I want to celebrate 2 Nigerians today; 1st Minister of State for health Muhammed Pate. Why? He resigned!!! If you’re not a Nigerian you might not appreciate what it means for a Nigerian to resign a political office. I don’t know who is or where he’s coming from (or what He will do tomorrow for that matter) but I know that today He resigned as a minister in Nigeria to take of a Professorial Chair in Duke’s university and to work as a Senior Adviser to the Gates foundation ( He will be participate in a university-wide Africa initiative). I don’t know what He will be paid or what his terms of contract will look like but I once read in the papers that a Nigerian minister has up to 17 cars!!! In his/her convoy 17!!!. I doubt if the university or an NGO will give him 17 cars. I salute his family and friends who did not tell him ‘his enemies have caught up with him’ for resigning a political post in Nigeria. He gives me hope. The second Nigerian I want to celebrate is YOU. Yes you that blogged, tweeted and signed petitions on the ChildnotBride matter. Since I am currently in the ‘diaspora’ and more because as a father of 2 girls (expecting 1 to be a rocket scientist and the other to end up in the parliament of France). I saw it as depressing news I couldn’t do anything about and just tried to block it out. But Nigerians spoke (from celebrities; Stella Damasus, to Churches –Daystar and Justice Mariam Aloma- who offered the much needed legal, balanced perspective devoid of sentiment) The result; denials came fast and furious, one Senator even resorted to crying (crocodile tears or not) whatever the case, for once the message was clear, We are more than they are and the power to change things is with the people. Now the Senate is desperately trying to explain itself and they WILL reverse themselves. By the way, It tells me something too, we are not YET tired of corruption. We all still participate and have accepted it as a way of life. When we are TRULY TIRED , We will make another ChildnotBride type campaign against corruption. It will take longer and will cost a lot more, but it can and must be done. In the meanwhile, I will be comforted to know that there are still some values in our society. We can still see the immense value and potential our girls hold. To my mind, they represent Nigeria’s future or better put; any chance the country has at having a future.
Posted on: Fri, 26 Jul 2013 20:20:03 +0000
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