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Recession does not
happen by accident!
Culled from Ify Nne Junior Adenuga's wall
December 01, 2016
"Abuja is probabaly the worst-hit of Nigerian cities by this
recession.
It is only understandable: Abuja works at
nothing but revels in wanton opulence, fed strictly from
pens adding zeroes behind a whole number. Its buildings are
populated with straw companies gliding on patronage and
privilege, not rights, merit and productivity.
Most
of its inhabitants are currently in what seems a state of
disbelief, if not shock. My son and I walked lazily to
Sheraton two Saturdays ago and from the gate you got a
surprise: no line of traffic! The lounge was empty as the
car park was vacant. We sat in surprise at the little
corners of decay creeping on the lounge, part of which was
even poorly lit. Of course, even Maitama and Asokoro are
wrapped in thick darkness these days at 8pm if grid power
fails. I was surprised at the Black silence I met in these
desolate palaces.
Everywhere signs hang on homes and
high-rise office buildings begging for tenants. I called a
number on one and the voice that answered said it was for
sale: 3.6billion, seven-story building with a footprint of
about 250sqm. "I see".
There is good hiding in evil
and sometimes you don't even have to look too deeply to see
it. Too many wealth in Nigeria is strictly in figures
without any underlying source or feeder spring. If you got
your money through work and creativity; if they put you in a
desert, you will still replicate the feat.
What is
called a recession in regular economics is but a
dethronement of false money, the overthrow of pretenders and
wealth built with the tip of a pen so that reality and
productivity can take over. It is an inevitable passage if
nature is correctly programmed. In a hilarious circle I was
told about a typical Abuja moneybag whose fortune has now
turned around. He was in money - and you know what I mean.
In height of his affluence he collected two more wives to
make a total of three.
But the noose had been
getting tighter and, all streams gone dry, he applied for a
loan from a bank. Not so well exposed to the hazard of
seeking credit from Nigerian banks, he was exceedingly
positive he will soon be credited and so went with gusto to
the manager's office on an appointed day to get the final
answer on his application. When he was told that he had been
turned down, he lost control of himself so completely that
he pooped on himself right there in the bank.
He was
helped into the bathroom and offered a ton of tissues and
when he had become manageable, they led him into a taxi and
gave him a thousand naira to the bank's happy ending of the
personal tragedy.
The story teaches us that wealth
without foundation will end in sudden failure. It is not
only Abuja or the typical, overweight Nigerian big man,
Nigeria itself is a victim of lazy wealth: oil is not a
result of hard work or creativity. We don't even as much as
have local capacity to drill the oil!
If we don't
build our economy by adding value through processing and
developing our human resources, we won't end up much better
than that poor individual you just laughed at." John
My view:
It is time to start building real and
sustainable wealth, enough of what used to be...The
difference between the poor and rich nations is not the age
of the Nation.
This can be demonstrated by countries
like India and Egypt, which are more than 2000 years old
and are still poor countries.
On the other hand,
Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which 150 years back were
insignificant, today are developed and rich countries.
The difference between the poor and rich nation does not
also depend on the available natural resources.
Japan
has limited territory, 80% mountainous, unsuitable for
agriculture or farming, but is the second in worlds economy.
The country is like an immense floating factory, importing
raw material from the whole world and exporting manufactured
products.
Second example is Switzerland, it does not
grow cocoa but produces the best chocolates in the world. In
her small territory she rears animals and cultivates the
land only for four month in a year, nevertheless
manufactures the best milk products. A small country which
is an image of security which has made it the strongest
world bank.
Executives from rich countries who
interact with their counterparts from poor countries show no
significant intellectual differences.
The racial or
colour factors also do not evince importance: migrants heavy
in laziness in their country of origin are forcefully
productive in rich European countries.
What then is
the difference?
The difference is the attitude of the
people, moulded for many years by education and culture.
When we analyse the conduct of the people from the rich
and developed countries, it is observed that a majority
abide by the following principles of life:
1. Ethics,
as basic principles. 2. Integrity. 3. Responsibility.
4. The respect for Laws and Regulations. 5. The respect
from majority of citizens by right. 6. The love for work.
7. The effort to save and invest. 8. The will to be
productive. 9. Punctuality.
In the poor countries
a small minority follow these basic principles in their
daily life.
We are not poor because we lack natural
resources or because nature was cruel towards us.
We
are poor because we lack attitude. We lack the will to
follow and teach these principles of working of rich and
developed societies.
WE ARE IN THIS STATE BECAUSE
WE WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OVER EVRYTHING AND EVERYONE.
WE ARE IN THIS STATE BECAUSE WE SEE SOMETHING DONE
WRONG AND SAY - “LET IT BE” WE SHOULD HAVE A SPIRITED
MEMORY AND ATTITUDE…
ONLY THEN WILL WE BE ABLE TO
CHANGE OUR PRESENT STATE.
If you do not forward this
message nothing is going to happen to you. Your prized
animal is not going to die, you wont be sacked from your
job, you wont be having bad luck for seven years, nor are
you going to get sick.
But, if you love your COUNTRY
Try and circulate this message so that as many
peop[truncated by WhatsApp]
Culled from Ify Nne
Junior Adenuga's wall
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Trump and College Chaos
Commentary, Nov 30, Ghanadot - If one needed more
evidence of the steep decay in academia,
Donald Trump's victory provided it.
Let's begin by examining the responses
to his win, not only among our
wet-behind-the-ears college students,
many of whom act like kindergarteners,
but also among college professors and
administrators..
.More
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Charlotte
Osei must be impeached – Martin Amidu
Ghanaweb. Nov 16, Ghanadot - Anti-corruption
campaigner, Martin Amidu, has called for the
impeachment of the Chairperson of Ghana’s
Electoral Commission, Charlotte Osei after the
December polls. ............More
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&n |
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OCCUPYGHANA® WARNS SSNIT AGAINST
FUNDING NEW WOYOME DEAL
Commentary, Nov 29, Ghanadot - There is
no obligation on Government to take that
undefined 24% stake. Yet, this was now being
packaged almost as a done-deal, and being
foisted on SSNIT.
.....More |
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An open letter to the African
electorate – Ade Sawyerr
Commentary, Nov 29, Ghanadot - The power to effect
political change in Africa has always
rested in the hands of the African
people. How this power has been used in
the past has been based on the African
view of democracy. Several leaders in
Africa, who led their countries into
independence, failed to deliver economic
freedom, other have even been found to
be corrupt and oppressive and yet others
have stayed on in power
......More
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