Tourists in China

By Joseph Edgar . . .

Two sets of Nigerian tourists appeared in China recently. The group led by our lovable president and the other led by our ‘joker’ Fayose. This article will concentrate on the first one because this is a serious blog and will lean heavily on the report sent in by Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina

As they traversed the vast territory, he kept sending us reports which to say the least exposed his naivety especially with his apparent amazement at the state of discipline and beauty that was evolving in front of him. His almost childlike innocence and fascination with all China was offering became a source of worry for me.

For as he wrote he kept asking and wondering why we could not be like this. Why couldn’t Nigerians be this disciplined, this neat and went ahead to express his sadness at the way Nigerians reacted to the ‘war against Indiscipline’ that his principal had fostered on us in his first coming.

In his memoir, he dragged his principal into his revelry. Telling us how he was wondering just how beautiful the place was and orderly. He stated that orderliness was the basis for development and urban renewal amongst others.

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So my question is, did they really believe that all that is beautiful in China dropped on the laps of the Chinese without forging on themselves true and visionary leadership. Did the Chinese on their own volition as a people without appropriate guidance and innovative leadership just woke up one morning and achieved all that they have achieved?

You see our problems. When our leaders are bemused by such achievements and in their revelry fail to realize that all they are seeing was as a result of competent leadership. The contempt and arrogance these set deal with ordinary Nigerians was very apparent in these reports. They looked down on us as they flew over China on our taxpayers sweat looking down on us from the Chinese skies with disdain and disbelieve that people like us truly exist in the world.

We are really in trouble. This trip and indeed this report did not show in any way that we have visionary people steering the wheels of this country. I would have expected a comparison or at best a drive to replicate what as being seen instead of a ‘wish’ that Nigerians could be like this. Travel is usually the best teacher because it exposes you to other cultures and civilizations giving you a basis for comparison or a guide as you move towards empowering and bettering your people.

All hope is not lost though, this is just the first year of a four year tenor, let’s hope and believe that the experience of Saul in the Bible would hit our leaders, suddenly opening their eyes to the reality of the expectations on their shoulders. So the tourists in China I say welcome home, the journey has just begun.

 

 

 

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