A former Nigerian permanent representative to The United Nations, Dr Martin Uhomoibhi, has said that Nigerians leaving the country or seeking to do so in pursuit of greener pastures are running away from responsibility,
Uhomoibhi, who spoke at the first annual convention of the Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria (OSAN) at the weekend in Abuja, said only Nigerians would develop the country.
The diplomat was the guest speaker at the event where he urged Nigerians to rather get involved in the democratic system, make their voices heard and get the positive change they desire.
“Escaping from the country is your choice. But it is wrong to say that the grass is greener outside. You are accusing God, because I know from experience that there is no country more blessed than Nigeria. But when you are not taking responsibility for your own failure, you are passing the buck and that is what you do when you have japa syndrome. You are blaming others. What have you done in your own little corner and that is ultimately what determines the trajectory of the nation’s growth,” said.
Uhomoibhi observed that Nigeria’s problem is spiritual, but it needs conscious efforts by the citizenry to get better.
“I have expressed that Nigeria is at the crossroads economically, politically and socially. Indeed, some will even say that we are facing an existential threat. In my encounters everywhere, I have never shied away from saying that the problem that faces Nigeria – the contest that goes on in Nigeria – is not canal, it is spiritual. The challenge of Nigeria is not canal; it is spiritual.
“From my field experience, I know that the battle that we fight is not a canal one, it is spiritual. The confrontation is between light and darkness. Talking from an empirical experience – one who has held offices and still, perhaps, holding one or two, I know that if you are not strong spiritually and if you do not value the privilege that God has blessed you with, of being who you are, there are consequences. That Nigeria, my country, still exists today is a shock to many people. Shocking! Plan A failed. Plan B is failing. Plan C will fail. Nigeria is an enigma. Nigeria has remained strong. Nigeria is not in the hands of anybody. The destiny of Nigeria is not in the hands of whoever, it is in the hands of Him and us. All we need is to work with Him to preserve the entity and unity of Nigeria. The problem of Nigeria is not God, the problem of Nigeria is Nigerians.
“The day that Nigerians decide and agree that this potential that is locked and bound in this country must be actualised and become reality, the work is done. Americans built America. Britons built Britain. Who will build Nigeria? Nigerians must build Nigeria. Would there be a South Africa today without Mandela? Mandela was in jail for 27 years. That was how South Africa became free. Would there be Rwanda today without Paul Kagame? No. Where are our Mandelas? Where are our Kagames in the Nigerian space? They are there but they are hiding. They are in their bedrooms lamenting and wailing; some are actually also praying. If you choose not to allow yourself to be used by God, or you made wrong choices, how can you blame God for that? You can pray from now till next year, but God will say ‘I have done my bit, where is your part?’ There is a problem of leadership, there is also a problem of followership. There are inconsistencies and contradictions in our constitutional framework. The judicial space is in a deplorable condition at this time, and the democratic process is challenged.
“In the middle of the problems our dear country is facing, do we fold our arms and wait, vegetate and die? The answer is obvious. No! Therefore, Old Seminarians Association of Nigeria (OSAN), which boasts of professionals of integrity who have respect for diversity having been properly groomed by the Roman Catholic Church in our formative years, must build a vocal fraternity to strengthen our nation that is floundering between the dark and the deep.”
He urged Nigerians to ensure they vote and protect their votes in next year’s election.
The president of OSAN, Chinedu Akwabueze, said the theme of the first convention encapsulates what birthed OSAN in the first instance.
Akabueze, who is also the clerk of the Senate, said it was such fraternal love and brotherhood that has been lacking in the larger Nigerian society.
“The diversities of our ethnic heritages and religious inclinations have not been exploited as sources of strength; rather they are being manipulated as vehicles for division and undue rivalries. However, given the peculiarities of our seminary background, the OSAN rank and file is made up of God fearing personalities poised to bear on the Nigerian society the traditions of excellence and unalloyed commitment to the common good of our people,” he said.
He said OSAN was contributing meaningfully to the economy and the political space.
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