Positive news from Nigeria

Many Nigerians in the Diaspora closely monitor what is happening in their homeland. And they are worried about the daily negative news that stream across the internet concerning Nigeria. Recently, the negative stories about the country have not only inundated the social media and consequently have heightened the fear of the expats visiting Nigeria, but also caused some to cancel their travel plans.
With incessant negativity and horror stories coming out of Nigeria, which have cascaded on nuggets of positive aspects of the nation to obscurity, one needed to find solace in something good. Unfortunately, the phenomenon has an alarming proclivity to obscure the plethora of positive things happening in the country. So, tired of the negative news from Nigeria, I asked some Nigerian expats currently in Nigeria or have recently returned from the country to share with us their positive experience in Nigeria.
Despite the fact that Nigeria is under siege, unreported good things are happening in the country. Prof. Charles Mambula who recently returned from Nigeria after about five weeks of stay there was elated about his experience. He was amazingly impressed with a particular public worker whom he found stunningly scrupulous. Prof. Mambula told me about Hon. Mohammed Bello, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, whom he rained effusive praises on. According to Mambula, Hon. Bello has been discharging his responsibilities as a minister without reproach. He carries out his duty based on the letter and spirit of his job description, as well as law. Prof. Mambula said, “Mohammed Bello, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, follows the rules and apply them fairly without regard to one’s status or position in government.” “He lives a simple life without focusing on accumulation of wealth,” Mambula stated with excitement adding, “I wish other people in government could be like Bello.”
Prince Engr. Charles Nebe, currently in Nigeria expressed the benevolence of the populace. He shared, “I notice the act of kindness everywhere I go; someone can go out of his or her way to help you.” “Whether you are looking for a direction, someone is ready to leave everything they are doing to direct you,” Nebe stated.
Nebe continued, “Nigerian are resilient people; they are strong people, who work hard regardless of the condition of things.” He said, “Take for example the hawkers, these people amaze me because they carry goods all day, may or may not sale much, but they get up the following day and do it all over again.” “Nigerian people don’t give up; unlike in the US, no one can do that sort of thing for a living,” Nebe voiced.
Prince Nebe further stated, “I am particularly impressed with business opportunities in Nigeria where private businesses are doing very well.” “For instance, in densely populated Lagos, there are lots of business opportunities there—the important thing is to identify the correct market; but supermarket is one area that does very well in Nigeria,” he shared.
“In fact, everywhere I turn, there’s a business opportunity, that I see. I see what many Nigerians don’t see. Maybe because having lived in the US for so long, I am sort of looking in,” Prince Nebe concluded.
Dr. Richard Nwachukwu who returned to the United States after an extended stay in Nigeria said, “I was in Nigeria from April to June 2017. I spent most of my stay in the Village (Umuduru Igwemadu, Amiri). I did not have any security police. The place was calm. No armed robbery or kidnapping in my area of Imo State during the period. The governor [Gov. Rochas Okorocha] is developing Owerri, the Imo State capital rapidly, especially on the construction of new roads. I wish he could do the same in other zones like Orlu and Okigwe. My town Amiri in Orlu Zone has no good road.”
Indeed, horror stories ranging from deadly armed robberies, heartless kidnappings to terrorist activities of Boko Haram abound on a daily basis. The increasing heinous carnage caused by the activities of Boko Haram is making matters worse. Sadly, the incessant brazen killing activities of Boko Haram have definitely shaped an ample revulsion of public feeling.
There were recent newspaper reports that said Boko Haram, a terrorist group, massacred “14 people and another 17 in fishing islands of Duguri and Dabar Wanzam” respectively.
Similarly, it was reported in the Nigerian dailies on August 2, 2017, that Boko Haram killed about seven people in its attack on Wednesday morning in one community in Adamawa State. Another report stated that the same day Boko Haram killed and decapitated the bodies of three loggers in a village in Bornu State.
BBC reported on July 28, 2017 that more than 40 people died, including “five members of an oil exploration team,” during an operation to rescue people adducted by Boko Haram. BBC further stated, “At least 20,000 people have been killed and thousands more abducted since Boko Haram launched its insurgency in the city of Maiduguri, North-East Nigeria, in 2009.”
Kidnappers roam around the nation unabated. Some six young children, Pelumi Philips, Farouq Yusuf, Isiaq Rahmon, Adebayo George, Judah Agbausi and Peter Jonah of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe were abducted and later “rescued from Aboto Creek, Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State,” per NAN account. The agony of the parents during the period of captivity could be better imagined.
A few days ago, we received the news about the heinous church massacre at St. Philip’s Catholic Church, Ugwu Oye in Ozubulu in Ekwusigo local government area of Anambra State on Sunday, August 6, 2017 that claimed 11 or more lives and injuring scores of other individuals.