Cosmas Odoemena
To know our destination as a nation we must remember where we are coming from.
In those days there was a general consensus that MKO Abiola would take Nigeria to the promised land. That was why it was awfully painful to Nigerians that his election was annulled. That Nigeria was not destroyed after the protests that ensued is divine. It was to assuage the southwest where Abiola was from that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was chosen to lead Nigeria.
Whatever the press had against Obasanjo then, even one popular news magazine had him on its cover with the title "The monster in Aso Rock." A Nigerian said what was needed was a "radical obasanjectomy."
But I look back on the halcyon days with nostalgia. Nigeria seemed like a land flowing with milk and honey. The economy was moving in the right direction. There were many start-ups. And this is what creates jobs. Many Human Relations Consulting firms sprouted up and servicing big firms. And the pay packages were good. Not today where everyone is looking for a government job, the jobs were there in the private sector. The telecoms, the oil and gas, the manufacturing industry, the banks, and many more were all generating jobs for young graduates
Then a friend of mine who was based in the UK had come back home for his sister's wedding and we all sat together with some other people. This friend had lamented how tough it was to live in the UK, and one of the guys with us said, "come back home. Home is better." He said he had lived abroad. But here in Nigeria he was even being paid more than what he earned abroad.
It was about that time that the movie industry, Nollywood came to proper reckoning, as the actors and actresses became better paid, and of course Nigerian music, as well as stand-up comedy.
Food and household items were affordable, as well as housing. Nigeria paid all its foreign debt, and earned respect from its creditors.
There was relative peace and tranquillity in Nigeria. There was no agitation as we have today for the break-up of the country. The ruling party then the People's Democratic Party (PDP) had rotational presidency enshrined in its constitution so that each geopolitical zone knew when it was its turn to rule Nigeria. But we did not know the value of all these. But today has taught us the value of yesterday.
Today there is high unemployment, infrastructure dilapidated, inflation is at double digits, Nigerians are chronically hungry, with the health sector on life support. The naira is weak. Our economy is so bad that we can't print new 100 naira notes. Indeed it is easier to destroy than to build.
Nigeria now houses the largest number of poor people in the world. What irks me most was that while the world was in recession Nigeria's economy was among the fastest growing if not the fastest. When Okonjo-Iweala was asked about the fear of recession affecting Nigeria, she said they had cushions in place. They left, and took away the cushions!
To Obasanjo's credit he had one of the best teams in Africa. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Finance Minister and Nenadi Esther Usman as her deputy, Charles Chukwuma Soludo in Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Oby Ezekwesili in Education, Nasir El-Rufai in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chukwuemeka Chikelu in Information, Rabiu Kwankwaso in Defence, Dora Akunyili in National Agency For Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nuhu Ribadu in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Musa Mohammed in the Sports and Social Development, and Ben Murray-Bruce was the Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and made it the television channel to be watched. The list is not exhaustive.
Perhaps it was not a coincidence that the state governors at that time were people to reckon with, and I can say categorically they posted stellar performances, ensuring that governance trickled down to the people. We had Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu who started changing the face of Lagos. Orji Uzor Kalu in Abia who said he would do it, and indeed helped Enyimba FC win the elusive CAF Champions Leagues back-to-back. There was Chimaraoke Nnamani the medical doctor governor of Enugu state who was also known as "ebeano" who put governance in intellectual crucible. We also had Donald Duke the Cross River State governor who came up with TINAPA and Calabar carnival to put Calabar and Nigeria on the world's cultural map. We had Peter Odili, Prince Abubakar Audu, Attahiru Bafarawa and many others.
Perhaps of the decisions Obasanjo made his choice of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku as his Vice President takes the biscuit.
Atiku may be 72, but his age and experience are what a country that has lost much ground needs now. There is no room for experimentation. Atiku has the experience as a successful businessman and capitalist to rejig our economy.
Atiku detractors keep harping on corruption. But how many Nigerians are not corrupt? We want a leader who will invest Nigeria's talent and yield more wealth, and not one that will dig a hole and hide it for fear of "kwaruption".
As Vice President, Atiku reminds me of Al Gore the then United States Vice President under Bill Clinton. Atiku and Gore were never overshadowed by their bosses. They made themselves felt, in words and in deeds. Atiku himself stopped Obasanjo from perpetuating himself with his third term bid.
Obasanjo said Atiku "handled our privatization that gave birth to revolution in Telecom Industry and Banking Sector. He did excellently well. Atiku, indeed, will make Nigeria work again."
There are people who just stumble into leadership and not prepared. But some have prepared themselves. They already have a vision driven by experience, learning, and sagacity. When you wake them up in the morning they can reel out their vision and plan.
Atiku gave a hint of this when he addressed Nigerians and the world at Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chathan House). He said there "is agreement that Nigeria has the potential to make that leap from third world to first that Singapore, under Lee Kuan Yew, made. We have the human and material resources required to make the leap and in fact, many of our nationals have helped other nations make that transition."
He said states should be cured of the "addiction" of monthly revenue from crude oil sells and restructuring was the answer. With a restructured Nigeria wealth will be generated by the federating units and not the distribution of wealth from Abuja to the federating units. He said states will be helped to strengthen their economies, by creating ways to make them look within than looking without. As Obasanjo himself said recently Nigeria needs a president who understands economics. Atiku damn well does.
Atiku also has a perfect running mate in Peter Obi. Both have shown to Nigerians in their policy plans that Nigeria can work again.
Dr Cosmas Odoemena, medical practitioner, cuzdetriumph@yahoo.co.uk
Cosmas Odoemena
To know our destination as a nation we must remember where we are coming from.
In those days there was a general consensus that MKO Abiola would take Nigeria to the promised land. That was why it was awfully painful to Nigerians that his election was annulled. That Nigeria was not destroyed after the protests that ensued is divine. It was to assuage the southwest where Abiola was from that Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was chosen to lead Nigeria.
Whatever the press had against Obasanjo then, even one popular news magazine had him on its cover with the title "The monster in Aso Rock." A Nigerian said what was needed was a "radical obasanjectomy."
But I look back on the halcyon days with nostalgia. Nigeria seemed like a land flowing with milk and honey. The economy was moving in the right direction. There were many start-ups. And this is what creates jobs. Many Human Relations Consulting firms sprouted up and servicing big firms. And the pay packages were good. Not today where everyone is looking for a government job, the jobs were there in the private sector. The telecoms, the oil and gas, the manufacturing industry, the banks, and many more were all generating jobs for young graduates
Then a friend of mine who was based in the UK had come back home for his sister's wedding and we all sat together with some other people. This friend had lamented how tough it was to live in the UK, and one of the guys with us said, "come back home. Home is better." He said he had lived abroad. But here in Nigeria he was even being paid more than what he earned abroad.
It was about that time that the movie industry, Nollywood came to proper reckoning, as the actors and actresses became better paid, and of course Nigerian music, as well as stand-up comedy.
Food and household items were affordable, as well as housing. Nigeria paid all its foreign debt, and earned respect from its creditors.
There was relative peace and tranquillity in Nigeria. There was no agitation as we have today for the break-up of the country. The ruling party then the People's Democratic Party (PDP) had rotational presidency enshrined in its constitution so that each geopolitical zone knew when it was its turn to rule Nigeria. But we did not know the value of all these. But today has taught us the value of yesterday.
Today there is high unemployment, infrastructure dilapidated, inflation is at double digits, Nigerians are chronically hungry, with the health sector on life support. The naira is weak. Our economy is so bad that we can't print new 100 naira notes. Indeed it is easier to destroy than to build.
Nigeria now houses the largest number of poor people in the world. What irks me most was that while the world was in recession Nigeria's economy was among the fastest growing if not the fastest. When Okonjo-Iweala was asked about the fear of recession affecting Nigeria, she said they had cushions in place. They left, and took away the cushions!
To Obasanjo's credit he had one of the best teams in Africa. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala as Finance Minister and Nenadi Esther Usman as her deputy, Charles Chukwuma Soludo in Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Oby Ezekwesili in Education, Nasir El-Rufai in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chukwuemeka Chikelu in Information, Rabiu Kwankwaso in Defence, Dora Akunyili in National Agency For Food Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Nuhu Ribadu in the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Musa Mohammed in the Sports and Social Development, and Ben Murray-Bruce was the Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and made it the television channel to be watched. The list is not exhaustive.
Perhaps it was not a coincidence that the state governors at that time were people to reckon with, and I can say categorically they posted stellar performances, ensuring that governance trickled down to the people. We had Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu who started changing the face of Lagos. Orji Uzor Kalu in Abia who said he would do it, and indeed helped Enyimba FC win the elusive CAF Champions Leagues back-to-back. There was Chimaraoke Nnamani the medical doctor governor of Enugu state who was also known as "ebeano" who put governance in intellectual crucible. We also had Donald Duke the Cross River State governor who came up with TINAPA and Calabar carnival to put Calabar and Nigeria on the world's cultural map. We had Peter Odili, Prince Abubakar Audu, Attahiru Bafarawa and many others.
Perhaps of the decisions Obasanjo made his choice of Alhaji Abubakar Atiku as his Vice President takes the biscuit.
Atiku may be 72, but his age and experience are what a country that has lost much ground needs now. There is no room for experimentation. Atiku has the experience as a successful businessman and capitalist to rejig our economy.
Atiku detractors keep harping on corruption. But how many Nigerians are not corrupt? We want a leader who will invest Nigeria's talent and yield more wealth, and not one that will dig a hole and hide it for fear of "kwaruption".
As Vice President, Atiku reminds me of Al Gore the then United States Vice President under Bill Clinton. Atiku and Gore were never overshadowed by their bosses. They made themselves felt, in words and in deeds. Atiku himself stopped Obasanjo from perpetuating himself with his third term bid.
Obasanjo said Atiku "handled our privatization that gave birth to revolution in Telecom Industry and Banking Sector. He did excellently well. Atiku, indeed, will make Nigeria work again."
There are people who just stumble into leadership and not prepared. But some have prepared themselves. They already have a vision driven by experience, learning, and sagacity. When you wake them up in the morning they can reel out their vision and plan.
Atiku gave a hint of this when he addressed Nigerians and the world at Royal Institute of International Affairs (Chathan House). He said there "is agreement that Nigeria has the potential to make that leap from third world to first that Singapore, under Lee Kuan Yew, made. We have the human and material resources required to make the leap and in fact, many of our nationals have helped other nations make that transition."
He said states should be cured of the "addiction" of monthly revenue from crude oil sells and restructuring was the answer. With a restructured Nigeria wealth will be generated by the federating units and not the distribution of wealth from Abuja to the federating units. He said states will be helped to strengthen their economies, by creating ways to make them look within than looking without. As Obasanjo himself said recently Nigeria needs a president who understands economics. Atiku damn well does.
Atiku also has a perfect running mate in Peter Obi. Both have shown to Nigerians in their policy plans that Nigeria can work again.
Dr Cosmas Odoemena, medical practitioner, cuzdetriumph@yahoo.co.uk
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