Nigeria should reject USA arrogance
Mnu...@aol.com
comment that Nigeria is the most corrupt nation on earth to the so-called lack
of security at Nigerian airports which is cited as reason for the US ban on
direct flights from the US to Nigeria. It just keeps adding up. And then there
is the Annual State Dept. report on Human Rights which never MENTIONS human
rights in and within the US, but overseas.
There is corruption in Nigeria, just as there is corruption in most other
countries. In fact, in some European countries, multinational companies have
the opportunity to write off such expenses as cost-of -doing business. Bribery
is a two-way street, yet we have not read of a report on the worst country in
offering bribes to secure business. I do wonder really. There is, according
to published reports, the level of corruption in Russia is endemic (there goes
that word again) and add to that the Mafia-styled killings. Both should make
the foreign investors head for the border. But, I bet direct foreign
investment in Russia for last year would be more than the figure for Nigeria.
This, by no means, should be taking as an endoresement of bribery and
coruption. PLEASE!!!!
This corruption issue reminds me of President Clinton's visit to Brazil on
October 14, 1997. Prior to the visit, the US Embassy had prepared a Guide for
Investment in Brazil which contained a statement that "...corruption in Brazil
was ENDEMIC." The Brazilians would have none of that Washington arrogance,
and they made that clear to the US govt. The comment was subsequently excised
and replaced with the word PERSISTENT.
The Brazilians still feel insulted, and realizing the importance of Brazil to
the creation of a Free Trade Area of the Americas stretching from Alaska to
Argentina, President Clinton had to apologize to the Brazilian people for the
ENDEMIC comment even though it had been removed from the investment guide. The
President said the comment was an appalling error, wrong, and has been
decisively rejected by the Administration, he also went on to plead with the
Brazilian people not to think that the comment represented American feelings
towards them. In his characteristic manner, Clinton added: "No Brazilian could
have been more offended by the ENDEMIC language. It was terrible." I am not
saying that subsituting persistent for endemic is oh so greaaaaat, no. I am
more concerned with the fact that endemic ws excised in the forst place only
to be followed by apresidential apology. I know, next thing I would read is
"Na apology we go chop?" (For the audio version of the Prsident's speech
please point your browser to www.npr.org/ramfiles/971014.atc.10.ram) remember
you must have real audio plug in.
Such was the response that the Brazilians got from the Americans. If it was
Nigeria, you will find Nigerians harping on the top of their voice about how
it's all our fault, there is nothing we can do. Oh, only God can help us.
(Hmn, if only I get a dollar each time I hear that...) Yes, it is due to the
Brazilian economy but most importantly to their sense of pride and how they
perceive themselves!!! Pride in who they are. Without any question, we need to
get our house in order, but at the same time we need to speak in defense of
our sense of dignity, in the conviction that we are destined not just to be a
regional power but to be great. We don't have to be the richest and most
prosperous country in the world before we demand respect and dignified
treatment.
To borrow from history, in 1796 the US was no match for England or France in
terms of military prowess. In fact, US maritime commerce was being disrupted
by what Chief Justice Rehinquist described as "the increasingly aggressive
French Navy." (See, Grand Inquests, p..45).
To resolve the problem through diplomacy, President Adams sent a mission to
France. The US mission were not seen by high officials of the French govt.,
and as if that was not enough the French Foreign Minister sent three low
ranking officials to solicit a $250,000 bribe for the Foreign Minister.
Talleyrand, and a loan of $10million to France as prerequisites to any
negotiation with the US mission. The outraged Americans refused to comply and
the mission ended up a failure.
Now comes the important part. When the news of the events in France reached
the US and it was made public, public opinion was overwhelmingly in support of
regaining honor for America. Again, according to Rehinquist in The Grand
Inquest, public opinion became "Millions for defense, but not one cent for
tribute." I do not vouch for the accuracy of the report and it may have been
nothing but PR by the Adams administration. But, the important thing is how
the people reacted to it. Do we Nigerians a sense of we may be poor but no
one should ever insult us and get away with it? If Nigerian land around Lake
Chad were to be seized by Chad tomorrow, are those in the South likely to be
outraged and demand that we do whatever it takes to take our land back or are
they likely to say, oh well, that's the North? Would the sense of outrage be
more or less than if say a popular local king was illegally dethroned by the
Governor? Just something to think about, got to move on before we get side
tracked.
Secondly, the US maintains that security at our airport(s) is not good enough.
Because of this, they place insulting comments on Nigerian airports at US
airports making Nigerian airports and in particular Nigerians the object of
ridicule. If security is the issue, my question is when in the last 10 years
was a plane which took off from Nigeria hijacked, or loaded with explosives
and blew off in the air?
Yes, I do agree that there is more to security than terrorists, hijackers,
bombing etc etc. Perhaps, by security they meant safety. But, considering that
more planes fly in to Nigeria in a week than fly in to a number of African
countries in a month, when was the last time that a plane crashed in Nigeria?
Better yet, how many planes fly in to Cote D'Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria in a
month. Do we have incidents of plane crash in Nigeria any more than the US
does?
I am not saying that I am happy with security and/or safety at Nigerian
airports. Of course we need to do better. But, to single us out or even
include us in a list which disparages our image should make us all feel
insulted. Our sense of pride in our country and of being a citizen of a
country that is destined to be the greatest country in the world should at the
very least make us demand better.
Thirdly, do we have human rights problem? Yes. In the last few years it has
become worse. Does the US have human rights problems? Well, plenty. But, would
the US ever allow members of the UN Human Rights Commission to review their
human rights record? No. In fact, last year Senator Jesse Helms (make that
Senator Hell the knuckle head and by the way he has made worse comments about
Africa) considered it an intolerable insult for the UN to send any official to
inspect the human rights condition in American prisons. Now, if you can't
inspect, what then will you base your report on? I do wonder who will police
the police. Who writes the human rights report on the US?
The time has come for Nigeria to start challenging this incidents of
Washington arrogance. The 21st century is around the corner and we have had
more than our share of one insult after another from the US. I hesitate to
add this point because the word good and Abacha just seems to be such an
oxymoron, but the US govt. does not respect any govt. or people that are
docile, and are very receptive to insults. Abacha's decision to name Eleke
Crescent after Louis Farakhan in retaliation for you know what is the kind of
reaction that the US understands. Our leaders need to stand up in defense of
our image. Please I am not suggesting that I miss Abacha or wish that he had
been cloned so that he could be unleashed on Nigeria. Must also add that there
is a difference between being belligerent and standing up in defense of your
honor.
/mnubia/ NOT NUBI!!!!
Kueberuwa.Steven
Mnubia,
I think the US is simply making statements of fact. Corruption is not only
in every fabric Nigeria but completely accepted as without stigma. So much
so that presidential candidates openly bribe electorate with money, rice,
ingredients to cook the rice with, etc. Security at Murtala Mohammed
airport is probably the worst in the world. What other airport have you
heard or read that armed robbers road blocked airplanes on the runway to
take off and robbed the luggage compartments. It has happened twice I twice
in as many years. In Nigeria, a police constable can grab you off the
street and you may never be heard of again, if you are not lucky. It is so
bad that the military authorities a few days ago appealed to all the people
to come forward with the names of any of their relatives that are still in
detention in connection with coups. There have so many detained without
even proper processing that they have lost track!
Mnubia, there are serious problems with our country. Just saying they don't
exist as a demonstration of some pseudo-patriotism doesn't make them go
away.
No, what the US says about Nigeria is not a measure of US arrogance but,
rather, Nigeria's shame.
Hasta.
Stevek.
Rogu...@aol.com
<< Subj: Nigeria should reject USA arrogance
Date: 99-04-01 04:35:09 EST
From: Mnu...@aol.com
Sender: owner-n...@esosoft.com
To: owner-n...@esosoft.com, naij...@esosoft.com
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Mr./Ms Mnubia NOT NUBI,
The truth hurts. More than lies ever can.
The queston I always ask Naija super-patriots is - If you were not born in
Naija, would you put your money there? Or - If Zambia was as dysfunctional as
Naija, would you rush your investment there? Another proposition for
super-patriots - If the US were just as corrupt and disorganized as Naija,
then, where are you here?
Somebody said you should go live in Naija for a month and report back. I say
just two weeks.
R. O.