The word Xenophobia can be described as a dislike or prejudice against people from other countries. It is a preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience; it is a form of a harm or injury that results or may result from some action or judgment.
Xenophobia: It is as old as mankind and could be traced down to down the time of Moses, even in the story of Pharisees and the Israelite’s. It has been there.
I am His Royal Majesty. Ambassador Adetokunbo Okikiola Tejuosho. In view of the above, the recent incidents in South Africa can best be described as such.
However, it should be a greater lesson to the government of our dear country Nigeria. It is high time we left backwardness and oscillate on the reality of providing jobs and a conducive atmospheric environment for our young graduates and youths. The inefficient service delivery system which has triggered the socio-economic conflicts in South Africa has exposed the inability of our Government to dutifully serve the people of our country and this is one among the reasons why we have our best brains littered across the globe. Our politicians should also be blamed for whatever happens to the Nigerian citizens in and out of the country. The time is here now for every political office seeking individuals to be charged to swear before our ancestral gods like Ogun and Sango (the god of iron and thunder) because our 20yrs of practicing democracy has not yielded any positive reverberation rather it has enriched some few individuals and has left our country in a position that is worse than abhorrent. It is awesome that a particular airline company has agreed to repatriate our families back to Nigeria at no cost, but have we stopped to ask ourselves, what are they coming back to meet? Even the ones here are jobless, homeless with no hope or any future plan in place neither from the government or otherwise. Our political leaders have misplaced their priorities. They have failed woefully in socio economic integrity tests. See all the different expanse of lands we have all over the nation. No industry can be found on our highways. It’s the reason those places now serve as foxholes for criminal minded individuals who are killing, kidnapping and robbing in our communities. Our farming inheritance has been neglected totally and we are now looking into areas that are temporary.
In my community, we have able men who can farm. We have the land but no support from the government. Even after harvest, it is so difficult to haul the farm produce to the city due to the condition of our roads. I visited the Local Government Secretariat in my domain recently. Alas, all the road construction equipment and machineries are abandoned there and rotting away, our roads are in a state of menace. The people representing us are worse that the known criminals, they are the legalized Yahoo Boys protected by our constitution. They steal our money and still use it to oppress us. All I know is that someday, the crude oil we all rely on will crash and we will be left with nothing if due care is not taken. We are a consuming economy and cash carrying society. We do not produce anything. Our government will lay embargo on importation of rice, automobiles etc yet they travel with members of their families overseas to take treatments. They waste our resources on foreign trips at taxpayers’ expense. Look at how much billions they allocate yearly or by every term to spend on vehicles for senators. Does that mean all these government officials go home with the vehicles after their tenure? They have stimulated our mentality with ethnicity and religious dissimulation in other for them to get away with their evil deeds. Come to my community and see the state of schools there. It is very sad indeed, but every day you read in the news magazines about their children graduating from one institution or the other in different countries of the world. I might want to agree with one president of the western clime who suggested to us a process of re-colonization.
Take for instance, some of the best medical doctors in the US are Nigerians in the likes of Doctor, Oluyinka Olutoye a surgeon in Huston, Doctor Olurotimi Badero, is an interventional cardiologist in NY, to mention but few. These dudes have been recognized for bravery, integrity and clinical excellence, We have many of our young lads with very brilliant minds, not only in the field of medicine, but also in sport, science and technology, music, arts and in other fields, but where are the jobs for them here within the perimeter of our Nation. Anthony Joshua is a boxer in United Kingdom, MOROLAKE AKINOSUN, OMO OSAGHAE, OLIVIA EKPONE and COURTNEY OKOLO are all Athletes in United States. It is always refreshing to see or hear about them, but it is so disturbing that they are only great outside the shores of their father land. I believe there are innumerable other young people out there today who are doing marvellous things which the country needs to discern and make obtainable conducive places for them in other to display their talents. The British government created British Football Academy, just to capture the mind of their young lads in other to make them look away from crimes. Common training facilities are not available in our stadiums. It is only in Nigeria you will hear that the ministry of sport does not have funds to sponsor its participants to take part in world game events. But our representatives will fly on private jets to watch such event. I learnt many of Nigerians to be ferried back to the country from South Africa have no travel passport or some of them are expired. That is to tell you they are not thinking of coming back to their fatherland and even if they are brought back, don’t you think we will be entering into a big shit? See hoodlums everywhere on our streets. Able men and women have turned to beggars and begging in broad day light has now become a profession.
There are Nigerians that will still do greater things than we have done. We shouldn’t only hear about the negative things Nigerians do but recognize the good things they do as that’s a platform for motivating the younger generation.
At this point in the life of this nation, our government should shun all forms of sentiment and look inward, on how to make the environment better and accommodating for the citizens of our country. It is not the time to dwell or lay emphasis on why the South African government is not persecuting its citizens. The will is not there for them to probe their people on the dreadful and ugly actions, rather they support them. So, let our own leaders move swiftly into action, and built a great, habitable country for us.
In submission, at this point in the life of this nation, our government should shun all forms of sentiment and look inward on how to make the environment better and accommodating for the citizens of our country, this is the period we can boost the service and support our indigenous providers like globacom and Hitv, it is not the time to dwell or lay emphasis on why the South African government is not persecuting its citizens, the will is not there for them to probe their people on the dreadful and ugly actions, rather they support them. So let our own leaders move swiftly into action, and built a great, habitable country for us. Iba Gani Adams should take charge and let us feel his breeze as the ARE ONA KAKANFO of Yoruba that he is, against the criminals he should be empowered by the government as a matter of urgency to resume tough and protective mission in securing our communities. Government should work with us the traditional rulers through the Local government in providing jobs locally, every local government secretariats within the nation should be equipped with farming machinery and be hired out to local farmers at subsidize amount, every local government secretariats should have a job centre and farm produce sale points.
OBA. AMB. ADETOKUNBO OKIKIOLA GBADEGESHIN TEJUOSHO.
OLU OF ORILE KEMTA (ADABONYIN 1)