"It is better to help a friend pay his fine,than tell a
lie to help him cover a crime." - Nigerian proverb.
It was literally a life-long ambition, and I used
every opportunity to meet the old man in person. I
was finally in a position to press buttons and call
old friends to render favours, and in early 2007 I
succeeded. I was told I could see Mandela for only
30 minutes at his home, but I needed to get there
one hour earlier. Colleagues I had leaned on were
skeptical that I would see him despite the
appointment, particularly since I will not say it was
official. An old South African friend and course
mate from South Africa who helped, suggested I
asked questions or matters I wanted to discuss with
him and send them in advance. I did not think that
was the type of meeting I wanted, so I did not.
Mandela was surprised when he was told I worked
at the Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, but had
spent 6 months trying to see him to pay my
personal respects. Why did you not go through your
colleagues here? I told him the visit was not
official. I just wanted to meet him. He relaxed and
apologized that it had taken that long for me to see
him. Others left us, except a lady who sat discreetly
away from us. I thought she was a medical person.
How are my Nigerian brothers and sisters? He
asked me. He will not let me take the initiative.
'You know I am not very happy with Nigeria. I have
made that very clear on many occasions'. Now I
was curious. I knew of course that he led our
suspension from the Commonwealth after the
hanging of the late Ken Saro-Wiwa and his Ogoni
compatriots. It was also no secret that South
African governments including one he headed had
considerably cooled off towards Nigeria, and by the
time I was meeting him, Nigeria was a dirty word in
most cities in South Africa. I mentioned that
Nigerian people had very strong and positive
dispositions towards South Africa and the Southern
African region, and many were puzzled that people
who marched all the way with South Africans can
be despised by the governments and people of
South Africa. Yes, he responded. Nigeria stood by
us more than any nation, but you let yourselves
down and Africa and the black race very badly.
I knew I was going to get a lecture, so I sat back.
He spoke with passion and anger at a nation which
has one-quarter of the black race, and had
everything needed to be great, but is known
principally for its dictators and its criminals. Your
country, he said, used to be respected. After your
suspension from the Commonwealth, many western
countries approached me to help in isolating
Nigeria so that it will be easier to bring down your
military dictators. I consulted many African leaders,
and all were unanimous in their advice. They told
me to stay clear of Nigeria. That you will fix your
problems. You have done it before. ‘But’, he shook
his head, 'you have not.Not this time'. The world
will not respect Africa until Nigeria earns that
respect. The black people of the world need Nigeria
to be great as a source of pride and confidence.
Nigerians love freedom and hate oppression.Why
do you do it to yourselves? He remembered Tafawa
Balewa, the first leader who gave his party, ANC,
financial contribution.
I saw an opening here. I suggested that all Africans
are bitter at their leaders. With due respect, I said,
his presidency had not changed lives of black South
Africans much, and his successors are not likely to
do so. Yes, he agreed,' but we raised hopes that
others can do so. ‘He was back to Nigeria. 'Your
leaders have no respect for their people. They
believe that their personal interests are the
interests of the people. They take people's
resources and turn it into personal wealth. There is
a level of poverty in Nigeria that should be
unacceptable. I cannot understand why Nigerians
are not more angry than they are', he continued.
Since it was obvious that he was intent on pouring
his heart out, I decided to let him speak. 'What do
young Nigerians think about your leaders and their
country and Africa? Do you teach them history? Do
you have lessons on how your past leaders stood
by us and gave us large amounts of money? You
know I hear from Angolans and Mozambicans and
Zimbabweans how your people opened their hearts
and their homes to them. I was in prison then, but
we know how your leaders punished western
companies who supported Apartheid’. I reminded
him that we had elected governments since 1999,
and he knew some of our leaders in person. Yes, he
did. 'But what about the corruption and the crimes?'
he asked? 'Your elections are like wars'. Now we
hear that you cannot be president in Nigeria unless
you are Muslim or Christian. Some people tell me
your country may break up. Please don’t let it
happen'.
He sat back. I obviously got a lot more than I
bargained for. Then he mellowed down, and
apologized. He had not even asked me what I
wanted to see him for, and he was tearing at my
country. It was fine, I assured him. I merely wanted
to meet him and pay my respects. He then asked
me a lot of personal questions, and in particular
what I was doing personally to improve the
capacity of the Nigerian people to build the nation
to be a source of pride and comfort for Nigerians,
Africa and the black race. But he was in a lecturing
mood.
'Let me tell you what I think you need to do' he
said. 'You should encourage leaders to emerge who
will not confuse public office with sources of
making personal wealth. Corrupt people do not
make good leaders. Then you have to spend a lot of
your resources for education. Educate children of
the poor, so that they can get out of poverty.
Poverty does not breed confidence. Only confident
people can bring changes. Poor, uneducated people
can also bring change, but it will be hijacked by the
educated and the wealthy'.
'Like South Africa today, sir', I quipped. He paused.
'It will be difficult for the world to understand that it
will take generations to eliminate the structural
roots and effects of Apartheid.' 'But', I drove the
point home, 'You created the impression that the
political compromises and concessions you made
would lead to a dramatic change in the fortunes of
black people'. 'Drammatic?' he asked. 'In many
ways we achieved dramatic results'.' Like in
sports', I pressed further. 'Sports is important to
South Africans. It gave them confidence to believe
things are possible. And it united them”. 'But sir, it
created a false sense of progress, and people here
think it is all a gimmick by white people to create a
diversion'.' It is not a diversion, he countered. It is
real. South Africans will have to come to terms with
the reality that their country is a multi-racial, multi-
cultural nation with rich and poor. Any efforts to
reduce the gulf between the races and classes is
useful, he insisted.
Then he was back to Nigeria. People had said to
him that South Africa could become an alternative
beacon of hope and inspiration for the black race
and Africa. He told them it was always going to be
Nigeria. Nigeria, Egypt and South Africa can provide
a tripod for real change but young Africans need to
capture that vision. 'So', he said to me, 'If this
audience has been useful, I am glad. But it will be
more useful to me if you go back to Nigeria and
work to give young Nigerians good education.
Teach them the value of hard work and sacrifice,
and discourage them from crimes which are
destroying your image as a good people.'
I have re-lived that rare opportunity many times
since that visit. The 30-minute audience lasted for
one hour, and I was escorted out by a man I saw
close up as human as anyone. I had rarely come
across such candour about my country, but it was
clearly the product of genuine concern that one of
Africa’s greatest assets was being frittered away.
As he shook my hand to say goodbye, he
apologized again over his comments, but assured
me that he would love to see Nigeria grow and
develop into a world economic power under a
democratic system. If there is any comfort to draw
from Mandela’s disappointment, it will be that he
may not have observed our free-fall as a nation in
the last five years.

This is wonderful,thats why i usually tell people that Nigeria is a beacon of hope not just to Nigerians but the Whole Black race.all we need is good Governance