Let’s rescue our global perception -22nd March, 2006

I wouldn’t have blogged today, if not that I discovered a mail in my box today. A mail that shocked me once again with the reality of how we are percieved as Nigerians. Not that there are not many events in a normal day that return us to this self same reality, but it certainly doesn’t happen like that everyday. I remember having a discussion with a friend who told me his own gory story of how he used to be a very patriotic Nigerian, not as though he wasn’t anymore, but he has balanced it with a lot more wisdom, seeing that it just doesn’t help. He told me of times when he’ll travel out of Nigeria, practically wearing a Nigerian football jersey, he told me of how many times he had been stopped at the immigration of many countries for no other reason other than the fact than that he was a Nigerian. He told me of one occassion when an officer told him that he would surely find something wrong with him? Can you imagine?? At that time he was a UN official! Let’s not deceive ourselves friends, our corrupt country colleagues spoil beyond their names, they give us perceptions that make us difficult to relate with. I can easily remember times at the borders of different countries as well, when being a Procter and Gamble employee or a Virgin employee meant more than being a Nigerian, isn’t that sad? So what happened today that flagged up my passion for the pen? I applied for a West African training consultant opportunity for a company in the US, last week and only checked my box today to see their response today. They felt I was very qualified, but would need me to validate myself. They said the volume of credit card frauds that come from Nigeria, makes them weary of doing business with Nigerians! Can you beat that? The interesting thing is, if it were you or I on the other side, we would have similar perspectives, we can’t blame them. What we need to do, is to put our own house in order. To continue our fight and struggle against scam. We need to move faster in our drive to creating alternatives for these jobless youths side by side with our clamour to get the antiscam bill signed. We need to shine our light! Darkness they say is merely the absence of light, and the only contribution needed from good for evil to prevail is silence. We must not be silent, we must fight this evil at home and abroad, we must ensure that the world knows that there are Nigerians that value and have integrity. I can’t imagine how many legitimate business proposals get deleted on the merit of these ill meaning few. I can’t imagine how many good intentions have been coloured by the tons of scams that these yahoo boys generate. The fight against crime is not a fight against individuals it’s a fight for the expression of genuine talents. Lets rescue our global perception…for every one scammer, lets showcase 10 positive youths. It’s a war friends, we need to understand the dynamics, and strategically progress. Regards Adeolu