Nigeria: It’s just a Matter of Time…
January 8th, 2007 | Published in China, Conflict, Governance, Hibiscus Project, Niger-Delta, Nigeria, Oil | 2 Comments
“Five Chinese telecommunications workers have been kidnapped by unidentified armed men in southern Nigeria”, according to a BBC report. I wonder how this will impact the Sino-Nigeria business and trade arrangements which requires hundreds of Chinese technicians and expatriates. to be domiciled in Nigeria for several years. There is no doubt that the provision of private security for these people and other expats. in the Niger-Delta region has jacked-up the cost of doing business in Nigeria.
The agitations in the Niger-delta, and secessionist miltia in the eastern region, have sucessfully labelled Nigeria in the eyes of world as a time-bomb rigged to explode at any time.
As much as the Nigerian government tries to whitewash the stains of, and “airfreshens” the stench from, the rotting lumbers of our national foundation, it’s just a matter of time before things reach a tipping-point and our national foundation gives way completely. Well, unless the goons in charge realize the importance of carrying the people along.
As events indicate at the moment, the government strategies employed to nip sectarian violence and appease to those aggravated entities have not work. Rather than “staying the course of a doomed voyage”, isn’t it just simple commonsense to halt, take a breather, and reevaluate available options?
Related articles:
Nigeriafirst.org: Nigeria-China relations in Perspective: 1999 – 2006
January 8th, 2007 at 5:25 am (#)
It’s just so sad….
Nigeria/Nigerians don’t know how good they’ve got things until they loose it….
The Biafra people again!!
Abi they won’t stop until there’s another civil war.
January 10th, 2007 at 5:27 pm (#)
The world and the rest of Africa watches Nigeria right now. Nigeria still has a chance to choose her own destiny. And it’s not that Nigeria hasn’t faced similiar circumstances before. Now, however, it just seems that the stakes are just so much higher.
My recollection is that in the past when Nigeria’s deep wounds bubbled up to the surface everyone around the huge country braced themselves; expecting the worse. Somehow, at the end of the day the nation still stood in one piece and the people’s spirits were still unbroken. Back then I remember thinking that the sheer size, diversity, and regional independence( with a few big exceptions) sort of shielded the country from it’s own self. Who knows if it will continue to be the case-but at some point, so that normalcy and order may rule the day, it seems like there must be more open and honest engagement + dialogue on the part of the top brass. I am by no means a political scientist (and do not claim to be an expert on Nigerian politics) and normally try to find the positives but this is something that can only be seen squarely. It has been on my mind every since the incidents that took place in the mid nineties( saro wiwa) were etched in my mind, but it faded away only to have returned with the latest waves of unrest that we have recently seen. The pattern is that things seem to boil up and then cool down (or do they?)and then repeat itself. I am not very sure why, but it seems like some of the nation’s leadership may have adopted a strategy of just ignoring the tensions and remaining quiet. This might be done because no one knows what to do or maybe to act as a temporary mirage, if I might say so- it is perplexing whatever the case may be…
Even with all of these largesse issues facing the country, Nigeria still manages to push out impressive figures in many areas of business. Big business still thrives there despite the circumstances. Can we imagaine how much more dominant the country would be in the world marketplace if there was cohesion between the various interests that are there?