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The forthcoming dialogue with Obasanjo in the diaspora: Intriguing views
 

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 Tuesday, August 29, 2000
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 Ejike Onuogu
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Time and again Nigerians must face choices that would either propel Nigeria forwards or set the country back on a precipice of disaster. Nigerians must face the choice of remaining cold and clammy in the face of gross negligence of our fundamental human needs even as we celebrate recovered loot. Or we must face the alternative and ever difficult choice of speaking our minds and reminding our leadership that thirty or more years of suffering are enough and our people must be fed, clothed, sheltered, educated, healed, and comforted for a wasted generation.

It seems to me that these should be the considerations of the Obasanjo regime rather than a mouthful of political rhetoric which have seldom translated into concrete solutions to our daily yearnings.

This may be a day to be philosophical considering that the human being in us is egoistic and a perpetual victim of the mind and the conscience. In this regard the average Nigerian is engaged in a war of passion; an internal conflict in which the immediate outlet includes such primitive coping mechanisms as projection, displacement of anger, rationalization as well as intellectualization.

Not only do you see these reflections in the day to day activities of government, Nigerians sadly enough have internalized these unhealthy rituals in our display of despair and helplessness over what many would characterize as an insensitive government.

My dialogue with Obasanjo is simply a dialogue of conscience. Too many words have been spoken, yet too little done for the poor masses. Nigerians are resilient but how much longer can they hold on. The elite in the society have held dominion over the helpless and callously so by depriving the masses of fundamental education that would have awakened their consciousness and hence their capacity to choose leadership out of personal ideology rather than coercion.

My dialogue with Obasanjo is simply a dialogue of action. That our leader should borrow a leaf from such great men like Sondiata of the Mali empire who lived entirely for his people. That our leader will begin to see the bigger picture of government and focus on crucial projects that will bring life back to Nigerians. For example, good roads, uninterrupted power supply, serviceable hospitals, an efficient telecommunication system to mention a few. Finally, my dialogue with Obasanjo is a dialogue of truth. Sir, Nigerians are good followers ever longing for a messiah to lead us first out of this wilderness of chaos. Nigerians have prayed and are still fasting for a man of divine wisdom, a man who will set aside ill-gotten riches and place his people first. Is it too much sacrifice on your part to tell Nigerians the truth about the following:

  1. How you got money to build Obasanjo Farms at Ota. Was it from your annual salary as head of state or was it from a loan? If through a loan, which bank or financial institution was responsible?

  2. Did you have a background check of all your cabinet ministers to rule out financial impropriety past or present on their part prior to appointing them to their current sensitive positions?

  3. Are you uncomfortable with a monthly televised debate with selected members of the national assembly as a way to foster checks and balances in our new democracy and help bring up issues that define our national survival?

  4. Is there a justification for appointing Jibril Aminu to an Ambassadorial position considering that he is an extremist and likely to perpetuate policies of vindictiveness? Was there no other qualified northerner for this position or is his presence the wish of a particular interest group i.e. a lingering of a previous administration?

  5. As a born again Christian, when will you apologize to the Ibos for your role in the civil war of yesterday and begin to work to heal their wounds instead of appointing to federal office men and women who do not truly represent the Ibo agenda of structural and economic development but rather symbolize self-aggrandizement and hypocrisy?

Yes the dialogue with Nigerians in the Diaspora is not as important as Obasanjo having dialogue with the people who need it most- The market women at Oyingbo who can hardly make ends meet, the poor patient dying of meningitis because the antibiotics have been adulterated, containing chalk instead of antimicrobials. Obasanjo should be having dialogue with Jeremiah Abalaka on the promise of his new vaccine instead of succumbing to international intrusion to paralyze the realization of an African dream. Yes the dialogue should take place amongst the people of the Niger Delta where acres of land have been destroyed and fishing lanes polluted by mean-spirited oil companies that could care less about the ecological minefields they are leaving behind in Nigeria and the magnitude of poverty they have unleashed on the people of this region. And yes, Obasanjo should have dialogue with school teachers and university lecturers who have lost the zeal to teach, the enthusiasm to research; who fight daily for pitiful stipend when the likes of Atiku enjoy million dollar homes in the United States.

The real problems are here in Nigeria. Obasanjo's trips around the world are paid from our meager resources. The President should stay home instead because there is a lot of work to be done. Oh yes, through meaningful dialogues with the retired postal worker checking the box each day for his pension which is never regular, and finally with the sick Nigerian child who may never see tomorrow let alone dream of politics.

Ejike Onuogu, MD, MSc.
Attending Psychiatrist, Genesis Healthcare, New York







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