Nations matter and people are nations. The passport you hold could open and close many futures. A few years ago, I was in Moscow to keynote an important event. The Mayor of Moscow and the Minister of Economy had both invited me (see one of the invitation letters below). I had just written a book which received the IGI Global Book of the Year Award.
I went to Russia, they put me in the best hotel in Moscow. Then, when I was coming back, at the airport, their special agent stopped me, and wanted to know how Russia could have bestowed all these niceties to a Nigerian. The problem was not my capabilities but my passport. Needless to note that I made it back to the US, and the next day went for a US passport.
That takes me to the story of Meng Wanzhou, Huawei’s CFO who was detained in Canada for the US Government. The US Department of Justice closed a deal with her and she has been released. Meng has been detained in Vancouver since 2018 on accusation that she worked to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran.
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The case against Huawei’s chief financial officer — one that triggered diplomatic tensions between the U.S., China and Canada — is finally coming to an end. The Department of Justice reached a deal with Meng Wanzhou in which she admitted “some wrongdoing” in the multiple charges of fraud against her, The New York Times reports, a move that will allow her to leave Canada (though her charges will not be dropped until December 2022). The Chinese tech giant’s CFO, who has been detained in Vancouver since 2018, was accused of conspiring to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran.
People, if Meng had not been travelling with a Chinese passport, her case would have been concluded and she would be in jail now. But because she is Chinese, she got to walk. It is a lesson for everyone: nations matter and economic power raises a nation. And to show that, the Chinese government has also released Canadians it locked up after Canada held the lady. Yes, it is all tit for tit and tat for tat.
In the past, Nigerians used to fly from Lagos to watch Liverpool games. Right in England, they could decide to check the Yankees in New York. The airlines will issue the US visa right in the flight. Why? Nigerians were coming home after their studies because we had a real great economy. In my village, finishing a secondary school education was celebrated with egbe nkponala (a special gun) because the next day, opportunities would come. We need the past, economically, in Nigeria.
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Nobody will ever respect you when you keep running to people for all manner of help or assistance, because it connotes laziness and lack of courage. The brave are respected anywhere, because they do not bow to unfavourable circumstances or uncertainties.
Nigerians brought Nigeria down, it will amount to escape from reality to blame it on the government, because the people are the government; nobody is good enough to claim innocence from the fallen state of Nigeria.
To restore Nigeria, Nigerians must first believe! Hope is never anchored on what is seen, but rather on the unseen. So if you are waiting for the political class to make things right, before you start believing, then you are deluding yourself.
Belief is all Nigeria needs to rise, because once you start believing, you put in the work needed to raise the country’s status; it can never happen by apportioning blames.
As you diligently do your job, you continue to convert and inspire people daily, and in few years, we will achieve the critical mass needed to inspire great undertaking.
It’s in your hands
Loves those words Francis. We all should build the nation.
I went on Twitter and saw a tweet by a Nigerian youth that sparked reactions. Among the things he says he still hopes to see happen in “a Nigeria, where you mistakenly dial a police phone number and the police would still come over to confirm it was a mistake.” The reactions ranged from anger to faith, to hopelessness. We need a critical mass of believers in this Nigeria project.
Tribalism, a bad attitude to public service, and nepotism have to be kicked out the door. If these happen, there’s no reason why states would want to wait for central revenue VAT war and sharing before they get money. People are naturally inclined to be patriotic and loyal to the people and places that appreciate their efforts.
Arise Nigeria, O’ dear Nigeria, ARISE!!!
“W”
Great words there, Prosper