Has Nigeria fully come of age to welcome a Nigerian president made in America?
As Nigeria and the world continue to watch in shock, speculating the minds of the Nigerian political elite, regardless of their party affiliation, other proactive citizens of the country in the diaspora have joined forces to crusade for change in the Nigerian political leadership.
The new voices echoed prominently on CNN and other top western media over the pat few weeks when Nigerian born Sam Okey Mbonu was honoured as one of the most accomplished Nigerians in the United States. The star-studded held on February 12, 2018 at the “Airforce One Boardroom at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Simi Valley, California, USA, featured Hollywood Stars, business executives, and professionals, including notable Los Angeles of Nigerian descent.
At the exquisitely pretigous event, he decried the depth at which Nigeria had descended, due to a leadership vacuum at the centre. He stated that in a globalised world, any failures in leadership in a large country like Nigeria, would be apparently glaring at the world stage.
Mbonu described the extreme poor economic and security situations in the country as unbearable and a rash embarrasment to Nigeria and Africa at large. According to Mbonu, it is beyond political will; it is more of capability on the part of the leadership. He said that most past and present leaders had actually tried their best to solve the problems facing Nigeria, but the reason they did not succeed is because they do not have the prerequite knowledge and technical know how to do beyond what they've done. They are not capable of moving Nigeria from the point where the country is now, to the vantage point in the economic map of the world or in the comity of nations.
Mbonu cited electricity as a perfect example of woeful failure on the part of all past leaders of Nigeria, saying it does not take rocket science to fix the energy sector and system, to ensure 24 hours power supply to the citizenry. He hinted that energy companies from America and Europe are on stand by to provide lasting solution to the problem of electricity in Nigeria when he is elected president. The issue of security, according to Mbonu would be a thing of the past, as Nigeria will be equiped with the best security system in the world for safety of lives and property and also attract foreign direct investment (FDI) and tourism revenue into the country. The third important point and focus of his government if elected into power is water.
Mbonu is co-founder of the Washington-based Nigeria and Africa focused Think-Tank, the Nigerian-American Leadership Council (NAL Council). He also served a political appointment as Commissioner for Housing & Community Development in the state of Maryland, USA. He is a Washington DC Policy Advisor, Consultant, and Media Analyst, who provides strategic advisory to US institutions; including the US Congress, Organization of American States, various US institutions, and the media; on Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa matters.
From the vantage point of a Diaspora professional with expertise and experience in public service, Mbonu reveals that the Nigerian Diaspora population pumps in over 25 billion dollars into Nigeria annualy as “Diaspora Foreign Aide (DFA)”, in addition to facilitating “Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)” of upwards of 90 billion dollars to Nigeria annually.
Majority of Nigerians living abroad are of the school of thought that the old breed of political leaders should give way for the newer generations, especially those without baggages of affiliations with the former or present generation of political elite, in order to remedy the ugly situation in the country.
