LESSONS FROM CHINA

Nobody will deny the show of modern power that China just demonstrated over the past 16 days of the greatest sporting event on earth. Apart from outstanding manpower with a show-off of over 500,000 volunteers, more than the populations of certain countries, China knocked everyone over with class and finesse in organization. I doubt if any country will be able to dethrone the accomplishments of these people for the next 50 years. Let’s give it to them, now we know that Communism has its advantages, no matter what the counter arguments are. While other countries were plotting to boycott and wish a bad day for the Chinese, they were busy putting together a classic event and making the place comfortable to all who came. Nobody has the voice now to speak against this people, because such will be drowned in the resounding decibel of accolades.

When the torch was passed over to the Brits, and I saw the brief performance put up by the British crew, I knew the next Olympics will nowhere rival what we just saw. With the already high cost and standard of living in the UK, with a vanishing cultural attraction, it is already being seen that it will be anything but colourful. I really hope I am proven wrong on this when the time comes. The British have an uphill task to attract the world and leave us awestruck. I even wonder if the Brits will be willing to spend as much a $47 Billion in breaking this record. we’d leave that to history. In all this my major focus is not just on “what manner of Olympics this is!!!” Beyond that, it is for the lessons other nations can draw from what the Chinese have accomplished in just seven years.

Thomas Friedman notes that “China did not build the magnificent $43 billion infrastructure for these games, or put on the unparalleled opening and closing ceremonies, simply by the dumb luck of discovering oil. No, it was the culmination of seven years of national investment, planning, concentrated state power, national mobilization and hard work.” What truth is further from this? While others are busy wasting their resources on cosmetic and flimsy externals that add no value to their people. While Nigeria is busy wondering what exactly to do with its money and the US busy increasing its military gut, China is making its people proud of calling themselves Chinese. China has slapped everyone in the face by proving that seven years is enough to turn around the direction of a country. There is no doubt that with careful planning and economic focus, a nation can do so much for its people. Nobody is going to go and uproot the infrastructure the Chinese have built. Its people are going to enjoy every bit of it, and such has further opened the door to more opportunities for its denizens.

Oh man!!! Nobody should ever open their mouth again to tell me that development is far fetched, especially for a nation that is greatly endowed like Nigeria. It doesn’t cost anything to give people power, water, housing, good roads, education, and health care. It is within the will power of any government to do so and we have a worthy example to draw from. When the right men come to power, with the interest of their fellow men at heart, we will see that are little or no barriers to what can be accomplished in available time. What else do we need in my country, do we need a Chinese brain transplant for our leaders to guarantee the delivery of value to us? Or do we need to send our leaders to China for intensive courses on strategic planning and execution? No matter the shortcomings of this Oriental power, their investment within their nation far outweighs the criticism against its operations.

Now I wonder like Mr. Friedman which is a first world nation. With increasing capacity and value that the Chinese have in the global economy, who is the superpower now? Let the Chinese sneeze today and see whether even the US will not find a sweater for the great cold it will contact. So lets stop this nonsense talk about Giant of Africa and Black Power on earth and roll up our sleeves and begin to deliver value to our people. When a giant walks into a gathering, he doesn’t need an announcement. But when you have to use a magnifying glass to search out a giant, it must then be the case of stagnation along the continuum of Gulliver’s Travel. For goodness sake let this midget stop talking and start taking the necessary vitamins that builds muscles, while engaging itself in ventures that provokes growth and wholesome development. Seven years from now will tell if we are taking instructions from the examples around us, or we are blinded by our self conceit. I rest my case.

BAKASSI REVISITED

Some straight talk here. If I were from Bakassi, I would probably be organizing some of my fellow young men to become Bakassi militants. We would be looking for which government official to kidnap to press for our demands to be met, and since we are scarce listened to, we will also go further hinterland and capture dignitaries. We also will raid police and military posts and steal weapons, as well as deal with the Cameroonian Gendarmes who wander into our red zone. The past few statements sound very stupid and are apparently the steps that an uncultured mind would seek to follow in addressing his grief over a lost heritage. But while I sheath my imaginary sword, I dare to say that when people behave irrational, look closely, something about their survival instinct has been encroached upon, thus throwing all caution to the wind, they put up uncivil actions.

I will not be surprised if my fellow brothers from Bakassi abandon their fishing nets and boats to take on arms and defend their history and future. People will naturally fight for their common good when their government fails to defend their existence. The Nigerian government has fail woefully to preserve the lives and comfort of the Bakassi people. The history of these people dates back to 15th century when Efiks settlers expanded to the region as a fishing settlement. So we are not talking of an entirely different tribe of people, but the same people who live in Akpabuyo, Ikang, and Calabar. These are Efik people who are spread through out the region and settled for Sea-related economics.

My concern now is not about the huge mess Nigeria got into by deferring to the decisions of the International Court of Justice,but about the implications of the foolishness we have just exhibited by handing over the land that even those in authority have no knowledge of its history. This is like waking up in the morning and discovering that you were sleeping on another man’s bed. There is no doubt that the ICJ ruling is binding upon us, since we had opted to accept whatever the ruling was, but every country’s actions are on the basis of its national interests. What the Nigerian government has done shows that it can’t even determine or articulate what is the national interest is. How then can we trust it to cater for the interests of its citizenry.

Let me state is very clearly here: “You cannot legislate a peoples history”. We know that litigation ought to be the end of all disputes, but when the law has failed to secure peace, then politics must come to play in defending interests through negotiations. The sad part is that when politics fails to confront the limitations of the law, what may result could be violence. As much as we hope that this issue does not turn into that, we cannot how ever be numb enough to be passive watchers of a wasting circumstance. I pray that the people of Bakassi will know that where there is life, there is hope, and that a new beginning can amount to new successes in the adventure of life.

Now the rest of the world sits back and expect Nigeria to be civil in its actions. They forget hastily that the matter in question emanated from the foray of colonialist for which almost every part of Africa has a negative testimony. Britain has not made any practical effort, seeing that the judgment of the ICJ is based on a treaty made between the British and the Dutch (Anglo-Dutch treaty of 1913). If I were to argue against such a treaty, I would note that you cannot transfer ownership of what you did not originally own. The British didn’t own the territory, but were mere stewards of it. They had in 1885 signed a treaty of protection with the Kings and Chiefs of Old Calabar, which conferred on them the status of protectors, not owners. Therefore the British couldn’t have given to the Dutch what they didn’t own. Disappointingly, the British have not stepped in to clarify this, rather they have joined the rest of the world asking for Nigeria to be civil….. hisssssssssssssssss!!!

Also, whatever the actions of Gen. Gowon, it is irrelevant, because first, his government was an illegitimate one and operated not by our sovereign constitution. Therefore one man cannot carryout an action detrimental to our national security and interest and expect a legitimate government to follow suit. I expected that the National Assembly would have known better and revoked any prior agreement that overrode the right to existence of these people.

Finally I would posit that we still have no value for the people we call Nigerians. If we did, we will not dispossess this people of their heritage and give it to strangers who have no historical attachment to the area. I am not just speaking from the air. I have stepped feet on the land called Bakassi, I have interacted with the people, I have bought crayfish from them, I have taken their speed boats, I have asked them questions, and I have received answers from them. All they want is that the world should ask them where they want to belong to and let them make the choice, rather than open blackmail.

Sebi una dey see wetin our gofment dey do? Make person no say I no warn una ohhhh. If Bakassi become like Niger-Delta, na our gofment fault ohhh.