First Ladies’ Summit, Peace and the 200 Cars

Exactly was their argument all over the place when the Malabo oil scandal was made known to the world! The tacit meaning of this unintelligent approach, which was often supported by even some segments of the intelligentsia in the academia from that section, has been that why should the rest of Nigeria complain if the […]

Exactly was their argument all over the place when the Malabo oil scandal was made known to the world! The tacit meaning of this unintelligent approach, which was often supported by even some segments of the intelligentsia in the academia from that section, has been that why should the rest of Nigeria complain if the nation’s resources are either looted, plundered or stolen by those in positions of power today when the resources are their God given resources and now that their own sons and daughters are calling the shots? At least Professor Itse Sagay, a few months ago, argued in this direction. He claimed that the North West, North East and North Central do not contribute anything to the national purse and are mere consumers.

In the sense of the Professor’s argument, no Nigerian from these blocks has any right to protest plunder in government because they do not contribute a dime to the national treasury and by implication, it is the right of those from whose areas monies are gotten to plunder the national resources at no matter what time and cost.

Anyway, that argument in my view only exposes further the weakness in western education that quite a lot of us acquire. I thought knowledge was for the liberation of mankind from the shackles of ignorance and other related vices. It does not seem to be the case in our clime and that partly explains why the nation’s backwardness and the inability to progress despite the huge human and material resources that the nation is blessed with.

Now the central thesis of this piece is the just concluded summit of Africa’s first ladies that took place during the week in Abuja.  We understand that the summit, as has been the routine in recent times, was supposed to be on peace and conflict. Ordinarily, the venue for the summit was right because Nigeria, or to say the least, a vast of it, is in dire need of peace and stability arising from the protracted crises that have engulfed the nation.

There was a spirited attempt on the part of government to deny the allegation that it bought about 200 brand new cars for the two day summit. In my view, this is scandalous and the rebuttal by government that the cars were given free of charge by Coscharis motors makes the matter more laughable. It also exposes further the unintelligence on the part of those who run government in this country today.

Many questions arise from the statement. For what reason would Coscharis make such a handsome donation to the summit or say presidency? The Coscharis theory in my view is frightening because if that number could be given to a government as dash, then, citizens have reason to be afraid. This is because the expected thing to do is that there will certainly be reward for such a gift which in any case must compensate for all the losses in the donation.

Nigerians that are rich and have business with the company have complained bitterly on the charges of the group for services and other issues. I wonder if this ‘donation’ would therefore not increase the cost of doing business with the company in the event that let us assume government will not pay back this ‘donation’ in kind in the near or distant future.

In this country we have seen excesses and recklessness. We have seen similar brazenness in the conduct of government business. To say the least, such jamborees have served for some time now as avenues of expropriation of surpluses of the people and squander of the scarce national resources that would have been devoted to national growth and development.

It is certainly a big scandal for any government to either buy or accept as gift such a large number of exotic vehicles for a contraption that does not really have any place in the article of governance. A theatrical show of ecstasy by women who either by accident of history have found themselves as peers to people in power and authority.

This piece is not intent on going into the specific details of uses or otherwise of such a summit, but our concern is on how it is managed and the quantum of resources from the public tilt that is flushed down the drain. I am of the view that no African country at such critical threshold has the luxury to indulge in these types of schemes that are not relevant to the people.

What Nigerians should ask now is why such an expenditure in extra governmental activity? How many cars in reality were procured for the said summit and or what is the authenticity of the donation and at what cost? Certainly in business, nothing goes for nothing and nobody therefore should want to sweep such a startling revelation under the carpet.

I don’t know why Africa is continuing on a downward slide. It has been argued by people like Frantz Fanon since the 1960s and 1970s that even the summit of African Heads of States and Governments was, and I believe still is, a mere circus show where African leaders assemble every year to show case their aggrandizement and possibly, according to Fanon, dis-virgin the half breed sixteen year old African girls. I am not sure if this situation has changed yet.

What reason can anybody therefore advance for the new initiative of first ladies’ summit? A share waste of time and resources, in my view! There is no choice left to Africans than to take their destinies in their hands by redirecting the affairs of their leaders. I think this remains one of the only ways out of the present predicament.

Government must be proactive in addressing our worries and such must be clear and factual. Head or tail, it does not justify that so much resources is spent on white elephant summit that do not have place and relevance in constitutional governance.

We demand explanation on this 200 cars saga. It mustn’t be dismissed or swept under the carpet. Nigerians have paid so much for nothing. Long live Nigeria and Nigerians!