I wish to congratulate Dr. (Mrs.) Ngozi Okonjo Iweala for her service to the nation and for her resignation. Even though some of us find some of her economic and finance policies questionable, she had done well for Nigeria and being a good model for the young. When young people mention the good that is happening to Nigeria, they include her.
Her son, Uzodinma Iweala was right in his novel Beast of No Nation, wherein he describes the protagonist’s mother as “working to make the kitchen so clean that not even fruit fly is wanting to put egg inside.” At least Dr Okonjo-Iweala succeeded in largely frustrating the efforts of ‘internal’ fruit flies and locusts in thriving in her finance kitchen where Nigeria derives its food.
The narrative of her coming to serve in Abuja dovetails neatly into this folk story about a woman who rescued a dying snake from clubs and sticks and terrible blows. She pleaded for the snake, took it home, nursed it back to life, and took it for veterinary check ups. In the end the snake began biting the woman. While she was dying the woman cried: “why have you done this to me o snake? I saved you from death, I feed and protect you? Why this?” The snake replied thanking her for the meritorious service and added: “when you picked me up don’t you know I was a snake?”
The snake is an animal called man.
I was uncomfortable with that deal with Paris club because it expatriated so much of our "collective" wealth. In fact, I criticised it publicly. I was too naive. With hindsight and in the light of this executive recklessness, Dr Iweala did us and the generations to-be-born an evelasting favor. These clowns now have less to steal.
Our people should not expect much from Nenadi Usman (the junior minister that took over from our Dear. Dr. Iweala). Apart from being a part and parcel of the political establishment, she may not have the training, exposure, discipline, etc. that are needed for the task in the Ministry of Finance. I read somewhere that her degree is in Geography? In fact, Nigerians should not expect much from this "yeye" regime in its dying days (I doubt if it will die peacefully).
The question should be, who's next among the good people Dr Iweala left behind: Malam El-Rufai, Prof. Soludo, Nuhu Ribadu, my teacher Akunyili, the good man in Revenue Mobilization, the lady in Federal Inland Revenue and so many others.
The youth should realise that this is a battle for their future. They should ignore this power shift nonsense. We want good men and women. They can all come from Opobo. Soon Nigerians won't have anywhere to run to, not with the sweeping immigration changes going on in the western countries.
Now is the time. 2007 is the first battle. Rise my people !!!