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On his facebook page, he encouraged Nigerians to show more pride in Nigeria as a country rather than joining foreigners to run down the country.
Below is what he wrote based on a recent BBC documentary showed about Lagos:
"A BBC Documentary on Lagos showed more of the dumps etc, in spite of the government's efforts to transform a city of over 15 million people. I was upset and wished I could ask them to show us in what part of the dump their High Commissioner and other staff lived!
Seriously, Nigerians should begin to show more pride in Nigeria. I accept we have problems of infrastructure, politics, crime etc., but joining foreigners to run the country down isn't necessarily going to improve things. Take the US. They described Nigeria as a drug nation at a period when all the drugs transited through Nigeria couldn't compare to what was consumed in Bronx alone. And we join them in saying it too. Sadly South Africans would describe Lagos as unsafe. It's a joke. Statistics show that Lagos is by far safer than Johannesburg. Ask the South Africans who live here.
I am writing this because of the great piece written by a British on Nigeria. It is posted below. Oftentimes we are too quick to especially join foreigners in running down this country. We speak with Indians and agree Nigeria is dirty. I went to New Delhi and had a culture shock because of the dirt and poverty I saw and experienced. and yet you wont hear any Indian run down that country. We should speak proudly of the great progress that Fashola has made; that Akpabio has made. That Oshiomole has made. That many of the northern governors are making. Abuja is a city to be proud of. Our people are friendly and warm, and many are very hard working and honest. We are not a nation of crooks; the West labelled us this way, and we have accepted it. The greatest credit card frauds are committed by europeans and americans and yet they call us a nation of crooks.
Once i attended a conference in Cape Town and after some drinks, the foreigners picked on Nigeria and fraud etc. I allowed them to shoot off their mouths for a while and asked each one if there were prisons in his country. Each one nodded in the affirmative. I then asked if they were hotels. They said they housed criminals. i then asked if the prisons contained Nigerian prisoners. i went ahead to lecture them on the need to stop generalising. the next evening most of them avoided me. Good riddance to them all!
We should of course speak out against all that is not working. Better we should offer ideas on how to improve them. Even better, when we have an opportunity to make a difference, we should not compromise, which sadly is what many people who complain do. I feel so unhappy when i see and hear some of my friends who now live in Europe, north America and even Ghana bad-mouth this nation. It's the worst type of inferiority complex. Apart from running away and throwing stones from afar, what have they done or what are they doing to improve things?"
Friends, lets change our attitude. Together we will yet witness a great nation.
Seriously, Nigerians should begin to show more pride in Nigeria. I accept we have problems of infrastructure, politics, crime etc., but joining foreigners to run the country down isn't necessarily going to improve things. Take the US. They described Nigeria as a drug nation at a period when all the drugs transited through Nigeria couldn't compare to what was consumed in Bronx alone. And we join them in saying it too. Sadly South Africans would describe Lagos as unsafe. It's a joke. Statistics show that Lagos is by far safer than Johannesburg. Ask the South Africans who live here.
I am writing this because of the great piece written by a British on Nigeria. It is posted below. Oftentimes we are too quick to especially join foreigners in running down this country. We speak with Indians and agree Nigeria is dirty. I went to New Delhi and had a culture shock because of the dirt and poverty I saw and experienced. and yet you wont hear any Indian run down that country. We should speak proudly of the great progress that Fashola has made; that Akpabio has made. That Oshiomole has made. That many of the northern governors are making. Abuja is a city to be proud of. Our people are friendly and warm, and many are very hard working and honest. We are not a nation of crooks; the West labelled us this way, and we have accepted it. The greatest credit card frauds are committed by europeans and americans and yet they call us a nation of crooks.
Once i attended a conference in Cape Town and after some drinks, the foreigners picked on Nigeria and fraud etc. I allowed them to shoot off their mouths for a while and asked each one if there were prisons in his country. Each one nodded in the affirmative. I then asked if they were hotels. They said they housed criminals. i then asked if the prisons contained Nigerian prisoners. i went ahead to lecture them on the need to stop generalising. the next evening most of them avoided me. Good riddance to them all!
We should of course speak out against all that is not working. Better we should offer ideas on how to improve them. Even better, when we have an opportunity to make a difference, we should not compromise, which sadly is what many people who complain do. I feel so unhappy when i see and hear some of my friends who now live in Europe, north America and even Ghana bad-mouth this nation. It's the worst type of inferiority complex. Apart from running away and throwing stones from afar, what have they done or what are they doing to improve things?"
Friends, lets change our attitude. Together we will yet witness a great nation.
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