Interview Thursday: "Nigeria is crippled by a crisis of values and weak institutions" Pat Utomi

His immense contribution to development stands him out, his tiredless effort in seeing a better Nigeria makes him a force to reckon with. His TV program Patito's gang is used as an avenue to address different development issues and I commend him for such an initiative. He has added to his caps of developments by getting his own very blog. Pat Utomi is a blogger! I had lunch with him in the beginning of August with Poeticallytinted in attendance I wished we have an eloquent, focused and transformational individual like him to lead this country. I delightfully welcome PU on Interview Thursday!
 

Who is Pat Utomi?

I am a teacher. Forget the garnishings. I am basically a person commited to traditional notions of a teacher as transmitter of knowledge and values that can help lift the dignity of the human person.I have found many platforms for performing this traditional chore; in the classroom, in tv studios, as a so called public intellectual, newspaper columnist, a sort-of patron saint of young entrepreneurs so I can show thought can work in action; as manager traversing the nexus of idedas and praxis and as man of family, among others. My antecedents are very Pan-Nigerian; born in Kaduna on 6/2/56 with primary education in several cities of the North, secondary education in Ibadanin the Southwest and University and marriage into the southeast with origins of parents and by the Nigerian waya persorn from the SouthSouth. 

 

Tell us about your family?

I have a fun family 'led' by a wife who looks half her age as the age range of our children go from nearly 24 to 8.My wife is a Consultant Orthodontist and senior faculty member of the College of Medicine at the University of Lagos where we met as she was finishing her studies 27 years ago. Two of our children have graduated and the others are coming along by God's Grace. 

What do you think as a lasting solution to the Naija Delta crisis?

It is not as difficult as it appears. A formal acceptance that historical injustice has been done is a good first step. It has no monetary coost and can go a long way to soothe nerves. If we acknowledge that the principles of Federalism that was the basis on which the Founding Fathers agreed to a Nigeria project and that it was sidetracked because Oil was found inareas dominated by ethnic minorities, and then show sincerity in putting in place compensatory economic intiatives that provide opporunities for the majority in the region through infrastructure, business developent etc., the people will begin to focus on the path to tapping into opportunities in the region rather than destroying things. Trust is a critical element here, given the long experience of dishonesty. It can be built with contiuous posit deposits into the emotional bank account as Stephen R Covey would call it. A Lagos-Calabar rail link, the East-West Coastal highway and a few entrepremeurship extension service programmes with such support as Shell implement elsewhere as Lifewire will bring the region alive.

 
You will be running for presidency in 2011, I will like to know the 5 important projects you will focus on in office?

Five projects I will focus on as President. Infrastructure like rail, power and roads are important and must receive attention. But they are not the central or core keys to progress. Nigeria is crippled by a crisis of values and weak institutions. The peg is of a competent leader who earns Moral Authority through share force of personal example with the rule of law, modesty of conduct and primacy of service to the people and accountability as the hooks. IF THESE DISPOSITIONS ARE IN PLACE EVERYTHING ELSE WILL COME. It is like the passage from the good book; seek ye first the kingdom of God and everything else will be added on to you. The Singapore story is about such personal example in shaping culture and even if Ramgoolan may not be as celebrated for his work in Mauuritius as lee Kwan you it is more or less the same business of leaderhip shaping culture.

Interview Thursday: "Nigeria is an endlessly fascinating country - perhaps the most diverse country on the planet in terms of languages alone" Jeremy

Jeremy Weate is a blogger and a consultant. His blog is dedicated to Nigerian issues, though not a Nigerian which he would have become by marriage if there is no discrimination against Nigerian women giving citizenship to their husbands, he is passionate about Nigeria and its development. Welcome on Interview Thursday Jeremy.

Can you give “Interview Thursday" a glimpse into your background?

I am from a small village near Birmingham. I studied philosophy and have a PhD from the University of Warwick. I have been consulting for the past twelve years and spent the last six living in Nigeria with my partner.

What inspires you to write about Nigeria as your blog name is "Naija blog"?

When I started my blog, there were not many Nigerian blogs around so the first name that came to my head was naijablog. I thought it might be interesting to write a diary of my time living in Nigeria. I never thought that anyone would bother reading it.

What do you think of Nigeria as a Nation?

Nigeria is an endlessly fascinating country - perhaps the most diverse country on the planet in terms of languages alone. It has the potential to lead Africa and redefine the continent's role globally. It has yet to live up to that potential.

Niger Delta crisis has being a recurrent decima, do you think the new step by the federal government in granting amnesty to the militants will help solve the problem?

No. But its a good first step.

What do you see as the lasting solution to the Niger Delta crisis?
The Niger Delta will remain a troubled area until there is infrastructure and jobs and oil bunkering is no longer possible. Without all of those three elements in place, the area will remain restive.

Do you think Nigeria changing and having selfless leaders in all quarters in the next political dispensation?
I don't see good leadership emerging. However, as with the last two to three years of Obj's second term, there is a competent group of technocrats emerging now - specifically the Finance Minister, the new CBN governor and the DG of the Budget Office. There is hope that the financial management of the nation's economy is in good hands. However, too many people in leadership positions in Nigeria are driven by greed, by ego and by a lack of ethics, sadly.

Has Jeremy come to stay permanently in Nigeria?
Nigerian women marrying foreigners cannot grant citizenship (unlike Nigerian men marrying foreign women), so it’s not easy for a foreigner to settle permanently. However, Nigeria is in my blood. I have a Nigerian family - my wife, mother-in-law, sisters-in-law and many good Nigerian friends. In at least a metaphorical sense, I will never leave Nigeria.

Can you mention 5 things to admire about Nigeria [ns] and the other 5 you wish will change?
5 things to admire:

1. Nigeria's historical cultures - the power and depth of the culture I am most familiar with - the Yoruba - never ceases to hold my awe and respect, and the mystery of the Nok civilisation and what exactly Sungbo Eredo was all about..

2. The landscapes of Nigeria - from tropical forest to savannah and sahel - Nigeria has a fantastic range of environments and many undiscovered places, such as the tallest mountain - Gangirwal (the mountain of death) - which we climbed a year or so ago.

3. The can-do spirit of the people. Many Nigerians hustle a living without power or water and still manage to make something of their lives.

4. Fela. Fela is a major draw for foreigners interested in Nigeria. Despite his flaws, he will always be admired for his revolutionary spirit, inspiring music and sexy dancers.

5. The Nigerian Diaspora around the world is showing what Nigerians can do in the proverbial 'enabling environment'. Some of the most interesting cultural output (literature, music, art) is being generated by Nigerians away from home.
5 things to change:

1. The obvious stuff must come first. Think what Nigeria could do if only there were more electricity! Ditto for water, roads etc. Nigeria should look to one of its greatest assets - the sunshine - for smart-grid power solutions. A key immediate issue is to sort out the refineries and then end the fuel subsidy (in that order). Sorting out the refineries means letting the private sector in for full ownership and management

2. Agricultural and industrial development. Before the oil came, Nigeria's economy was based on a regional balance of groundnuts, palm oil, rubber and cocoa. Key here is to ensure that value-added product refinement takes place in country, rather than raw materials being exported overseas as basic commodities with low value. Beyond agriculture, Nigeria needs to redevelop key industry sectors, such as financial services, textiles, IT. There needs to be a clear policy to roll out affordable broadband internet across the country once WACS and Main1 submarine cables get hooked up to Nigeria next year.

3. Investment in education. The education system in Nigeria has collapsed, and the government continues to place a low-budgetary priority on funding it (less than 2% of govt expenditure in this years budget). Compare and contrast with other African countries, such as Ghana, which spends between 15 and 20% of its annual budget on education. The situation in the North is dire if you look at the statistics.

4. Outside of all this development stuff, the issue is leadership. There is way too much oga-syndrome on every level - leaders who do not delegate authority, take courageous decisions and indulge in nepotism rather than resist patronage pressures. Nigerian organisations are often a triumph of ego over process. This has to change if organisational dysfunction is to be avoided.

5. A re-assessment of the pre-colonial past of Nigeria. So much has been de-valued and confused in the rush to adopt Western belief systems and values.

Thanks for your time ad these wonderful insights!
Thanks - I enjoyed answering these questions!

Interview Thursday:"Is not the State right to tell citizens how to dress and is a blatant violation of individual and collective human rights"- Sokari

Sokari is the outstanding and legendary publisher at Black Looks blog. She is a Nigerian blogger that has being blogging since 2004 before I even know what blogging is all about.

She was part of a group of bloggers who connected the world leaders at the G20 summit in London to the rest of the world. She is an activist of note that fights and defend human rights in all sphere of life.

It was a great pleasure for me to have met her at the Info-activism Camp in Bangalore India, where we became friends. She share with us her view on Niger Delta crisis, the resuscitation of the indence bill proposition and LGTBI rights.....

What is your view about Niger Delta crisis?

It is an act of war by the Nigerian "military" government against the Nigerian people. This attack is the latest in a series of systematic attacks against Nigerians of the Niger Delta which has been on going for the past 20 years from Babaginda, Abacha, Obasanjo and now this pathetic individual who calls himself President when in fact he was never even elected - unless you call rigging an election a legal process. What is unfortunate is the failure by the weak Niger Delta states leadership - Senators, representatives, governors, traditional rulers - to come out and condemn these acts of violence against ordinary people and their land and property. The other unfortunate aspect of this is the focus on MEND and other militants by the Nigerian media and public. This focus is what the Nigerian government want people to do instead of focusing on the brutality of a government attacking its own people over and over again. As for the militants they themselves represent a step in a long process of resistance and struggle which due to the violence of the Nigerian state has now led to the growth of the militant movement. Personally I believe that resistance and struggle should be a non-violent process - the militarisation of the issue of the ND is not the answer.

Do you think the government has done enough to end the crisis and bring about peace?

No, the Government and their puppets (see above) are the ones causing the crisis. People want schools, hospitals, roads, electricity - whether in the ND or elsewhere. People know that it is the oil from their land that has fed the country for 50 years - built Lagos, built Abuja - but they have received nothing. The ND leaders are also guilty of corruption and betraying the people - always ready to be bought off by the Federal government.

Do you think the militants are representing the people of Niger Delta or are they fighting for their own personal gain?

Yes, I do think the militants represent the ordinary people of the ND. Where they fail is they do not appear to have any idea of what they would do if they did have control of the region. How would they govern? What is their endgame? They do not appear to have a political wing which has some idea of what kind of social, political and economic organisation they would put in place. This is not the way to conduct a struggle.

What do you feel will help in resolving the Niger Delta crisis?

The struggle in the ND is applicable to all Nigerians. We are all affected and involved in one way or the other. It is not a question of ethnicity but of governance ie corruption, mismanagement but most of all GREED! If all Nigerians collectively chose to protest against all of these and refused to accept thieving leaders then the ND issue would be solved because then the region and the rest of the country would be developed as it should have been. there is no economic reason for Nigeria to be poor and to lack decent roads, hospitals, schools, electricity and water - no need at all.

As a human rights and feminist Activist, do you think the Nigeria government is reasonable about the denial of the existence of gays and lesbians in Nigeria?

No, I think they are ridiculous along with the religious hypocrites of all types. Everyone knows LGBT people exist and have always been part of Nigeria since time. Nigeria is no different from anywhere else. They can deny all they want but that will not change the fact that LGBT not only exist but exist amongst the government itself!

Is it a wrong thing for any individual to have sexual preference and do you think LGBQT are western ideas?

No, I dont, it is not wrong for two consenting adults to love each other and want to build a life together. It is not the end of the human race because not everyone is LGBT and never will be. I have heard men condemn sodomy between men - yet these same men commit sodomy with their wives! There is so much hypocrisy amongst Nigerians and the continent especially amongst religious people. In fact the more religious the more intolerant and less accepting of difference amongst people. These people are quite happy to take up a Western religion and worship god who is white with blond hair and then have the audacity to say that LGBT is unAfrican. How unAfrican are blond men?

Senator Ekaete is bringing forth the bill of indecent dressing in Nigeria, how do you think this will affect the fundamental human rights of the people?

Again this is borne out of a culture of religious intolerance and repression. The state, is not there to tell citizens how to dress and is a blatant violation of our individual and collective human rights. Who are they to dictate what is decent or not. Even if one goes back to tradition and 200 years ago - how many traditional atires dressed women in short wrapper and even are bare breasts or men with bare chests and arms? Rather than focus on these kind of repressive dictates rather they should be putting all their efforts into ending the real disgusting behaviour known as corruption and greed. People want to tell me how to dress yet they cannot even provide a decent clinic or electricity because they are busy stealing money - how stupid and ignorant is that?

What do you advise the concerns Nigerians to do in order to stop the passing of indecent dressing bill?

Petition the Senate - attend the sessions and present the case against it. Refuse to adhere to the dress codes - can they arrest everyone? No they cannot. What did the Black people in the southern US do when they were refused access to certain eating places etc. They refused! What is wrong that we cannot mobilize a campaign against this! So what we must all start walking about in long gowns covered from neck to our feet, because once they start they will not stop believe me - I cannot see people agreeing to this kind of nonsense.

With the 10 years of democracy in Nigeria, I am yet to see any great impact it has made, do you share this view with me, if yes, how can we improve in Nigeria?

Yes you are right. Democracy in Nigeria is a lie. We are no more democratic today than 20 years ago. In fact I still believe we live under a military government since it seems our leaders come from that group directly or indirectly and have the same mindset. Does anyone seriously believe Yar'Adua is running Nigeria. (I refuse to call him president because he was not elected. No one in my village had the opportunity to vote as the polling booth never opened and that was repeated in many places) I think I have answered this above but ultimately Standtall, it is the responsibility of Nigerian citizens to bring change. It will not come from the leadeship but from ordinary people and civil society.

Who is your role model and why is this person considered your role model?

To be honest I don't have an individual role model as such. What I do aspire to and the people I celebrate and honour are those human rights activists who have often put themselves literally in the line of fire and make a stand for what they believe in. Writers, poets and artists who use their creative talents to challenge injustice. They are everywhere and many are ordinary people whose names we may never know. These people are my role models, heroines and heroes. In Nigeria women such as Hauwa Ibrahim, Margaret Ekpo, Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti and of course Fela. Ken Saro-Wiwa and Adaka Boro {Ijaw activist of the 60s). My dear friend Victor Mukasa a human rights defender and LGBTI activist from Uganda, writers such as Aminata Sow and Mariama Ba of Senegal; Another good friend, South African lesbian activist and photograher, Zanele Muholi; The late great Sembene `Ousman - film maker and activist; young people who are free - free because they respect and honour their mothers through history and have the strenth to stand up against intolerance and ignorance like Dominican and South African rapper & poet - PlanBe; and finally ALL MY SONS are my heros too!