AS Americans get set to spend over $150m (N225b) to inaugurate Mr. Barack Obama President of the United States of America, Nigerians in the diaspora have sent a warning home: Don't celebrate more than the owners of the occasion.
Rather, Nigerians should use the occasion to ponder and pray for their country. Americans and Kenyans, the warning went on, worked hard to get to their present status in life.
The warning is coming as Nigerians are trooping to the United States to witness the historic occasion, tagged the most expensive US inauguration ever.
Perhaps, one of the most painful Nigerians comments arose when pictures of Obama's Kenyan grandmother were shown on CNN Españñol on her way to the US aboard Kenyan airways.
To most of the removed Nigerians, as Africans, Nigerians are thrilled by the event but the real celebrants are Kenyans and Americans as well as men and women of goodwill. The inauguration, one of them said, is a time to "pray for our country and our children in America, "
Elsewhere in the world, the Obama inauguration is getting feverish. From Germany and Poland, the feeling is high as it is in Nigeria.
An Obama admirer in Germany, with links in Poland told Saturday Vanguard in an email that there, "the people are very happy about it. Even in Poland they are very optimistic. Germans celebrated everywhere that day he won".
U.S. intelligence services said such a high profile event would be perfect for a terrorist attack, but they have no specific intelligence that anything has been planned. Obama will use the same Bible used by Abraham Lincoln during the swearing in ceremony.
Meanwhile, cost of Obama inauguration is reported to be the most expensive ever. With disputes on the actual cost, some pundits have put it at over $150m. Obama is said to have raised over $45m, while bailed out US banks are contributing to Obama's inauguration fund.
Citibank executives, expected to ask for another billion-dollar federal bailout on top of the $45b in rescue funds they received in November, have contributed the most to Obama's inauguration fund - at least $113,000 as of Wednesday.
Among those contributions is $50,000 from Ray McGuire, Citi's co-head of global investment banking, and $50,000 from Louis Susman, the recently-retired vice chairman of Citigroup.
The presidential inauguration has already cost Maryland at least $11m, state officials said. The unbudgeted
US President elect, Barack Obama
spending, mainly for transportation and security, is part of some $75m that Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia have already had to absorb, Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty told reporters. The $11m figure also includes costs associated with Obama's Saturday train trip and scheduled stop in Baltimore.
There will also be all sorts of souvenirs for sale, including T-shirts, hats, buttons, pens, cuff links, key chains, porcelain plates, even throw rugs at the event. There are Obama commemorative coins too.
But irked by Nigerians' excitement over the inauguration, one the Nigerian commentators said, "I remember there was a time we used to read with glory Nigerian Airways. A Nigerian pilot of the Nigerian Airways flew the our Aircraft to Philippines for repair at a cost of almost $100 million. We did not pay and the Aircraft was seized. Greed, corruption empty pride is responsible for Nigeria's woes. Yet, some idiots from the pulpit, in the name of preaching are blaming innocent people for witchcraft, in a country with battalions of scientists. The sad part, is none of those so called scientists ever came out to denounce these preachers.
"South Africa has taken over leadership from Nigeria, Ghana followed and now Kenya has come to the forefront. Those in the Diaspora who should know more are dedicated to tribal jingoism insulting either who thinks different and who differ in belief. Ours is a condemned nation. Our nation like Herod is decaying gradually. Another sad part is that we are many decaying with Nigeria because we are helpless and our voices are not heard and we are not listened to."
For those Nigerians in the diaspora, the occasion calls for sober reflection on how to move the country forward. One of them reminding Nigerians of Fela's statement on a follow-follow mentality, said Americans and Kenyans "dedicated and worked hard to attain this goal; all we can do as Nigerians is to clap for the winner instead of seeking how we can achieve the same progress so that Nigeria may be blessed.
We sit in front of our computers and sing praises of how our forefathers were dedicated enough to get us where we were before the Civil war. Yet we cannot step up to attempt half as much. $500.00ticket to go no where near Obama but simply dance, eat and drink in his name. Wake up folks!!! Celebrate but think of your future."
In spite of this warning, flights to the US from Nigeria for the event are said to have been fully booked.
Nigerians in the US are not left out of the excitement. Event flyers are being sent out online by different groups as they plan to mark the day. But one of the posts that irked the Nigerians abroad was the flyer from www.innercaucus. com, an event company based in the US asking Nigerians to "Join us as we celebrate the historic election of Barack Obama as the 44th President of United States of America, Saturday, January 17th, at The Luxurious The ' Enat Plaza Hotel, in Washington, D.C.0http://www.vanguardngr.com/content/view/6166/132/

he is enjoying a celebrity status. all these parties and celebrations here and there will definitely put obama under preasure bcs much have been given to him hence much will be expected from him.
again, he shld know his enemies. he shld not be decieved by all these celebrations all over the world. Pope John Paul II was celebrated and most loved by even the arabs but an attempt by a turkish on his life was made so obama must learn to keep these bad boys at arm's length.

@Poster

What the hell is your point? What concerns you with how much money they spend in inaugurating their president?