Mr. President Sir, Silicon Valley is not a name of a Place By Justice Christopher. August, 22 2013. “…the Nigerian government itself announced a $1 billion fund to nurture the local software industry, which officials think can ultimately capture $20 billion a year from rivals like India, the magazine…” Vanguard News (This morning). Reading these kinds of reports in the pages of papers worries me greatly to say the least, I am often left exasperated after reading such and thoughts like: “What the hell is wrong with these guys? Who are their advisers, how long will the hapless masses be drained to satisfy greed of these lazy hoodlums in the corridors of power. To say that we are led as a country by the intellectually and mentally handicapped is to state the obvious. How will a government invest money to nurture and industry like the software industry at the time they find it difficult to invest less the said amount education? How much did American government invest in Silicon Valley in the hay day of the multi-billion dollar industry that today generates more than half the entire income of United States? An Industry that practically gave the United States the image she has today as leaders and fore runners in hi-tech? Silicon Valley, house is the base and headquarters of nearly every hi-tech company you can think of, with the exception of Bill Gate’s Microsoft Inc. which for some sentimental reasons the founders retained its Seattle’s roots, other than that, every other Hi-tech company with global relevance has its roots from Silicon Valley. Name it; from yahoo to google, from Steve Job’s Apple Inc. to Michael Dell’s Dell Inc. Hewlett’s Hp Inc. Naspster Inc.IBM, with the exception of Nokia and Techno, the rest major mobile phone companies, HTC, Motorolla, Samsung, all are ideas nurtured and bred in the Silicon Valley. Silicon Valley was not built with Govt. funds nor was it a govt. initiative. Silicon Valley is a constant reminder of what happens when Business is done on the basics of ideals and the Philosophy of commerce; Silicon Valley is the trophy and moral justification of the principles of capitalism. The principles, the basis of which is: “Let the best excel” Silicon Valley was Built from scratch by youths at the back drop of functioning democracy and capitalism, Silicon Valley exist today as an offshoot of Stanford University and over time, the staggering inputs of other universities. I know our leaders lack the capacity and patience to sit through a book, but can someone suggest to them books Like: “The World is Flat by Thomas L. Freidman” “Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell” “Break out Nations-In search for Miracle Economy by Ruchai Shermer” and someone please Advise them You don’t invest in an industry to build softwares, you create an enabling environment and put the necessary economic life lines in place, at ICT industry will blossom. In the year 2002, Russian President invited C.E.Os of top Silicon Valley firms to his Presidential Palace, the reason he invited them as he told them was to ask them how much it will cost to Build a hi-tech city like the Silicon Valley in Russia and to replicate the economic, industrial and the technological success of the Silicon Valley in Russia, mind you the meeting was attended by representatives of the C.E.Os. None of the C.E.Os came for the meeting, obviously occupied with important Business. After a protracted silence that first greeted the President’s Proposal a young IBM executive answered the president and his exact words are: “Mr. President Sir; Thank you for this great honour of hosting us and for your good Business intentions for the people of Russia. But Mr. President Sir, Silicon Valley is not the name of a place...” and that answer concluded the meeting. There was a time in the eventful history of the most fascinating economic hub of the world today, The Silicon Valley the cost of running a hi-tech company becomes increasingly expensive, as I noted in my book ‘To the African child-Beating the odds’ Major corporations from the Silicon Valley shifted their production base to India while retaining the intellectual and operational base in the Silicon Valley, and I asked a question; why not Africa? We were told by historians, that the blacks were known and famous for our labour strength, the reason why slave traders from the west exploited Africa, now it is time for cheaper Labour; why take the jobs to India, why not Nigeria, or Ghana? That speaks a lot about our ideology and our system as a people. Today, India is a tech hob, and instead of our leaders to understudy India and probably the senior partner, the Silicon Valley they are busy devising another means to sink public funds into their private accounts. At least they should respect the fact that despite their deliberate mess in our educational sector, that there are still those of us, who albeit without Harvard degrees still retain the power of common reasoning. “Silicon Valley is not a name of Place” Surely, Nigeria is and should be a case in point for would be nations that corruption is more expensive than honest leadership in the long run, that it’s a tragic run If the intellectually capable and the morally upright, abandon the responsibility of politics for those with lesser Intellectual prowess and moral poise. Because years after years, hence and generations after generations will continue to pay for such fatal error long after their fathers are gone and at that time it becomes almost impossible to change the statuesque should the future children so wish to. Often the courage to do so have been snuffed out by the society in the heart of any child before it can even bud. Silicon Valley is a name of an idea, not a name of a place
Posted on: Fri, 23 Aug 2013 10:12:43 +0000
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