Freetown, there is no free lunch.
Police
Rather than ask 500,000 unemployed graduates to go into teaching that they are not equipped for, Nigeria which is now terribly under-policed should recruit 300,000 of them into a new police force. Give them training with the support of Scotland Yard, FBI, the German Police, etc, through intensive 18 month training programmes. Within two years, we would have a transformed self-confident and crime preventing and crime- bursting police force – that would have taken over from the present glorified, confidence – lacking houseboys/house girls to corrupt, redundant and over-fed vainglorious first ladies of local/state/federal government officials and their concubines or “wetin you carry” thugs manning road checkpoints or “toll gates”.
The above plus our transformed judiciary which will dispense justice quickly, honestly and efficiently will transform our national internal security. If we have had this kind of system in operation, it would have provided intelligence to have prevented the scourge of Boko Haram. Can we now imagine how much in terms of lives, resources, national honour and dignity and pride we have lost through Boko Haram? Any wonder Israel spends 2.3 per cent of her GDP on National security. For them, it is a question of national survival.
Judiciary
A few days ago, there were reports that the suspects in the 2003 attempt to kill late Prof. Dora Akinyuli have been discharged – either for want of diligent prosecution or some such ridiculous reason – and that – after 13 years!! What kind of Judiciary do we have? A few days ago, we read a report of PMB approving the possible dishonourable retirement of a Federal Judge.
The question is – How many Nigerian Judges can declare their assets publicly and defend them? Are they the ones PMB is relying on as partners in his anticorruption crusade? Please don’tlaugh! Is he sure given the facts of our system that any of these cases will be concluded before December 2019? Hmmm. Are they at both state and federal levels sufficiently remunerated and provisioned for in retirement as to strengthen them to be totally above board like Caesar’s wife? How can we have a foreign-investor friendly, economy, when ordinary business disputes could not be legally resolved even in one and a half decades? What is all this saying? – There is a role waiting for an actor.
Fighting crime
I suggest that the federal government should mandate all federal, state, local government institutions as well as both the organized and informal private sector to immediately begin catching the biometrics of all their employees and their family members as well as anyone that do business or has any personal or commercial relationships with them. These include hospitals, banks, police stations, business centres, bureau de changes, all primary, secondary and tertiary institutions and those interfacing or related to them.
If this is done within 6 months, the biometrics of almost 80 per cent of the population would have been captured. This will go a long way toward crime control and prevention – because there is absolutely no way, any burglar, potential assassin as well as those breaking into cars on Lagos “go-slow” as well as kidnappers can successfully operate without at least the fingerprint of just one of them. We should stop trying to reinvent the wheel!
The grand slam
I now come to the Grand Slam. The Grand Slam is comparable to American President Roosevelt’s New Deal. The federal government should mandate, the leaders of the 6 Geopolitical states (which really should be the basis for any serious political configuration) to make vast and adequate land available from which 6 brand new cities – the 6 Dubai’s of Nigeria, the revolutionary basis for rebuilding the whole country over the next 50 years will begin.
Yes. We can rebuild the whole country with our resources in 50 years. Without vision, youperish! In this, not only will every unemployed Nigerian be employed, but those who are able to do 2 jobs or more at a time will be able to do so. The whole country would be turned into a pulsating factory – and unemployment would automatically be wiped out. Can we dare to dream of a total reconstruction of Nigeria in 50 years? In any case, do we have an option if we are not to be hopelessly left behind as America, Europe and Asia are frenetically racing for the leadership of the 22nd Century? If we can see it, we can do it.
Artificial intelligence
While we our so-called leaders are busy hiding their monies way from PMB’s prying eyes in their new domiciliary accounts in Benin and Ghana, the leaders of serious countries are now preparing to manufacture “driverless cars” which should become commercially available within the next 10 years.
According to latest revelations in the IT world, “Artificial Intelligence made significant leaps and bounds last year, including refined facial recognition software, hyper-specific mapping technology and experimental devices.
“We have reached a point in history when science fiction is turning into science fact by producing machines that can now learn like humans. The technology is referred to as “Deep Learning.” Through exposure to surroundings, images and concepts, computers begin to perceive the world around them. Based on algorithms that essentially model the way neurons in our brains change when exposed to new experiences.Deep Learning is being used by companies such as Google, as well as experimental start ups – including a company that used a device designed to perceive elements in the environment and relay the information via an earpiece to the blind.
Some experts are predicting that Artificial Intelligence will soon be able to whisper suggestions to us and function as unobtrusive personal assistants”. Only time will tell. I just hope that some day, these people will not develop a technology that will take all of Africa back into slavery again before we know it – all through highly sophisticated technology.While we are busy with inanities, the “developed world” is moving furiously on.
The 10,000 new frontiers men
The long term
For the long term, we would have to invest in education and technical skills, healthcare and launch a huge human resources programme. This would mean that we have to raise up to 10,000 young men and women to send out to be trained at M.I.T at Berkeley at Harvard, at various Chinese technical institutions to acquire the skills with which to launch the restoration of Nigeria and the black man’s dignity.
This was one of the strategies of late Indonesia President Suharto, to pull out Indonesia from Third World to First World. He invested in training and developing his youths to take on the challenge of competing with the First World. This was one of the ways Suharto deployed Indonesia’s Sovereign Wealth Funds. What have we done with ours? As of now, Norway (an oil producing country like Nigeria but with a population of a mere 5 million, only a fraction of our population of Lagos City has $882 billion in her S.W.F Account. Saudi Arabia has $773 billion, China has two accounts.
Account No 1 $652 billion, Account No 2 $567 billion, Kuwait $548 billion, Hon Kong (A City State) $400 billion. Nigeria $1 billion. The State of Texas in the U.S has two accounts to train young Texans to take on the 22nd Century world – Account 1 – $37 billion, Account 2 – $17 billion. That is how serious countries get to be great.
Foreign trips
I think we have had more than enough of foreign trips by the past 4 Nigerian Presidents. Even before he was sworn in, OBJ went on tour of the world, as if our salvation was from there. Yar’Adua continued it, followed by GEJ. So far, PMB has visited 14 countries in 6 months. I think many of us are losing sight of the fact that it is not in the interest of these so-called Western Powers that we become economically strong, independent and self-sufficient. If we are then our huge 170 million man market would be lost to them. It is not in their economic interest for Nigeria to be industrially self-reliant.
For them, we are a good dumping ground.
There is even the unspoken danger to the balance of power in the world. A 2050 Nigeria with a 600 million population, being the third most populated country in the world (more populated than even the U.S.A), that is both economically and industrially buoyant, self-sufficient and confident will become the “China” of the latter part of the 22nd Century and could begin to develop military “illusions” and begin to flex her economic and industrial muscles thereby threatening the geo-political interests of the OECD countries in Africa. It is as simple as that. PMB – areyou there?
In 1979, Chief Obafemi Awolowo campaigning for President said that Nigeria’s conditions then were so serious that if he became President, he had no business travelling outside Nigeria for asingle day – because the problems as he saw them then required his attention in Nigeria 24/7.
He was the man who defiled the world’s moneylenders by refusing to borrow money to finance the Nigerian Civil War.
If Awo thought that Nigeria’s conditions in 1979 were very serious, I wonder what his take would be about our present condition.
Except for their taking photographs with American presidents, which they can show their grandchildren, I do not see any benefit in these ungainful trips. In a similar manner, PMB should strengthen our embassies abroad to enable them deal with bilateral issues and sign valid agreements and stop his ministers junketing abroad like travel agents or international salesmen travelling first class, just to sign agreements.
Leadership
A true leader must lead from the front. King David of the bible got into trouble and provoked God’s wrath when instead of leading from the frontline, he was busy cavorting with another man’s wife in his own Aso Villa while Gen. Uriah was on the frontline.
The main business of a true leader is basically inspirational i.e. to set a goal, personal, family, political, national and inspire everybody to pursue that goal from the front. A true Nigerian leader must through his example inspire Diasporan Nigerians to willingly return home to save their country. Many of the medics attending to the Nigerian nouveau riche in American and South African hospitals are Nigerians. I understand that there is a Nigerian working at NASA in the USA whose life and innovative expertise is so valuable to the United States that the Americans would not take a risk of allowing him to come back home on vacation. Rather, they chose to import his relations to come visit him in America at the American government’s expense.
An essential part of the inspirational requirement of any leader is to interrogate our national leadership selection process. Why do we say that we are not interested in the best man, the most competent man for national leadership but mainly in his geopolitical unit of origin? Yet, when we assemble our national football teams, we do not determine that the team captain must be from the Middle Belt, the Goalkeeper from the North East, the Centre Forward from the South West etc. Can we name one single country that achieved greatness with the formula of – “It is the turn of the North; It is the turn of the Yoruba?
What is all this saying? There is a role looking for an actor.
In conclusion, we have to look at our past, our present and project into the future. A people that have no memory of its past, is in danger of not just losing its present but also its future.
Talking to a not-so-young man, possibly in his late 30s a while ago, I casually talked about the Awolowo/Akintola crisis that precipitated Nigeria’s contemporary national problems.
To my consternation, the fellow who has a B.Sc, and M.A. and MBA did not know who Chief S. L. Akintola was and has only a hazy idea of who Awolowo was. At least, he did better than pupils of a secondary school at Ikenne – Just some 200 metres from late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s house. They were asked who Chief Obafemi Awolowo was. None of them knew – but they knew Obafemi Martins, the footballer. These are the people in whose hands we have our future. May God help us!
If we do not teach our oncoming generations how we came to be where we are now our pre and post independence struggles, our civil war years time, the youths to be born after 2019, when asked about Buhari, could say that it is the name of a Supermarket in Daura and not that of a Never-Say-Die admirable Nigerian President.
I personally think this call for Biafra is because we have not taught all those born in 1970/71 who are now 40 years and above and qualified to run for President what our history has been. That together with the general disillusionment of our youths and their disenchantment that has led to their fascination with the Biafra mantra. How old was this so-called “Biafran”leader in 1971? What is the average age of the Biafranprotesters. Yes, the Igbos may have a genuine case of possible marginalisation against the federal government – but these “Biafrans” don’t know what a civil war is like.
It is not Notting Hill Gate Carnival? How many of them have eaten lizards or gone without food and water and a bath for weeks? How many have seen their parents shot dead at pointblank range? The Nigerian Civil War is not African Magic. May be they need to watch a 10-hour documentary on the Nigerian Civil War to know what they are taking about. Lai Mohammed – are you there?
That is what happens when we don’t let the present generation know about our past.
Some years ago, a Nigerian retired diplomat who had served in Asia told me of the “cram school” and the discipline to which Asian children between 7-11 were daily subjected. They were practically forced to apply themselves to their studies between 10-15 hours everyday. They simply had no time for Arsenal VS Man U. They are being prepared to take over the world in the 22nd Century. We are already seeing the results in Korea, in China in Japan, in Hong Kong. Our young men gather every evening around DSTV Channels paying N50 to watch the Bundenslisa or the British F.A. Lord have mercy! I don’t care if Messi or Ronaldo can score a goal with their eyes closed. Our future as a country is now at stake.
There is a role waiting for an actor. Donald Trump, are you still there? Obama, a first generation American became President, while there were millions of 10-15th generation Americans in the country. In Nigeria, there is absolutely no way he would have been a local government councilor. If he likes, he could be more eloquent than Demosthenes whom Cicero described as “inter omnisunusexcellent” or biblical Tertulius. There is no room in 21st Century Nigeria for a President whose main qualification is his dusty birth certificate.
To illustrate how critical leadership, disciplined leadership is crucial to a nation’s future, we can ask – What if Winston Churchill had not been the wartime Prime Minister of Britain. The British would have become a German colony. What if Lee Kwan Yew had not been the Prime Minister of Singapore? What if Washington had not been the first President of America? What if David Ben Gurion had not been the First Prime Minister of Israel? What if Sheik Makhtoum had not been the ruler of Dubai? What if Mandela had not happened to South Africa? What if? What if?
For 10 years plus, Mahatiar Mohammed as Prime Minister prepared Anwar Ibrahim his protégé to take over from him. However, a year or less to handover, he heard rumours that his beloved protégé and successor-in-waiting was possibly a gay. Believing that any man with such a possible character flaw could or would be habouring other character flaws and it could be dangerous to entrust the destiny of the 35 million Malaysians into such hands, Mahatiar fought his “political son” with a frightening jaw-dropping ferocity. Who are the people in charge of the destiny of 170 million Nigerians? How many of them have concubines? How many of them are even possible transgenders? The future of the 700 million Nigerians in 2050 is already in the political loins in PMB in 2016.
We simply cannot go on like this. PMB and his team mus
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