Tafida And Abandoned Nigeria House

opinion

By Adama Yusuf

I sometimes wonder if the challenges facing Nigeria as a nation are so immense or galling that, having been blessed with both human and natural resources, the nation cannot extricate itself from this self-inflicted quagmire.

It is also disheartening and distressing as a citizen of this God blessed country to see other countries like the Asian countries with similar colonial heritage and attributes and also with similar natural resources achieving significant and massive successes in developments within and outside their environs.

Let us put aside the political instability and bad governance that are being attributed to Nigeria’s decline.                I personally will also say that the individual attitude most of the time is the major cause of our problems and decline; Greed, hearsay, sycophancy, not doing what is right as citizens, especially as political office holders or servants of the nation; from the governors down to the ordinary person in the street. This is a country where the right person for the job does not get it; where elderly ones or leaders in positions of authority feel they can’t be challenged when things that are wrong are  pointed out to them by the younger ones in order for them to address them, make corrections or adjustments as the case may be.

This was the exact reaction by Nigeria’s High Commissioner to UK, Dalhatu Tafida, when he visited Manchester for the Nation’s 52nd Anniversary held in another Community’s building (Community property). £235 was spent on renting the property for this occasion, while the Nigeria House (a mansion) in Manchester is abandoned and wasting away.

Not long ago £400,000 was invested in renovating the building, having been locked up for over three years and without being put to use for whatever purpose it was meant or bought and again renovated without use. Bills are being paid for nothing every month, electricity bill is being paid, of course, in addition to the council taxes which go with it and other bills and all funds being generated from the Nigerian government and of course added to the High Commissioner’s budget.

I am very optimistic that if a young Briton or an American comes to David Cameron of Uk or President Obama of US and say to them “our property is not put to use and we are wasting resources and that money paid in renting this hall could have been paid into our purse to serve other little purposes,” both of them will pay attention and listen attentively to the young lad and then ensure whatever is wrong is put right and most importantly ensure such property generates funds that will be used to keep it in good shape. But this is not applicable to our leaders as they all see themselves as demi gods rather than seeing themselves as servants of their nation and its citizens.

The High Commissioner was very furious for being asked that the Nigeria House should be used for Nigerians and for such occasions as celebrating the nation’s independence anniversary if not for any reason at least to make the citizens based here feel at home. I thought Dalhatu Tafida would have been ashamed and felt a lot embarrassed to come and celebrate the country’s independence in another community’s property rather than the country’s property which he represents. Firstly, for  patriotic reasons and secondly, for economic reasons as well and having fully dressed up in his Nigerian attire, the event ought to have been celebrated at the Nigeria House.

The high commissioner called me names publicly while all attendees at the function applauded me, appreciated me for being bold to speak about the appalling state of the country’s property and its people in UK.

Again, this pathetic attitude of the high commissioner and similar attitude of Nigerian leaders and politicians make others refer to the country as a nation that suffers from PARADOX OF PLENTY, a country which is not able to manage its resources for the benefit of its citizens.

For this also, it makes one wonder and worried about when Nigerians placed in leadership positions will ever work towards a sustainable development that focuses on good governance, good leadership, and respect for human rights, respect for one another regardless of one’s position, religion or ethnic background.

The question on one’s mind is: will there ever be any progress for Nigeria as a country if eaders like Dalhatu Tafida do not know when to be humble and take constructive criticism in good faith?

As a man from a developing nation  sent to a developed nation to serve his country, one would have thought that the High Commissioner had learnt it all; and known that citizens are free to speak to their leaders, pouring outn their hearts, where people are free to speak of situations and address such situations positively and get results, where resources are put to good use, a place where recycling is being carried out on every waste product to reproduce a new product.

I also thought he would have been diplomatic enough when reacting to the statement about putting the Nigeria House to use to generate funds that could be used to pay bills, that he would have seen it as an honour, or as a shame for him to have attended the nations’ anniversary celebration in the Nigeria House and not in another community’s hall (Community Hall); that no matter what the situation was and what had happened in the past, that on this very special day  that Nigerians in Manchester should be made to feel at home.

But all these were lost on Tafida. What a disappointment!

• Yusuf wrote from UK

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