2017 YALI AND THE NONCHALANCE OF NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT



By Abdulahi

2017 YALI AND THE NONCHALANCE OF NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT

BY ABDULLAHI O HARUNA Haruspice

For 50 days, 101 young Nigerians were held 'captive' by the United States Department of State under the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) - a flagship program designed for the US's global leadership drive in Africa.

These young Nigerians drawn from different areas of expertise joined other young Africans in the US where they were honed in Business and Entrepreneurship, Civic Leadership and Public Management tracks.

While in the US, these young spirited Nigerians, who were motivated by sheer zeal,
displayed unalloyed patriotism by flagging the Nigerian flag in dignity and candour. The youths seized every opportunity to sell the Nigerian brand. They employed every opportunity to demystify various erroneous perceptions about the country. It was so much a beautiful outing as almost all the Nigerian delegates became resounding references in their host institutions. No single uneventful and embarrassing reference was linked to any Nigerian YALI representative.

Something intriguing however happened that left sour taste in my patriotic zeal. For 50 days
that we sojourned in the open embrace of the United States of America, not for once did the
Nigeria government flinch on our whereabout! 101 youths left the shore of Nigeria and no one cared? This actually transcends to show how much premium we give to our human resources. This manifestation has shown that the government is not particularly in charge of her citizens. Citizens can disappear at will and life would go on. This is a big shock to me actually.

This is a national tragedy and open sore in my consciousness. What happened to the National
Orientation Agency? Where was the Information and Culture Ministry? What about the Foreign Affairs Ministry, let's even ask of the DSS?

How could a hundred and one young Nigerians leave the shore of the country and the government kept mute like citizen's lives matter not? Has our national ethos reduced to such a level that everyone now lives in
isolation of the government?

The good news is that we are not deterred by the inaction of our government but have resolved with full submissions to change the narrative of governance. We are here as the ideal voice of what a real system should be. We have pledged to make the tools of good governance our creed, and this we shall surely abide by.
Non challantly musing

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

#Ibadan: 17 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT IBADAN

Image
17 INTERESTING FACTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT IBADAN   Ibadan was created in 1829 as a war camp for warriors coming from Oyo, Ife and Ijebu. A forest site and several ranges of hills, varying in elevation from 160 to 275 metres, offered strategic defence opportunities.  Ibadan is the largest indigenous city in West Africa and is located in the South Western part of Oyo State of Nigeria. It is the capital city of Oyo State and is located about 145 km north-east of Lagos, the commercial capital of Nigeria. Its population of 2,550,593 according to 2006 census results, includes 11 local government areas. The population of central Ibadan, including five LGAs, is 1,338,659 according to census results for 2006, covering an area of 128 km².  Ayomide Akinbode returns with some interesting facts about modern day, Ibadan: 1.  Ibadan is a city built on seven hills. Ibadan (Yoruba: Ìbàdàn or fully Ìlú Ẹ̀bá-Ọ̀dàn, the town at the junction of the savannah an...
Read more

TOP 10 FACTS ABOUT THE IBIBIO PEOPLE IN NIGERIA

Image
TOP 10 FACTS ABOUT THE IBIBIO PEOPLE IN NIGERIA The Ibibio are a people of southeastern Nigeria. They are related to the Anaang, the Efik and Igbo peoples. During colonial period in Nigeria, the Ibibio Union asked for recognition by the British as a sovereign nation (Noah, 1988). The Annang, Efik, Ekid, Oron and Ibeno share personal names, culture, and traditions with the Ibibio, and speak closely related varieties of Ibibio-Efik… #1 Position in Nigeria They are regarded as the most ancient of all tribes in Nigeria. Robert McKeon believes that the Ibibio are the indigenous native tribe from which other small tribes like Qua Ibom and Calabar descended from. After Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo they are considered as the 4 th largest tribe in Nigeria. #2 The Fattening Room This is an ancient practice in Calabar and among the Ibibio people even though it is gradually becoming extinct. It is a place where young women are prepared for womanhood. It used to be regarded as a...
Read more

80 FACTS ABOUT THE GREAT BENIN KINGDOM

Image
80 FACTS ABOUT THE GREAT BENIN KINGDOM DO YOU KNOW THAT? The Oldest Surviving Kingdom in the World is Great Benin Kingdom and is 2054 years Old. The Ogiso dynasty lasted for about 854 years plus an interregnum of 285 years between the reign of Ogiso Orire and Ogiso Odia, there was an interregnum of 70 years between Ogiso Owodo and Oba Oranmiyan plus 845 years of Oba ruler-ship till date. 1. The First Storey Building in Nigeria was built at Ughoton by the Dutch in the year 1718, and it was called “The Factory”. The said building was destroyed by the British during the war against the Benins in 1897. The site of the building is still intact. 2. The Oldest Church in West-Africa was established in Great Benin Empire by the Earliest Portuguese missionaries in the 16th Century which is today known as the Holy Aruosa (Benin National Church). Pope Pius XII visited Benin and handed the church to the Oba of Benin, Oba Oreoghene in 1692AD. 3. The first Known Embassy Established in ...
Read more