Letter From Obi Osita
Dear Editor,
I am writing this piece with a heavy heart. I try as much as I can, to not read any information coming out of Nigeria, because it turns my stomach, and I weep for Nigeria.
What in the world is wrong Africa/Nigeria and Black people in general? Our leaders continue to act in such a way that it defies common sense. When I read your article about Jonathan's government/NSA hiring a Washington DC firm to handle PR for Nigeria for $3 million dollars. Just for a minute, imagine changing this money to Naira, you are talking about, at the rate of N150 to 1 dollar will come out to about N450 million Naira. What will this N450 million do in Nigeria? I understand it is not much for the government that gives that much as tip or bribe.
General Obasanjo did the same nonsense for eight years with Andrew Young's firm for a reportedly $1.7 million a year to polish Nigerian image. I never saw a single promotion about Nigeria for eight years. What exactly are they hoping to polish. Jesus Christ cannot polish Nigerias image. They in government have done a wonderful job in showcasing our beautiful country in a dark light to the world. The contract to this firm is just another way for one of those smart ones in Abuja to siphon his own share of the loot through a PR firm out of the country. I can bet you, if I am a betting man, that the DC firm doesn't even know where Nigeria is, never stepped into Nigeria to understand what our needs are and to sell Nigeria to the world. There is no need wasting all this money, if only the government will understand their responsibilities to Nigerians and just follow simple human dignity, 'Respect, Responsibility, Honesty and Progressive encouragement'.
And, who better to promote your image than people who knows you well. It is simple. Let our embassies do a better job helping its citizens, and the PR from that small effort will turn heads. I am angry with these decisions our leaders make often bypassing their people to use others to do what Nigerians can do very well. They will not deal with Nigerians at home preferring to deal with Indians, Lebanese, Americans or British. It's okay to deal with these people, but not at the expense of your own people. We are one the few countries in the world that does not enjoy working with their own. It is part of encouraging your people to create jobs. Not one of these countries I mentioned will give a Nigerian that kind of contract to promote the image of their country. When will our leaders 'STOP' feeling so inferior of being black that they are willing to ignore well educated Nigerians all over the world, that could do much better job that these firms they contract do. I don't know if anyone has seen Andrew Young lately. He looks like Ngozi Okongie Iweala. You cannot see their necks anymore.
Andrew Young made out well with Obasanjo, and Jonathan is starting out on his own quest to enrich another American firm. But please don't miss understand me, I don't have anything against giving contracts to Americans or any firm for that matter, but it is always said that 'charity begins at home', with Nigeria, charity begins with foreigners. If they the government of Nigeria, had given this contract to three Nigerian firms in America to promote their image in West coast, East coast and Southern part of America at a million dollars apiece contract for a year, These Nigerians firms will stand at the top of Empire state building shouting to top of their lungs about how great Nigeria is. Americans will be tired of hearing about Nigerian that they will be begging them to shut up. We ought to start learning how other countries do simple things.
Nigeria has too many well educated, intelligent citizens all over the world, we are the ones who still don't recognize this fact, but we are at the same time really unfortunate to have dummies ruling us.
May God help us to reach where others have reached
Obi Osita
New Jersey, USA
[email protected]