Friday, October 12, 2007

a slightly delayed reaction

to the HRW report.
The report (see previous post) makes sobering reading and leaves one with not much optimism about the future of the country. The government as usual will dismiss the report and accuse the organisation of trying to portray the country in a negative light.

denial of denial
We may choose to deny the issues raised in the report but our international partners, creditors, risk analysts etc will be taking a critical look at the report and will use it to access the circumstances in which they will do business with the country.


Meanwhile, no one seems to have noticed that the country has now moved up 10 places since last year to 17 on the failed list index (2007), above countries like Sierra Leone (23) and Liberia (27), (which is quite ironic considering the role our troops played in bringing 'peace' to the two countries).

Back in 2005, when CIA's long-term forecast for Africa suggested Nigeria could become a failed state in a couple of years, there was widespread condemnation. Obj (in his usual arrogant way) described the authors as "prophets of doom". He went on to say "If our detractors cannot see our far-reaching reforms, our fight against waste and corruption, the new culture of service delivery that is gradually emerging, the various political reforms... then they must have some dubious or diabolical benchmarks for measuring efforts"

Well thanks to Obj and the 'exceptional legacy' he left behind, the nightmare of a failed Nigeria is a likelihood today...


5 comments:

SOLOMONSYDELLE said...

It is sad that a country and people of so much potential has literally gone to waste! When Nigerians criticize the country, they get killed, ostracized, punished. When foreigners criticize they are questioned and accused of being unfair (as Yardy has done in response to this report).

Nigeria IS a failed state perpetrating to have some functioning systems! I give that country 5-10 years. If a unifying and dynamic leader does not step in to clean things up immediately, well... we might be talking about either a bunch of warring factions *God forbid( or smaller nation states like Biafra, Yorubaland, etc... (God forbid)

Jeremy said...

thanks for reminding me to go and read this report..

ababoypart2 said...

I will be reading all 123 pages of this report. Thanks for the prompt

myabubakar said...

nice blog yuo got ijebuman and to think you started blogging years before me. Wow. you are the kabeyesi of naija bloggers.

Chxta said...

Sorry for the abrupt and rude disappearance. I will try to behave in future. Meanwhile you have given me government work with this report...