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Text of the Speech of our President,
Dr Oluyinka Adediji
On the Ocassion of the 52nd Nigerian Independence day.
6th October, 2012.
...................................................................................................................................................................Text of the Speech of our President,
Dr Oluyinka Adediji
On the Ocassion of the 52nd Nigerian Independence day.
6th October, 2012.
- INTRODUCTION
My assignment to night is to examine the position of our great country, our mother land on the global arena. Many of you in this audience know Nigeria very well and one might be tempted to assume that Nigeria needs no introduction.
- Nigerian GEOPOLITICAL Strength cannot Be ignored
Nigeria is by far the most populous and diverse nation in Africa. It is located in Western Africa, and the country's land mass extends from the Gulf of Guinea in the south to the Sahel (the shore of the Sahara Desert) in the north; between Benin on the west and Cameroon on the east. It is a region of luxurious plain that has a compact area of 923,768 square kilometers (356,376 square miles).
The country's land mass extends from the Gulf of Guinea in the south to the Sahel (the shore of the Sahara Desert) in the north. It is the land of the gallant river Niger and the gentle river Benue. Comparatively, Nigeria is slightly more than the size of California, Nevada and Arizona combined. It is the home of hundreds of vibrant ethnic and tribal groups of people including the hardy Hausa/Fulani cattlemen, the smiling Yoruba farmers and traders, and the highly industrious just to mention a few. Nigeria is the 9th most populous nation in the word with population ~ 161 million which represents half of West Africa, 1/5th of Africa and 1 out of 45 people on the planet. Our population has being projected to reach 230 million by the year 2020. Nigerian population is relatively young `40 % are below the age of 15 and roughly distributed in equal proportions of men and women.
Underneath the Nigeria vast land are untapped resources including crude oil and natural gas. Nigeria is the world’s 8th largest exporter of crude oil. She is the economic powerhouse of West Africa. It is the second biggest economy in the continent after South Africa. In a nutshell, Nigeria is a blessed spot in a God-favored Africa. Nigerian enviable human resources and enormous natural resources have brought opportunities and challenges. Therefore let no one question why Nigeria has proudly carried the nickname: ‘Giant of Africa’
In discussing Nigerian status on the global arena, I am going to look at three different but interrelated aspect of the Nigerian polity. Firstly Global security and peace, secondly Nigeria economic diplomacy and influence, and thirdly the Nigerian people in and out of government.
A
WORLD PEACE AND SECURITY:
NIGERIA is a Country with a manifest destiny to Lead. Even before Nigeria attained independence from Britain, she played a significant role in the world order:
* During World War II: Nigerian soldiers served in the Allied forces. They took part in campaigns in the Middle East, North Africa and East Africa, Italy and the Far East. Men of the 81st and 82nd West African Divisions served with great distinction against the Japanese in Burma, as part of the famous
‘Forgotten’ 14th Army. They were credited for preventing total annihilation of the people of Burma by the Japanese imperial solders.
*It is on record that the colonies of the present day Nigeria contributed thousands of pounds sterling to the UK treasury as assistance towards of the war.
*The desire to assume leadership role in Africa was readily expressed in discussions and opinion of the Nigerian Founding fathers. A notable example in 1955 when some African, Asian and Latin American countries were preparing to form the Non Aligned Movement without inviting Nigeria. Dr Nnamdi Azikwe, a pioneer African leader promptly advised the Asian leaders to “appreciate the historic mission and manifest destiny of Nigeria on the African continent”. To this day, Nigeria remains the major champion for African issues - political or economical.
*Nigeria gained independence from UK on October 1st 1960. That feat was achieved without bloodshed. It was fought for by men and women who were not afraid to speak truth to power. This achievement, judging by what happened in some other British colonies including the USA was a great achievement. We owe a great appreciation to our founding fathers including other men and women that believed strongly in the bright future of a nation yet unborn. The greatness of this nation was well captured in remarks and speeches of people like Dr Nnamdi Azikwe, Alhaji Tafawa Balewa, and Chief Obafemi Awolowo. On October 1, 1960, Prime Minister Tafawa Balewa put it simply and urged us to "move with quiet dignity to our place on the world stage."
The urgency with which which Nigeria joined the United Nations as its 99th member is a clear testimony of her determination to make impact in global politics. Nigerian joined the United Nations on October 7 Th 1960, mere 6 days after independence.
*A month later, Nigeria was called upon to help the UN Operations in the Congo (ONUC) contributing the 3rd largest national force in the Congo after India and Ethiopia. Nigerian Late General Aguiyi Ironsi was the force commander. This demonstrates without any doubts the Worlds expectation and respect of Nigerian leadership.
*Nigeria continued to participate in other peace keeping operations like: Tanzania in 1964, Chad in 1979(Bilateral arrangement), and 1982(on the platform of OAU), Liberia in the early 90s, Sierra Leone until 1998.
*Peace mission in Sao Tome & Principe (African UNION) persuading the dissident soldiers to submit to constituted authorities in 2003.
*Nigeria has also deployed in Rwanda and Darfur regions of Sudan maintaining peace with over 6000 troops. Deployed.
The aforementioned were just in African; globally Nigeria is currently the fourth largest contributor of peace keeping force under the auspice of the United Nations.
NIGERIA AGAINST APATHEID:
*Perhaps the most notably contribution of Nigeria to humanity is her resolve to see the end of Apartheid in South Africa. At a historical level, there can be no doubt that Nigeria was one of the leading African countries in the anti-apartheid struggle. Examples of this include: - Her pivotal role in establishing the United Nations Special Committee against Apartheid in the 1960s and the involvement of ordinary Nigerians like students and civil servants who contributed financially to the anti-apartheid movement in reaction to the 1976 Soweto uprisings.
*Nigeria contributed immensely to the OAU Liberation fund since its inceptions, Liberation movements of South Africa were allowed to open offices in Lagos and they were supported in areas of man power training.
*Nigeria also supported the Frontline States through the 1980s and by the end of apartheid in 1994; it had contributed an estimated US$61 billion towards the anti-apartheid effort.
*Similar efforts were put in place to see the independence of Namibia.
DIRECTION FOR NIGERIAN ROLE ON THE WORLD STAGE:
As the Nigeria stage evolves so is our foreign relation policy. The guiding principles of Nigeria’s foreign policy have been centered on the issues of Africa. After all, charities begin at home. The 1999 Constitutions captures Nigeria Foreign policy objectives as follows. (Promotion and protection of national interest, Promotion of African integration and support for African unity, Promotion of international cooperation for the consolidation of universal peace and mutual respect among all nations and elimination of discrimination in all its ramifications., Respect for international law and treaty obligations as well as seeking of settlement of international disputes by negotiation, mediation, conciliation arbitration and adjudication; and promotion of a just world economic order.
*Nigeria has been an active members of many international organizations including the United Nations, Organization of Petroleum exporting countries( OPEC) on the intercontinental level.
In Africa, Nigeria played a key role in laying the foundation for the establishment of : The economic community of West African states ( ECOWAS, the organization of African Unity (OAU) now African Union( AU) the organization of African trade Union, OATUU, the common wealth ; the nonaligned Movement , In all these organizations , Nigeria has remained focused toward achieving the above mentioned objectives. These organizations have contributed immensely in fostering regional cooperation for economic, security and political stabilization of the African continent.
*The most recent efforts in creating a strong integrated socioeconomic framework for Africa led Nigeria together with other 4 initiating countries (SA, Algeria, Egypt and Senegal) to establish the new partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) which was created in July 2001. This platform enabled The African Peer Review Mechanism which evaluate countries in predetermined reform areas: like Constitutional rule, Educational reform, Friendly environment for civil society organizations, and free market economic reforms.
B
ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY:
Nigerian’s wealth has blessed the world. Nigeria readily used her economic power to the benefit of many countries:
*As an example, Interested African countries buy Nigerian oil at concessionary price in line with her economic diplomacy. The action was in response to the crippling oil prices of later 1973 to early 1974. Without this generosity most black African countries would not be able to afford their energy bills, the effective cost of which was brought down for these countries from estimated $950 million to 350 million.
*Many economic superpower of the world benefited immensely from trading with Nigeria: The Four major partners are highlighted namely United Kingdom, European Union (EU), the United States of America and Japan. Most of the exports to these countries include petroleum, agricultural products and other minerals. The United States is the major importer of Nigeria's crude petroleum. More than 80 per cent of Nigeria's exports are destined for markets in Western Europe, North America, Japan and other industrialized countries.
*Nigeria exports both raw materials and finished products to other African countries (excluding ECOWAS) and Eastern European countries. However, the magnitude of exports to these regions is quite insignificant by virtue of their relative low demand.
*CHINA: China’s growing involvement in Nigeria has drawn intense scrutiny from traditional partners and raises the question of whether or not collaboration is beneficial for Nigeria and their development goals. Bilateral China-Nigeria relationship is evolving faster, and impacts more people than in any other African country .The Asian giant going global meets the African giant who aims to become one of the world’s top 20 economies. It has grown from just over 2 billion dollar 10 year ago to 20 billion trades. Time would tell whether this new economic cooperation would be mutually beneficial without crushing the aspiration of Nigeria looking for a means of boosting her non- oil economic activities.
C
NIGERIAN CITIZENS AT WORK:
When Britain, our erstwhile colonial overlord, buckled under the sustained nationalistic offensive of these icons of liberty - Nnamdi Azikwe, Tafawa Balewa, Ahmadu Bello, Obafemi Awolowo, Anthony Enahoro and many others, the Union Jack had to give way to our timeless Green-White-Green. Nigerians hopefully looked forward to the future! This mind-set was legitimate. Nigeria, they hoped, would be among the developing countries to be reckoned with in future. This thinking was consistent with the dreams of the founding fathers of the Nigerian nation. The manifestation of these noble ideas is in two parts:
** South- South cooperation:
Nigerian embraced the south-south cooperation based on historical linkages and the knowledge that developing countries were plagued by the common problems of poverty and underdevelopment.
* Example of policy drive initiative include the establishment of the technical Aid Corps (TAC) in 1987 Nigerian professional were able to share expertise with other African , Caribbean and pacific Countries(ACP). These include Nigerian professionals in the field of Medicine, engineering, agriculture, law; survey, accountancy, education etc are deployed to needy countries upon request. This scheme is currently operational in about 20 countries. Many other Nigerian professionals are serving in many countries under bilateral arrangements.
** Individual Nigerian Citizens: Since it s inception Nigerian people at home and abroad have demonstrated their competiveness in every human endeavor. These people have put Nigerian’s name on the global arena far beyond what any Nigerian government could do.
From Science to Medicine, Technology to business, arts to sports, they have made their marks. These are those I refer to as Nigerians true ambassadors.
From current global trends, the future belongs to those whose ideas solve human problems; those who dream with open eyes, to create new paths in various fields. They are men and women who have followed the dictates of their spirits and have made a difference. Their outstanding lives give Nigeria pride among the comity of nations. These are Nigerians today and the future, because to them rest the hope of this most populous African nation.
Ladies and gentlemen join me in saluting the true citizens of this world living or dead. Tonight Nigeria stands tall because of people like: Latunde Odeku ( African first Neurosurgeon), Professor Chinua Achebe ( greatest of all writers Nigerian by fate a universal citizen by destiny), Prof Wole Soyinka : Literary giant nobel price winner that gave Nigeria another first , Dr Philip Emeagwali, Mrs Ngozi Okonjo Iweila ( Seasoned administrator and financial genius) , all Nigerian men and women athletes and artists.
Fellow Nigerians here present. You! are all part of the Nigerian bests doing us proud all over the world as teachers, doctor’s nurses, engineer’s business men and women and religious leaders. In America today, Nigerian-Americans are among the most highly educated people; changing perception of Africans in the world. If All Nigerian professionals in America were to depart today there would undoubtedly be a crisis in American educational and health care systems. We are a shiny example of Nigerian place on the global arena.
WHATDETERMINES THE FUTURE:
The 21st century will be the century of knowledge and the century of technological developments and a century in which the intellectual capital of a nation will drive its economic growth. It is therefore imperative that we invest in our children's education, basic infrastructures and security not only so that we can thrive in a world that demands technological literacy, but so that we can harness our creativity in building Nigeria.
THE DOWNSIDE:
*In the last 52 years, the majority of Nigerian leaders have been ensnared by corruption because they had focused too long at personal wealth rather than life-changing innovations. The transient glory of power had deceived many from the pursuit of noble causes, thereby denying the country of the benefits of the fruits of their God-given talents. Going by key indicators of the quality of life for an average Nigeria against the enormous resources of the country, Nigeria has failed woefully. GDP has grown from less than 5 billion US dollars in the 60s to over 250 billion dollars today and corresponding GNI from about $250 to over $ 2000.
*Human development indices – measuring standards of living, life expectancy rate, and literacy rate, among others – indicate that the Nigeria has not made significant progress in achieving the aspirations of our people over the past decades. According to the UN Human Development Report for 2010, average life expectancy in sub-Saharan Africa including Nigeria is only 52 years, the lowest in all the regions of the world. The Human Development Index (HDI) was introduced in the early as an alternative to conventional measures of national development, such as level of income and the rate of economic growth. Nigeria's HDI is 0.459, which gives the country a rank of 156 out of 187 countries with comparable data. The HDI of Sub-Saharan Africa as a region increased from 0.365 in 1980 to 0.463 today, placing Nigeria below the regional average. The HDI trends tell an important story both at the national and regional level and highlight the very large gaps in well-being and life chances that continue to divide our interconnected world.
By comparison: Ghana is 35th (0.541), S Africa is 123rd (0.619), Egypt 113th (0.644) India 135th (0.541), Brazil 84th (0.718) USA (4th) and Norway remain number 1.In Nigeria, 70 % of the population lives on less than one(1) dollar a day.
WHAT WENT WRONG
More than five decades after independence, Nigerian governments (legitimate and illegitimate) have tried to bring about development and improve the living standards of our citizens.
We gained independence through dialogue, endured oppressive military dictators, survived a senseless civil war and endured and still enduring dysfunctional democratic administrations. These efforts often coined with captivating tittles like national development planning, operation feed the nation , Green revolutions , SAP , ‘Better life’ to mention a few, have recorded some successes and many failures. Nigerians suffer in the mist of plenty. Professor Chinua Achebe said while making remarks about occupy Nigeria protest “Nigeria is a complicated country with more than 250 ethnic groups. Protests are often a symptom of deeper rooted problems – in Nigeria’s case, resistance to a fifty year history of leaders essentially swindling the nation of its resources – $400 billion worth - and stashing most of it abroad with little in terms of infrastructure on the ground. Nigeria continues to be held back by the lack of basic amenities – there is epileptic electricity supply (often times blackouts for months), very poor schools, no standard water supply systems, bad roads, poor sanitation…Nothing works – life, schools, electricity, nothing....”
The Nigerian leaders in the past and present are aware and have identified several problems in their well write n speeches and comments.
The lingering problematic aspects of our nation building are in the areas of:
(1) Lack of political integration of our people along ideological lines:
Over the past years of our national life the troubling incidence of ethnic nationalism has posed some daunting challenges. The high point perhaps was the Biafra revolt. But the existence of multiple ethnic nationalities does not by itself necessarily constitute a problem or an issue with political consequences. This situation alters in the process of social change or modernization when the interest of ethnic groups becomes elevated to the political realm. But I believe that purposeful leadership could tackle the challenges which multi-ethnic nationalism poses for governance.
(2) Poor basic in fractures and insecurity: There is no tragedy in Nigeria more than robbing people of their dreams. The new challenge in Nigeria today is building a systematic capacity which will enable the people to live to make their own progress and save their own future. The miracle economies of Asia happened, not only by hard work but the opportunity created by leaders to be part of a system that will reward individual’s intelligence and hard work."
(3)An escalation of ethino-reliogious tensions into religious intolerance and terrorism. These final issues constitute imminent threats to the evolution of Nigeria into a modern prosperous state. I have heard all kind comments and condemnation of the dastardly acts being committed against our people all over the country particularly the northern Nigeria. What I do not see is a genuine and constructive protest of the civil society against this social cancer that can deteriorate into a consuming fire that Nigeria may not be able to quench.
THE FUTURE IS PROMISING:
In order to transform Nigeria we must (1) Improve governance and Conflict resolution by electing fair-minded and effective leaders. (2) Improve Security by effective law enforcement and judicial reform and poverty eradication. (3) Investing in people through Education, technical training, land ownership, credit facilities and equal opportunities. (4)Increasing competitiveness and diversify economies: Enhance Production capacity and level of scientific innovation.
These changes would not necessarily happen without citizen awakening. In looking back at our national history up till now, I must harp on the imperative of citizen action to nurture a stable polity. It is true that leadership is indispensable in the progressive evolution of nation states, but history shows that the followership has a critical role to play. All governments at all levels have duties and responsibilities to her citizens.
*All citizens equally have their rights and obligations. Our citizens seem to partially understand their rights as citizens. Repeatedly we seem always, in our pronouncements, actions and inactions, to be splendidly unaware of what our responsibilities are. Our crisis of nationhood is in a significant sense attributable to this “citizen apathy”.
*There is a deeply worrying attitude and tendency among Nigerians to conceptualize our country as an entity owned and managed for the exclusive benefit of the political leadership - past, present and future. This attitude informs the apathy and disenchantment amongst the citizenry and public servants.
Genuine public advocacy suffers when many citizens' initiatives are hindered by this mindset. Citizens seem to accept limitations to their thinking and actions based on the perception of themselves as 'outsiders'. The political leaders are seen as the 'owners' and the insiders and controllers of public policy. This mindset has spilled over into the electoral arena and explains much of our electoral woes to-date.
IN CONCLUSION:
Nigeria is a great country that has contributed greatly to the world we live in. We still face a challenging future simply because we have failed to lay a solid foundation for a cohesive and prosperous nation. Clearly there are efforts to move in the right direction and we are blessed with human and economic resources that if properly managed would transform our country. Nigerians must realize that our destiny is in our hands.
In closing I want to leave this august gathering with a phrase that was shared with me by fellow Nigerian as we sat together last Friday in down town Montgomery. We were wondering if we could enjoy the same open leisure in different Nigerian cities these days without fear. We were also asking if anything could be done to change the destiny of our country. He told me a lesson that he had learned from his mother. It was just a statement that was very instructive and inspiring and I quote “My mother said - when it comes to doing the right thing, it is never too late or too little; whenever each and every one of us do the right thing for our fellow citizens it is still timely.
Let us think about that statement as we start earnestly building Nigeria of our dream .
God bless Nigeria and the United States of America.
...................................................................................................................................................................
Date: October 1, 2012 8:42:22 AM CDT
To: lattsaddey687@gmail.com
Subject: Accepting applications for Foreign Service Facility Managers
Reply-To: "U.S. Department of State" <careers@state.gov>
We are pleased to inform you that we are currently accepting applications for Foreign Service Facility Managerpositions.
Click here (http://careers.state.gov/specialist/vacancy-announcements/fm) to read the vacancy announcement and to start the online application process through Gateway to State via USAJobs. Please note that the deadline to submit completed applications is October 30, 2012.
A Foreign Service Facility Manager (FSFM) in the Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations manages the Department of State's real property assets abroad. FSFMs oversee large holdings of United States Government-owned and leased properties and ensure they are maintained within accepted U.S. standards in a safe and operable condition.
Applicants must be U.S. Citizens and at least 20 years old to apply. They must be at least 21 years of age to be appointed. By law, all career candidates must be appointed to the Foreign Service prior to the month in which they reach age 60. All potential applicants are strongly urged to read the entire vacancy announcement to ensure that they meet all of the requirements for this position before applying.
We appreciate your interest in a career with the U.S. Department of State.
Visit our forums if you have any questions, or to search for topics of interest. The forums can be found under Engage on the careers.state.gov website. You can also search our FAQs for more information.
From: "USA.gov Team" <subscriptions@subscriptions.usa.gov>
Date: September 19, 2012 7:15:28 AM CDT
To: lattsaddey687@gmail.com
Subject: 2014 Diversity Visa Lottery Registration is from October 2 - November 3
Reply-To: "USA.gov Team" <subscriptions@subscriptions.usa.gov>
Online registration for the 2014 Diversity Visa Lottery will begin on Tuesday, October 2, 2012 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4), and end on Saturday, November 3, 2012 at 12:00 noon, Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT-4).
This congressionally mandated program makes available up to 55,000 diversity visas every year. Winners are randomly drawn from the people who enter and meet strict eligibility requirements. In order to be eligible, you must be from a country with low rates of immigration to the United States and meet the education or work experience requirements.
If you plan to apply, watch out for fraudulent websites posing as official U.S. government websites. Some companies posing as the U.S. government have sought money in order to "complete" DV entry forms. There is no charge to download and complete the Electronic Diversity Visa Entry Form. To learn more, see the Department of State warning.
Find out if you're eligible to enter the Diversity Visa Lottery and learn how to apply.
*************************************
From: Iraq Investment and Reconstruction Task Force <iraqinfo@trade.gov>
Date: September 19, 2012 1:15:53 PM CDT
To: lattsaddey687@gmail.com
Subject: Revised: Invitation to participate in "Supply Chain Opportunities" Conference
Reply-To: Iraq Investment and Reconstruction Task Force <iraqinfo@trade.gov>
**Please note that the previous email contained a "Register Here" link that was not related to this conference. Please disregard and find the correct contacts below.
Greetings,
The Iraq Investment and Reconstruction Task Force invites you to participate in the conference, "Supply Chain Opportunities: A Partnership between Iraq & the United States," in Basrah, Iraq on November 7, 2012. For more information, please contact Steve Lutes, Director of the USIBI, atSLutes@uschamber.com or Hussain Qaragholi, President of the US Business Council in Iraq, atHussain@USBusinessIraq.com.
"Supply Chain Opportunities: A Partnership between Iraq & the United States"
Hosts: U.S. Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the U.S. Business Council in Iraq
When/Where: November 7, 2012 in Basrah, Iraq
What: The U.S. Chamber’s U.S.-Iraq Business Initiative (USIBI) is partnering with the U.S. Business Council in Iraq (USBCI) to organize a high-profile Supplier’s Conference in Basrah, Iraq on November 7, 2012. During this conference, representatives of participating companies will meet the governor of Basrah, other key Iraqi officials, Iraqi business leaders, and U.S. government representatives in Basrah.
The economic data bears out that Basrah is a critical commercial hub in Iraq with vast energy resources and the country’s only deep water port. Governing officials in Basrah and local business leaders strongly desire greater participation by American companies in their local economy. The conference will bring key stakeholders together in one venue while also offering participating American companies an opportunity to learn more about the substantial opportunities in the Basrah Governorate and provide them a platform to convey their capacity and interest in pursuing projects and commercial opportunities in Iraq.
The conference will explore supply chain, customs, and trade facilitation issues and focus on areas such as energy, infrastructure, manufacturing, regulation and security. An agenda is being developed with the goal of facilitating and deepening cooperation between American businesses and Iraqi partners in both the public and private sectors.
The conference is open to members of the U.S. Chamber, USBCI, and non-members as well. Please email Steve Lutes, director of the USIBI, at slutes@uschamber.com or Hussain Qaragholi, President of the US Business Council in Iraq, at hussain@usbusinessiraq.com at your earliest convenience to reserve a place for your company, providing the name and title of the person(s) attending.
For more information, please find the attachment below.
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