Leaders who jump on every microphone and camera and make noise about their transformation agenda are the ones who really have nothing to offer.
When it comes to Nigerians that visit beautiful and thriving places outside of Nigeria, there are two types, those who see beautiful things outside Nigeria and wished they could live in those places forever and those who see those beautiful places and see how it is possible to replicate such beautiful realities in Nigeria forever. They both mean well, though one for small-minded self.
Those who have had and are having the opportunity to birth change in Nigeria see the beauty of the world, steal a lot of the money that ought to be used to make Nigeria a beautiful, prosperous land and use same to buy properties in these beautiful, working countries. That way, Nigeria continues to degenerate into a dilapidated structural entity while Nigeria’s wealth is being used to build already prospering nations. You can say the same for the African continent.
This is the reality of our underdevelopment and poverty. To change this country, we need proven agents of change and transformation. By transformation I do not mean those written on official government papers, those spurned on newspaper pages and spouted shamelessly on National TV. I mean the type of transformation that you can see even when it has not been birthed to life. There can be no transformation without a picture. Any transformation agenda without easily recognisable pictures are just another agenda in the meeting documents of men who found themselves in the position of leadership by accident hence depend on many accidents to get the slightest thing right. For men who have found themselves in a situation like this, they must shout to show people they are busy. They must engage in meaningless motion to show they are really working. This is understandable because empty barrels still make the loudest noise.
‘You don’t have to shout to be heard’ aptly describes a situation where your effort gives way to your results. You do not speak in terms of effort but in terms of results. I have attached a link to a video of transformation to this article. I will not say anything about the video save for the fact that 90% of the transformation plans shown therein have become the realities of an Arabian desert today.
Leaders who jump on every microphone and camera and make noise about their transformation agenda are the ones who really have nothing to offer. You need not popularise a plan in newspapers and television to make it a reality. You need not send brand managers to work to make your transformation plans look good when the realities of such transformation when fulfilled would speak for themselves. The world has changed and is continuously in a dynamic state of change. The standards and expectations of leadership the world over have been raised while we stay stuck with men whose ability to reason out a future for the good of the land always finds them with a personal obsession for bigotry and the good of a few who are from their place of birth or those who somehow contributed lump sums to their campaign. It is the reason why a few people would double-cross N2.6 trillion of a nation’s expenditure for the same thing that cost N640 billion at its previous peak. These men remain power pushers at the nation’s highest seat of power. Here is a lawless, visionless and directionless clan of brigands, small minded men whose only claim to greatness would be in terms of how much of our common wealth they are able to amass while in office and how many more poor people they add to the already over 112 million poor souls we have.
Malam Nuhu Ribadu in 2006 said that some $500 billion had been looted from Nigeria. If that is remote, some N2.6 trillion ($17.3 billion) have been touted as the subsidy payments Nigeria made last year. Everyone knows this is a grand scam. Considering that Dubai’s Burj Khalifa cost about $1.5 billion, we would have 11.5 Burj Khalifa’s from that loot. That amount would build the whole of Downtown Dubai by just adding some $2.7 billion to it as it cost $20 billion to build. (Google them).
Dubai transformed within a decade (see video) and this shows we can still transform our country. We have the human, financial and natural resources; we just need men of will who see pictures of tomorrow in real-time. Transformation Agenda talk is trite and cheap.
This is @omojuwa
Watch video here:
Omojuwa: Dubai is not a country. Dubai is a city built from Oil. So, if Rivers, Delta, Bayelsa, and Akwa Ibom States for instance stop sending their oil wealth to waste-pipe states like Jigawa and Kaduna – they can plan to create a Dubai in the Niger Delta and succeed. What is drawing some regions back is that they are breast feeding other states. Many regions of Nigeria don't produce N10,000 a month. They just wait for oil allocation to start spending each month.
For instance, the fuel subsidy. Where does it come from? Oil. So, if the South-South states decide that NO MORE! You, my friend will no longer have the effrontry to call anyone a thief. Imagine all that money, concentrated in the hands of the people who actually produce it? Won't they have Dubai x 10?
Leeches! Shouting like people who have something to deliver to this country!
Oops! 🙂
*Shouldn't Omojuwa and his fellow wannabe activists be taking this advice for themselves?
Should Omojuwa and his fellow wanna be activists be taking this advice for themselves? I mean these are people constantly screaming against government and they lack integrity because they don't seem to care if what they say is fact, fiction, lies, or slander.
NB – Still can't get over the fact that Omojuwa looks like a motor park tout. Hehehhehehehehheheheh
It's not possible for Nigeria to work till we stop depending on Niger Delta/South South oil. Period!
If the resources in the South-South, that are spread thin, are concentrated where it is sourced, we would have a Dubai in the South-South.
So, what we must do as a country is to review our source of income. Stop drilling oil. Let Northerners like Omojuwa and El Rufai who are only eyeing Aso Rock because they want to get their hands on Niger Delta Oil money – go home and actually produce something and transform their own regions.
It's that simple! Only 7 states contribute all the money everybody is chopping in this country. Other states are leeches including Omojuwa's Jigawa State.
Nigeria is funny.a lot of things are not working.i used to be interested in the entity Nigeria but now i have lost my interest.i want to live my personal life and stop worrying about Naija.
Well,sometimes you get stucked with lots of thoughts about this entity called Nigeria.I have always argued on the issue of transformation which ironically isn't working and which regretably is what this goverment focused on.As rightly xrayed in this article,transformations are rather seen than said.Changes are products of thoughts and visions.Unfortunately,both are lacking in this administration. In as much as its worrisome to say that looting has become synonymous with our country,I always swims across the ocean of hope that sooner than later change will be inevitable. But we must be ready to sacrifice a lot even if it means given our today for the tomorrow of those yet to be born. Dubai did it within a decade. There are many decades ahead,we have the resources,both human and financial. We must not be the ones to benefit or even complete the fight,but surely we must be the ones to start.The choice is ours to either perish in agony or fight to right the wrongs within the capability of our duration. God bless Nigeria.
Nice article…Looking forward to that day when one can truly say 'Nigeria is working'.
*Gbam*
…in the words of Jay-Z; what more can I [Omojuwa] say?…
Nice piece. The barrier 2 our greatness is the blind rotten leaders we have. The good heads and minds are far from the corridor of power. In my own opinion, serious political work must start to have any of the oppositions rule the country.
I totally agree with you on this article. I have heard a lot about Nigeria transformation and i always ask myself to what? I really cant believe our leaders visit Dubai and don't feel bothered or sad about the state of our nation. I clearly remember my first visit to Dubai, i felt so sad, ashamed and angry cos i just couldn't understand why our country is not working. Despite the achievement so far they are still planning ahead, there's a clear picture of what Dubai will look like in 2015. Another interesting thing about Dubai is that they had to import labor to help build the city. You will be shocked to know the amount of investment Nigerians have in UAE, in fact we are considered as one of the biggest spenders in Dubai. Dubai transformation is a clear evidence that anything is achievable with the right leaders in place, Sheik Mohammed has proven this to the whole world to see.
I totally agree with you on this article. I have heard a lot about Nigeria transformation and i always ask myself to what? I really cant believe our leaders visit Dubai and don't feel bothered or sad about the state of our nation. I clearly remember my first visit to Dubai, i felt so sad, ashamed and angry cos i just couldn't understand why our country is not working. Despite the achievement so far they are still planning ahead, there's a clear picture of what Dubai will look like in 2015. Another interesting thing about Dubai is that they had to import labor to help build the city. You will be shocked to know the amount of investment Nigerians have in UAE, in fact we are considered as one of the biggest spenders in Dubai. Dubai transformation is a clear evidence that anything is achievable with the right leaders in place, Sheik Mohammed has proven this to whole world to see.
Great article! I absolutely agree, everyone needs to visit other climes if only to learn how things work and bring it home to Naija.
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