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...we must all be cognizant of what we do wherever we are; we are always Nigeria's ambassadors and in a little way, that Country is being judged daily by what we individually do.


Tuesday, December 4, 2001
Alfred Obiora Uzokwe
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NIGERIAWORLD COLUMNIST
Talent, Intellect and Beauty versus Kampeism:
Where does Nigeria stand?



first came across the word "kampe" in writing when I was reading a commentary on the NigeriaWorld website some weeks ago. At first, I mistook it for an English word of Yiddish or Greek origin; in fact I pronounced it as "camp". I had read further down the commentary when it suddenly hit me that I was dealing with a Yoruba word popularized by General Obasanjo. He would say "I dey kampe"

This issue of mistaking vernacular words for English words reminds me of the legendary vocabulary exploits of the Great Zik of Africa. Story has it that when he was still struggling for Nigeria's independence (along with other compatriots), he used to bamboozle our colonial masters with his vast knowledge of the English vocabulary. They marveled at the grandiloquence of a "mere African" whose first language was not even English. How did he become this good? they wondered. How can he be reeling out more vocabularies than those of us who were born here? they queried.

The story continues that any time Zik rose to speak during their numerous meetings in London, attendees would keep their dictionaries handy to look up new words the great Zik may have to offer.

On a particular day, a conference attendee angered Zik by what he said and in a fit of rage, Dr Azikiwe responded in kind. In conclusion, Zik angrily blurted out the word "anaam bem", before heading for the door.

At this juncture those present started frantically searching their dictionaries for the meaning of the word anaam bem which they surmised was an English word of Latin or Greek origin. What they did not realize was that "anaam bem" is an Ibo word that simply means, "I am going back to my home".

On a more serious note and back to the word "kampe", President Obasanjo has been using that word a lot lately and if I am not mistaking, this word has to do with doing Ok, doing great. Hence if someone says "I dey Kampe" it would mean that the person is doing well or okay.

I agree (albeit lightheartedly) with those who argue that Obasanjo has no basis to say " I dey kampe"; not with Nigeria in turmoil, not with the country full of ethnic and religious riots, not with inflation going sky high and our young men and women without jobs. Lets face it, what is there for the President to "dey kampe"for? After analyzing Nigeria's situation, I have concluded that as a nation, we may not have much to dey kampe for, but on individual basis, Nigerians have a lot to dey kampe for because they have individually distinguished themselves in all fields of endeavor within the country and in the Diaspora.

I marvel at the extent of talent, intellect and beauty that abound in Nigeria; these Nigerians continue to do us proud through their good citizenship and personal achievements wherever they are. Forget 419ers and drug peddlers that occasionally portray us as bad; the truth is that every nation has bad eggs but they must not be allowed to foreshadow good people.

A couple of days ago at lunch, as I was reading about Philip Emeagwali( the supercomputing giant from Nigeria) when a colleague came up behind me and asked: "Who is that bearded guy? I was proud to tell him all about Emeagwali's supercomputing achievements. In my humble opinion, for all those achievements, Philip Emeagwali dey kampe.

We now have a brand name computer produced by Nigerians- the Zinox Company. This will help position Nigeria in the world stage of cyber technology. It will also increase availability of computers in Nigeria and eventually lead to mass computer literacy. Now, would anyone disagree if I say that Zinox Ltd dey kampe?

Wole Soyinka is renowned in international circles for his writings and teachings in various colleges. As our first and only Nobel laureate, he has distinguished himself in international circles, yet, Mr. Soyinka still puts his life on the line along with the likes of Gani Fawehinmi to protest injustice and oppression in Nigeria. If Wole Soyinka no dey Kampe, I wonder who is? And guess what? He is Nigerian! So is Gani.

Emeka Anyaoku was the Commonwealth Secretary General for two full terms. After his retirement from the Commonwealth, he came back home to contribute his quota towards nation building. He recently bagged another important international assignment which is a testament to the fact that his service to the Commonwealth was appreciated. Chief Anyaoku, you dey kampe.

And how about my literary hero, Chinua Achebe? This literary giant probably molded the English-speaking and writing styles of many who attended secondary schools in Nigeria through his novels; I know he influenced me big time because in those days I read and re-read his novels along with that of John Munonye. He has made untold contributions towards uplifting the image of Nigeria in international circles and still continues to do so. That is another man that is kampe.

In a previous article I wrote for this column titled - Fake medications in Nigeria, what do we do now?- I called the attention of my readers to the tireless effort by the Director-General of National Agency for Foods and Drugs Administration in Nigeria (NAFDAC). Dr. Dora Akunyili works hard to ensure the eradication of fake and adulterated medications in Nigeria. She has continued the war against importation and manufacture of fake medications and even damns threats against her life while tackling the situation head on. Her agency has been burning stashes of fake medications seized from culprits all over the country. Every stash they destroy means better life for our relatives in Nigeria. Bravo Dr. Akunyili! You dey kampe.

Akeem Olajuwon is a quiet giant that helped to elevate the status of Nigeria in international circles. He is not only a gentleman in the basketball court but also outside the court. Those who see Nigeria negatively, tend to rethink their stand when they realize that Akeem is from Nigeria. He portrayed us in good light and still does with his gentle demeanor. Fellow Nigerians, if Akeem no dey kampe, tell me who is?

And how about the new Miss World - Agbani Darego? She is not only beautiful, but she has a good head on her shoulders as the saying goes. Even though I never get into the business of prognostication, I hasten to predict however that she would do Nigeria proud and bring to the forefront some of the problems that plague us today; so to her I say: go girl, you dey Kampe!

Nigerians are achievers in all parts of the globe. At the University of Maryland, one of my professors told me of a Nigerian he went to school with in Michigan State or so, who "was so smart that Professors and students revered him." I sensed that my professor came away with the feeling that Nigerians across the board are very smart people. Simply put, one Nigerian by his good deeds and display of intellectual richness altered the perception of many people in Michigan State about Nigeria. This is a good reason why we must all be cognizant of what we do wherever we are; we are always Nigeria's ambassadors and in a little way, that Country is being judged daily by what we individually do. We must refrain from actions that taint our image. I was sick to the stomach when I read that some people in the north were demonstrating against the fight on terrorism; such acts discredit us as a nation and must be condemned by all and sundry. Whoever that person in Michigan is, to him I say, jide ka iji, you dey kampe.

I marvel at the level of achievement Nigerians in the Diaspora have attained; they are present in all spheres of endeavors, making a difference and excelling. When my family first moved into Harrisburg in Pennsylvania and joined the Nigerian Society of South Central Pennsylvania, I was pleasantly surprised at the caliber of Nigerians in the organization: physicians, nurses, pharmacists, engineers, college professors/PhDs, business administrators, marketing professionals, lawyer, personnel directors and accounting professionals. These people are not just getting by in their areas of endeavor; they are making a difference. Sometimes I get into discussions with a contemporary here, John Nwokeji on how Nigeria has failed woefully to put her vast talents to use in Nigeria. I applaud the progress Nigerians have made here and it makes me exceedingly proud to say I am a Nigerian inspite of the difficulties of the present time. These difficulties by the grace of God will pass and Nigeria will take her rightful place in international circles. At that time, we would have the opportunity to put to Nigerian use all these individual gifts God has given us; gifts of talent, intellect and beauty. All these individual achievements make me want to say: NIGERIA DEY KAMPE!

Notice That I said, "make me want to say", I have not emphatically said "we dey kampe". Why? Because we are not there yet. If we dey kampe in Diaspora and many of our brethren in Nigeria are suffering in poverty, joblessness, disease, early and senseless deaths, then by my definition of kampe, as a nation, we no dey kampe.

The journey towards full-fledged kampeism for Nigeria must begin as follows:

We must impress on Nigerian leaders to demonstrate their commitment to good governance through programs like electrification, poverty alleviation and quality but affordable healthcare. Those who fail to do so must not be allowed to return to power come 2003.

We must continue to help our brethren back home in every way we can. Everytime we individually send dollars or pound sterling or lira or marks to our relatives, we are helping the Nigerian economy too. I know of a family in Nigeria today that solely survives on the money sent from America by their relative. Each time they get the money, it helps them. It also helps the village economy to continue to tick.

Those of us in Nigerian organizations in the Diaspora must not forget Nigeria. I was very pleased when I got some information about what Nnewi USA is doing for our brethren back in Nigeria: Houston chapter shipped a 20-ft container of books to Nnewi library; NY/NJ chapter shipped library bookshelves, Dallas chapter re-roofed the orphanage home building in Nnewi. The national chapter shipped a 20-ft container of medical equipment to Nnamdi Azikiwe Teaching hospital Nnewi and is embarking on multi-million naira high school rehab in Nnewi. Currently, NUSA is working on shipping a container of computers and servers to schools in Nnewi.

I asked Sylvan Odobulu of NUSA for this information because I think it is a worthwhile venture that is worthy of emulation. I have to thank Dr. Mike Obiora - the current President and all members of NUSA for their avowed effort towards the betterment of Nnewi and Nigeria at large. Now that is an organization wey dey kampe!

Several other associations like Obosi and Arochukwu association are doing similar things but I do not have specifics yet. I hope to continue to get more information about what other organizations are doing for our brethren in Nigeria. As I get such information, I will share it with readers because it is worthy of emulation. I invite other associations to email me what positive things they do or plan to do and I will always give such achievement honorable mention in the columns of NigeriaWorld website because it is the most effective way to reach the whole world in minutes - thanks to Chuck Odili. When good deeds are given the awareness they deserve, there is a tendency that more people will try to do more. I see this as a way one can publicize and instigate progress in Nigeria.

In conclusion, we must ensure that we are good citizens wherever we find ourselves. It is refreshing to hear that a Nigerian is a Mayor somewhere in the USA. He must ensure that when issues that pertain to Nigeria arise, he should always portray us in good light; if business opportunities arise and African countries are considered, he must never forget Nigeria. The same goes for the Nigerian Mayor in France. They must make accountability and probity their watchword in all they do remembering that they are Nigerian ambassadors. Most of all, they must be proud at every point in time to declare unequivocally that they are Nigerians just like Irish Americans proudly talk about Ireland.

May be in no distant time, we would all be proud to stand on roof tops and declare unashamedly: WE ALL DEY KAMPE.

HERE I STAND.