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Auntie Dora’s Harmful Drug

Nigerians abroad are the worst when it comes to bad mouthing Nigeria, says auntie Dora, Minister of Information and
Communication, who is currently leading a campaign to re-brand a drug most pharmacists considered dangerous for
consumption. Auntie Dora seems to be saying, there's nothing wrong in portraying one's country as paradise even though the
situation suggests otherwise. After all, India, USA & others do it.
-Dora's interview

Prof. Dora Akunyili proved her mettle as the NAFDAC boss. She fought drug dealers and makers of fake drugs
and their accomplices on pure spunk. Her determination showed in her every movement. She did not relent even
in the face of danger that followed her on a daily basis. Criminals uttered intentions of injury and punishment
against her, yet she stood her ground. She wanted to uproot the tragic or evil developments that bedevil Nigeria
with fake drugs. The task was menacing but she exerted herself continuously, vigorously, even obtrusively to
engage in the crusade.

And auntie Akunyili's doggedness helped save many lives that otherwise would have been lost had she settled
the situation by concession. The lives of ordinary Nigerians must have been dear to her heart, as they are most
likely to buy fake drugs than the ruling class. Auntie surrendered her life to a worthy cause. She believed that
the masses must not be allowed to die from cancer - of criminals - who are ready to kill anyone for money sake.
They violently believe that everything about everything is about money.

It is impossible not to like a woman of Akunyili's character, especially in a country where serving one's nation
means acquiring wealth and wealth without delivering expected service. A woman or man of substance was
highly needed to set the pace; to show that the business of governance is not strained. Madam Akunyili was
given the chance. She came on board and her sincerity of purpose accelerated her recognition as a potential
leader of man. Nigerians in their majority including Fourth Estate of the Realm embraced her acumen. This is
because she represents something they have been yawning for: a down to earth and effective administrator
which is still missing even at the very top.

Then her moment of trial came. She had a running battle with Oni Molete of Molete, the late Alhaji Lamidi
Adedibu who accused the Nigerian idol of nursing a ministerial ambition. In his usual temperament, the Garrison
Commandant had rebuked Akunyili for daring to take her drug war to his territory. The former then announced
that our darling auntie had taken such step because he, Lamidi Adedibu, did not support her ministerial
ambition. Most of us did not take it lightly with the man. He was saying rubbish as usual, we concluded. And even
if our beloved wants to become a minister, is she not more than qualified?

And then she became a minister. We expected to see her in the health ministry where she can adequately
continue her holy war, but instead we found her in the Ministry of Information & Communication, where she must
re-brand and re-brand a product called Nigeria. Auntie Dora loves her country so much that it was too difficult
for her to tell them that she would be more useful in the health ministry. And now it seems they are using our
adorable auntie to sell a product they hardly believe in. Perhaps due to her own personal ambition, she had
failed to take one thing into consideration: re-brand Nigeria Project has never worked because the organisers
were doing the last thing first.

And now she is following the same path. How could she have missed the fact that every administration had
lavished public money on Re-brand Nigeria Project - euphemism for re-abandon! Come to think of it, the title is
misleading, if not outright deceptive. The concept of re-brand demands that the product should be effective
before re-branding it. You don't re-brand the country but the people. I posit here that it is Nigerian leaders that
need to be re-branded. Whenever they are ready to lead, the followers shall definitely follow. It is as simple as
this but Auntie Dora doesn't get it.

And is Auntie Dora telling us to lie about the situation in our country when she cited several examples from India,
the USA and so on. For example, she implied that India re-brands itself as Incredible India whereas the situation
in India does not correspond with the slogan. This is another sorry state of mind of Nigerians administrators
including "Mr. President" who once declared that visiting Britain was the best moment of his life. Portraying our
country as a great nation when we know the truth is treacherous and the repercussion suicidal. If we continue to
lie about our situation, that means we would never change, and as far as I am concerned, it means we definitely
have skeleton in our cupboard. I disagree with the minister's theory of nationalism.

I mean, do we need to follow India or America of doing things? So because India is lying to the world, Nigeria
must also lie? Can't we be different? Can't we follow our own heart? Moreover, where are the other similar
projects about re-branding Nigeria? Where is Obasanjo's Heart of Africa? Where is Buhari/Idiagbon's War
Against Indiscipline? They were abandoned after millions of naira had been spent. They were abandoned
because it is virtually impossible to talk of any kind of Re-brand Nigeria without reforming the leaders first. They
are the ones blocking Nigeria's progress. They are the ones making Nigeria a liability entity.

Auntie Dora should start whatever she wants to re-brand from the top. I know this is totally unlikely, and it is
another main reason why the re-brand won't succeed. However, if she succeeded in changing the rottenness in
the leadership package, I assure her that followers shall follow. At present, the followers are simply imitating their
leaders, hence the impairment of virtue and moral principles in our daily life. She should stop deceiving herself;
or rather stop fighting a lost battle. Nigeria situation has reached a point where it is impracticable for the
followers to kick start the re-brand. No, it must start from the top.

The former NAFDAC boss may be optimistic about Nigeria, but do her colleagues share the same sentiment?
She spoke about believing in our country. Good talk. But how many Nigerian leaders actually truly believe in
Nigeria talk less of the Re-brand Nigeria Project? It is not even about being optimistic or not; it is about honesty,
transparency and accountability. This is the main product to be researched on. Then we may start talking about
the outside package which is the re-brand. Nigerian administrators' attitude about service projects pessimism,
therefore it is not abnormal for the followers to be sceptic, even cynical.

"The American can die holding up his national flag instead of giving it up," says Akunyili. This is another bad
comparison or reference. First, American people can die holding up their national flag because American
leaders do the same. It is quite difficult for Nigerians to die holding up their national flag because they have
detected that their leaders are in fact rulers who do not know anything about patriotism. Most Nigerians have
come to the conclusion that the so-called leaders do not love their country, and in fact they are not willing to
sacrifice for it. How would the citizens believe when the president, governors, senators, legislatures, ministers
and so on go abroad for medical treatment? How would they believe when Education Ministers send their wards
to overseas for studies? How do you expect ordinary citizens to believe in such country?

Auntie Dora knows what to do if she really wants to promote the product without being a lousy salesperson. A
good product can sell even with a bad salesperson. Auntie Dora should tell her colleagues to stop stealing and
siphoning public money abroad; let them chew service instead of celebrating mediocrity and laziness; let them
obey the constitution and the existing laws of the land; let them practice visionary politics and commitment to the
public and electorates that "voted" them into power. Before making noise about re-brand, it is common sense to
have adequately studied why the product should be changed. It would be a disaster to do otherwise. If you re-
brand and the product remains the same, only a few gullible customers will buy it.

Lastly, I do not know exactly what the minister meant when she says, "Nigerians in the Diaspora are the worst
when it comes to bad mouthing Nigeria". It may surprise her that it is the same Nigerians that would defend their
country if others malign her. I don't think Nigerians in the Diaspora hate their country. No, they are simply fed up
with their leaders. It is not their country they actually detest but the vision-less and corrupt "leaders" whose main
purpose of going to politics is to steal. Part of what the minister should focus on is the reason behind talking
down one's country. This is what should be the uttermost in Auntie Dora's lip instead of making fanfare about Re-
brand, which should be the last step to the overall package. I just hope she won't end up from being a woman of
substance to a minister of outwardness. Time will tell.

2009 Copyright
mysmallvoice@yahoo.com

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my smallvoice
by Hakeem Babalola
location: Hungary
mysmallvoice@yahoo.com