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No African Power For Haiti Quake Confirms Nigeria's Irrelevance So far the Haitian people have shown a great deal of courage and honesty in the most trying time presented by another earthquake in their Country. As the misery continues, we wonder how long it is going to take to maintain this dignity, unless humanitarian aids satisfy most of the demand sooner. Black, white and red people donate individually to many organizations with the hope that victims will be touched. We have been cautioned against scam devils that would set up fake humanitarian bodies to divert money into their pockets. Conspicuously absent is one single African power that could have emerged as the Chinese on the ground, not only in Haiti but in any disaster of this magnitude. Individually, Nigerians are very generous people because of our extended form of family system but in many cases, it takes a cluster of individual as a country, organization or continent to achieve a purpose. We continuously blame our leaders who look only after themselves with canning ability to start businesses and organizations anywhere but only to cater to their needs. Those of us, who are old enough, read or remember Nigeria’s contributions to disaster around the world, including the richest country, USA. It is not a matter of who is the richest, but coming together in the face of disaster. Though Nigeria has gotten richer since the fifties, it has also lost its bearing and become almost bankrupt. Our capitalism, especially in Nigeria and Kenya, has a “K” leg as we say locally. Nigerians and Kenyans are so capitalistic, all you need do is appeal to their individual instinct, and the Country can go to blazes while few individuals become richer. Yes, we are the same Africans who died fighting in two world wars while we ignore our own independence and freedom so that the world can be free from dictators and racists. Africans are ready to sacrifice their blood, their lives and comfort so that others can live. But when it comes to our own in Haiti, we are missing in office or action. Provide Nigeria Mission cash (instead of equipments) to distribute as they did after Katrina storm, they will gladly oblige for lack of accountability. Why is the African power silent when the world needs Nigeria most? Here we watch Haiti helplessly but for the individual efforts we are able to make through others who see the vital importance of putting a country together, an organization in place, technical team in place and are able to respond accordingly. Out of those willing to donate to the victims of earthquake in Haiti, how many are willing to trust that money to an organization in Nigeria with the hope and rest of mind that it will sail or fly across the ocean to Haiti? “God forbid bad thing”, we still do not know how much those who contributed in Nigeria to the Obama’s campaign got back. The scheme was not run by irresponsible hungry miscreants on the street of Abuja but by “respectable” Nigerians who specialize in their trade of milking us to death. They are the cream of our society, with more houses and accounts all over the world than they can possible remember. Would they deliver our widow’s mite to Haiti? “God Dey”, those brave soldiers who were selected to go on peace keeping mission sacrificed their liberties, some their lives and missed loved ones. When they got back home, they have to fight another war to claim their allowances. Demand and demonstration got them nowhere. As they pressed their case further and fight harder, exposing those who sat on their money, they were charged for treason and so sentenced. They could have been killed but for the cry of most Nigerians. It can only happen; “only in Nigeria”. Will they go to Haiti? We are the same Nigerians, once outside the influence of a corrupt environment, would organize medical services for the poor in the Country, sponsor youth camps for the children in the cities, and build mosques or churches in different localities. It is not that we cannot, we just need an enabling culture. We must also face reality, that those who are willing to contribute as individuals or come together are afraid of our own people. They live in other part of the Country and sneak into their hometown unannounced for fear of kidnapping. Nevertheless, some individual Africans are getting together to push organizations that will achieve what we cannot separately. It is never too late and too few to make a difference, a nonstarter is even worse. Many of us could have loved to see Nigerians rescuers in action as we did during peace keeping missions in Africa. Others look at Nigeria as a failed African power that is becoming irrelevant and so widely ignored and disrespected for lack of contribution that it is worthy of. Oh, how it hurts our souls. Once upon a time in the Diaspora, we were thrilled to see another African and thankful to meet another Nigerian. Not anymore. We are now suspicious of one another at home and in the Diaspora. Africans in Diaspora see us as arrogant and ostentatious or some of us see them as jealous of our natural resources and our individual accomplishments. Even many Nigerians run away from Nigerians. We are scared of 419s, drug mules, plastics masters and recently ashamed of one of us who struck terror. As a result, we can neither help ourselves at home nor those who share our blood in Diaspora. Our children will demand answers from each individual whether you are part of the vulture club that bring us to this sorry state or not. That is why we do not have experts in Haiti or any other country that is going through a “tough time”. If we are so blinded and indifferent to atrocities we inflict on one another at home, some of our children will take up irrelevant causes that will shame and put us in disrepute abroad. We are tired of blaming leaders, we want them out dead, sick or alive. But wait, we must make every effort that we do not replace them and become worse than those we criticize. It has been the story of Nigeria; do we blame leaders because we want the opportunity to loot equally? In spite of all the impediments, Nigerians are coming together. We are going back to the days of students that are the future of our Country, activists and workers’ demonstrations. We want our Country back |