Professor Dora Akunyili, Free Speech And Naija
26 November 2010By Suleman Dankano
dan2kano@yahoo.com
There is no doubt that Professor Dora Akunyili is a
woman most to be adored, and rightly so because of her
unparalleled achievements as a pharmacist. This is due
to the way she brought sanity into the drug
manufacturing industry Nigeria when serving as
Director-General of NAFDAC. She earned the respect of
many, both at home and abroad and this could be
attested by the number of awards she has bagged at the
national and international levels. It was this great
performance that earned her the portfolio of a full
cabinet minister in both the Yar'Adu'a and Jonathan
governments. I have great admiration for this lady,
especially because of the role she played during the
dark days of Nigeria when Mrs. Turai Yar'Adu'a,
Michael Aondokaa, then Attorney-General of the
Federation and other enemies of Nigeria held the
country to ransom while then President Umaru Yar'Adua
lied comatose both in Saudi Arabia and Nigeria.
Against all odds and out of a sense of patriotism, she
stuck out her neck to be slaughtered by her colleagues
at the Federal Executive Council to call on them to
declare Yar'Adu'a unfit to rule. One can recall all
the insults hauled at her by those who were more
interested in stealing the wealth of Nigeria than
serving the nation. All, but professor Akunyili felt
that the loyalty was to the late president and not
Nigeria. They called her a betrayal and ingrate for
daring to ask them to do was ethically and judicially
right. She stuck to her guns and ignored all such
calls. One can even recall that Senator Kanti Bello of
Katsina state had the audacity to oppose her
confirmation at the Senate simply because she asked
the FEC to perform its duty. After all was done and
said, she was confirm minister and returned to the
Ministry of Information. This single action by her
made her to join the ranks of Humphrey Nwosu, during
the dark days of the Babangida era of June 12 and Ken
Nnamani during the equally dark days of Obasanjo's
Third Term bid. After Professor Akunyili's bolded, I
said to my friends, the Igbos have saved Nigeria once
more. I said at that time that the Igbos were the most
patriotic Nigerians judging by what this trio did to
save Nigeria.
There can be no gainsaying that Professor Dora
Akunyili has been a round peg in a square hole at the
Ministry of Information. Right from her first
appointment Minister of Information, it was clear that
she was given a job she was not wired or prepared for.
Just like during Obasanjo's first term when he
appointed a medical doctor as his Chief Press
Secretary, it was clear that the best job for this
lady was the Ministry of Health, where as a
professional pharmacist, she would have performed
credibly. Again, whether true or false, it was rumored
that Obasanjo forced his candidate both on Yar'Adua
and Jonathan at the Ministry of Health.
Self-aggrandizement rather than a sense of nationalism
pushed Professor Akunyili to accept a job she was not
trained or prepared for. Against every good advice and
sense of reason Professor Akunyili chose to serve as
Minister of Information just to hang in there.
Since this lady took the reins of the Ministry of
Information, she has literally been unable to do
anything tangible there. She is idle, bored and lacks
a sense of direction on how to be the Chief
Information Officer of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria. She has been a noise maker rather than a
performer. When she came in, she started a project
known as "Rebranding Nigeria." While propagating this
clueless and unusual project, she called Nigeria a
"Brand." Wow, a brand? She emphatically described
Nigeria as a brand just like any brand name. At first,
I asked myself, "Does the learned professor really
know what a brand is? Does she really understand the
difference between a people, a culture and a
commodity?" Then I thought to myself, "May be because
she is pharmacist and is used to drug brands, this is
why she couldn't differentiate between a culture and
commodity, a people and a thing." Again, I thought to
myself, could it be that her handlers don't also
understand the difference between a thing and a
person, a proper noun and a common noun, or, is she
rejecting good advice, insisting that she would say
whatever comes out of her mouth? I will leave the
whole question of rebranding for another article but I
see the whole idea as a hoax, a waste of resources and
a misplacement of priorities. This woman is bored, is
clueless about the real problems facing Nigeria is
just making a living out of her office.
This article focuses on Professor Akunyili's recent
outburst on the use of the word Naija. I totally
understand Akunyili's ignorance here because I was
once caught in this ignorance. When I first went to
the United States in 1993, I was appalled by Nigerians
who were referring to Nigeria as Naija. I opposed as
many as I could, and described them as unpatriotic.
When attending any Nigerian function, I made it a
point of duty to try to tell Nigerians that the word
Naija was pejorative. Then suddenly, I began to study
jingles in my anthropology class and why peoples call
their countries certain names. I discovered that the
Americans called themselves Yankees, the Australians
call themselves, the Aussies or Kangaroos and the
British call themselves, the Britts. I then asked
myself, so what is the problem Nigerians calling
Nigeria Naija? Why should anyone take issues with a
name? I joined the club and felt a sense of belonging;
that this is something we can really call ours. The
Americans burn their flag in protest of what their
government does as part of free speech and Nigerian
should do the same without fear or contradiction.
Nigerians can the country whatever name they want as
part of free speech and no one should second guess
their patriotism. What the minister is doing is trying
to regulate free speech, something that is enshrined
in our constitution.
Various governments have tried and failed to find a
rallying point for Nigerians. Other than a football
march between Nigeria and another country, which stops
us from killing each other but continue to so right
after the match, nothing unites Nigerians. Governments
have tried programs such as War Against Indiscipline (WAI),
by the Buhari regime, MAMSER by the Babangida regime,
NOA by the Obasanjo regime and none of these have made
Nigerians more patriotic. Gowon tried the NYSC as a
means to unite the country, but we all know what the
NYSC has turned into. Prof. Akunyili herself has been
promoting this ruse called rebranding and has not been
able to reach Nigerians, why is she against something
Nigerians, especially the younger generation have
developed that now makes them feel they belong? Is the
professor aware of the fact that this is the only word
that unites all Nigerians? Naija is the only thing
that has gained acceptance by all sundry irrespective
of where they come from, tribe, religion or state?
This is the only thing we can truly call Nigerian
Naija and if I might borrow her words, the only brand
name developed by Nigerians is Naija and why would
anybody in their right senses speak against such a
rallying point? Is the professor aware that she is in
a sense regulating free speech, something that is
enshrined in the constitution she swore to protect?
Did the professor wait to think of the political
ramifications of her statement? It was reported in the
news that the Federal Government has banned the use of
the word Naija, is this really true it was the federal
government or the professor's own personal ignorance
that banned it? How does a minister's statement
constitute a ban? It is so shameful that after twelve
years since the military left the political scene,
most Nigerian officials still behave like military
officers.
We talk about democracy and yet act militarily. Is the
professor aware that we are in a democratic
dispensation? In a democracy, most policies require
legal backing through relevant legislation. When was
the ban submitted by the executive as a bill to be
debated in both chambers of the legislature and passed
a law? If Professor Akunyili wants to ban free speech,
she should first get legislative backing and Nigerians
would now have to decide whether we are operating a
democracy or still in a military dictatorship! This
era of band this, band that must stop. The Obasanjo
government banded the importation of frozen meats such
as turkey, chicken and beef to protect Otta farm as
the main distributor of these commotions and yet
Nigerians bout into. The government banned the
importation of used clothing when paying workers a
minimum wage of about N5,500. The government banned
the importation of readymade clothes when all our
textiles were closing. The government banned the
importation of cement to protect, Aliko Dangote's
business empire when we could not produce cement in
the country. A government official wakes of from a
dream and approaches the president for a ban and the
next day it becomes law. We produce nothing in this
country yet ban everything the common person needs to
survive. The oil we produce in this country is sent
out to be refined and then be re-imported and yet we
talk about Nigeria joining the G20. Even in developed
countries like America, which our leaders are quick to
cite as examples, there are thrift stores everywhere,
where the common people can buy used clothing and
other used commodities. Prominent among these are the
Salvation Army Thrift Stores, the American Veterans
Thrift Stores, Goodwill Stores and a host of other
Community Thrift Stores. We produce nothing but are
quick to ban. And we ban, we create room for
minister's wives, husbands and highly placed
government officials to smuggle these things in and
sell at high prizes.
It is hardly understandable why Nigeria places a ban
on things that almost every country in the world
imports. Professor Akunyili, the next time you are in
the US please go to any store and check the labels on
the commodities sold there. Pick a typical jacket,
shirt, shoes or pants (slacks) and you would see, Made
in Bangladesh, China, Pakistan, India, Ghana, etc,
etc; very few of these are made in the US. Why do you
think the US imports almost everything? In a free
economy, people should have the freedom to buy
whatever money can legally buy. Why are we banning
importation of everything that you and your cronies
fly abroad to buy? How many Hollandis wrappers, laces
and Made in Italy shoes do you have in your closet?
How many Gucci Gucci and other named brand ladies
purses, shoes and clothing do you have in your closet?
How many Made in Nigeria wrist watches, gold and
diamond rings and bangles, earrings, braces and
brooches to you wear? Again this is where I see the
hypocrisy and lack of patriotism on your own part and
trying to tell Nigerians why to and not say. Your
rebranding should start with you and the fat cats that
are milking us and stealing our money.
The minister, rather than concentrate her efforts on
making the Freedom of Information Bill a reality, is
busy going about proposing a ban on free speech. Here
are some recommendations for Professor Akunyili
- Please stop
dissipating energy on frivolities
- Please focus on
getting the Freedom of Information Bill that has
stalled in both chambers passed
- Please reduced your
appearance on TV just for Nigerians to see your face
when you have nothing to say
- With immediate
effect, please stop wasting our resources on the
so-called rebranding campaign. If there must be a
rebranding campaign, it should start from the FEC,
the Senate and House of Representatives. These are
the fat cats milking our country for their personal
luxury. A senator in Nigeria earns four times the
salary of the US President, the largest in economy
in the world! Do you see anything wrong with this at
all? Be sure to educate more Nigerians on how to
ensure equity in the distribution of wealth in the
country.
- Please channel your
energy on fighting the corruption that has become
the hallmark of Nigerian politicians
- Please focus your
energy on the Child Right Bill that needs urgent
implementation
- Please focus your
attention on service delivery. A situation where a
patient goes to the hospital and is left unattended
because he/she has no means of recourse because
doctors and nurses are kings cannot be acceptable.
People go to government offices and can't get the
services they need. Please focus on how to get
SERVICOM work.
- Above all, Madam
Minister, if you have nothing doing and have ran out
of steam; please resign so that we can put some more
credible person in the office. It looks you have ran
out of ideas and are just passing time.
- There are many
important issues that need your attention that you
are not doing. People need more information on the
running and function of government that fall within
your purview; you therefore owe Nigerians a duty to
let information flow.
- Enough of your
lousiness and opening your mouth wide when you
should be closing it. Does being a minister entitle
you not spite and disparage Nigerians? There are
many Nigerians that can do a better job than you,
given the opportunity to do so. Stop the arrogance
and get real. Naija is for all of us and not select
few and privileged people like you. A word is enough
for the wise. Naija is the way to go. The name has
come to stay and there is nothing you can do about
it. You will soon be out of the government and out
of circulation and reach the sun set of your life,
but Naija will remain. Long live the Federal
Republic of Nigeria, long live Naija
Suleiman Dankano, Ph.D.;
MDY
Los Angeles, CA
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EsinIslam.Com
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