Good news from Venezuela
Matters Arising Nov 28, 2009

By Kunle Oyatomi
Several normal Nigerians would have been totally crestfallen when they read on Tuesday the story of how the Venezuelan Ambassador to this country, at a moment of truth, brushed aside protocol to pass a vital message to Nigeria about how the country’s failures in multiple dimensions is troubling the developing world.

Even the developed world is worried about Nigeria’s failure to manage its affairs in spite of the numerous talents and internationally recognised experts which this country can boast of.

However, it is the Venezuelan Ambassador, Enerique Fernando Arrundell who has put Nigeria’s tragedy in unprecedented focus when he told our Chief Brand’s Manager, the Minister of Information, Prof Dora Akunyili, that Nigeria is not in control of its affairs.

The minister, as it were, was “cap-in-hand” asking Venezuela to come and take advantage of Nigeria’s deregulation policy to invest in building refineries in Nigeria so our people can have “less costly” access to fuel. I believe that disgust and anger at that request made the Ambassador drop his diplomatic garb to bring some home truth to Nigeria like no other foreign government has done in recent times. And the message was stark.

“In Venezuela”, the Ambassador was reported to have told Akunyili, “since 1999, we have never had a raise in fuel price…. “Remember?, the current President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, came to power in 1998, while our democratic government was elected in 1999.

In Nigeria we have had about four increases in fuel prices since then and as at this moment, the devastating effect on our people is unimaginable. You may not get the enormity of the evil inherent in this exercise until you read the next statement of the Ambassador. He said, “We only pay $1.02 to fill the tank. What I pay for with N12,000 here (Nigeria), in Venezuela I’ll pay N400.”

For a country that is about three steps below in world ranking as an oil producing country, to be able to produce and provide its citizens with fuel three time cheaper than Nigeria, tells not just a sad story about our failure as a country and people, but also about the hopeless quality of leadership at the helm of affairs. The Ambassador was so perplexed about failure in governance that he continued;

“How come Nigeria that has more technical manpower than Venezuela, with 150 million people, and very intellectual people all around, not been able to get it right?”

Simple: Wickedness in high places!!

Nigeria has people who can rule this country excellently and efficiently, but they have been programmed never to have access to governance so that the vampires would be in full charge bleeding, the nation and impoverishing its citizens.

The statement of the Ambassador was so loaded, he made it all so clear to Akunyili that the model of development which the country is adopting would lead us nowhere. Until our people learn from Venezuela’s experience, we may not get it right.

He made a beautiful case about how the current president of Venezuela decided to take control of the country’s resources, and in the process was able, within the same period as Nigeria’s latest democratic experiment, to build 17 Universities, and make education free at all levels to its citizens. Perhaps, sensing the minister’s incredulity, the Ambassador further stated that;

“We have no illiterate people,” (nearly half of Nigeria’s 150 million people are illiterates!!) “We have over 17 new Universities totally free. I graduated from the university without paying one cent and take three meals every day, because we have the resources.

We want the resources of the Nigerian people for the Nigerians. It is enough! It is enough, minister!” That man must have spoken from the depth of his soul, and the deepest of frustration at watching a bunch of people messing around with the lives of 150 million citizens of a country that has no business being as wretchedly poor as majority of Nigerians have become, in spite of its wealth.

Talking about the model of development (apparently sold to Nigerian ruling elite, and the hyper selfish business and political class by the IMF/World Bank) the Venezuelan Ambassador said; “If you don’t control the (oil) industry, your development will be in the hands of foreigners. You have to have your own country. The oil is your country. The question is, if you are not handling your resources, how are you going to handle the country?”

For the government sold to a bogus brand of capitalism, the sense in privatisation and deregulation is that it gives the citizen greater opportunity to develop. The Nigerian experience however is a complete nuisance as the direct opposite is what is happening ever since the deregulation mania set in from 1999.

The Venezuelan experience contrasts the Nigerian ugly reality: Education has completely collapsed over the same period.

We have deteriorated so badly that private schools which provide something close to standard education is affordable only to less than a fifth of number of children seeking good education in the country. Even the standard of living in Nigeria is now less than a dollar a day, while that of Venezuela is $2 per day and the highest in the whole of Latin America.

Mrs Minister of Information, what the Ambassador is telling you and your government is that there is no way a developing (or is it rather an under-developed country like Nigeria) can make progress if it is not efficiently managed and CONTROLLED by the country’s government. And the contrasted situation between Nigeria and Venezuela proves that conclusively.

Ten, eleven years into democratic rule by two countries in similar circumstance but operating different models of development economics, and the results so starkly different: Venezuela leaping ahead in the content of life index, while Nigeria is a pathetic failure in contrast; not because we cannot get it right, but because we have deliberately handed the country over to predators who are not only intellectually deficient, but also humanly too selfish to seek the public good.

President Barak Obama told us when the US President visited Ghana the other day, that we can engineer change only from within, but we did not understand.

Now the Venezuelan Abassador has skipped all protocol to tell a similar truth that we should look within to take charge of our lives and economy. It is sad, but it would appear that the ruling elite would prefer a situation where foreigners take over our resources leaving us the poorer, all in the privatization and deregulation.

Whether they like to hear it or not, the truth is, Nigerians are suffering so much, patience is running out. Something could snap. It is only natural.

Source-Vanguard

he is not telling the truth- what vehicle does he spend 12,000 naira filling the tank?

Paroh_frey:

he is not telling the truth- what vehicle does he spend 12,000 naira filling the tank?

Will you shut your trap if you don't have anything meaningful to say.

Paroh_frey:

he is not telling the truth- what vehicle does he spend 12,000 naira filling the tank?

ROTTEN FISH BRAIN. . .YOU ARE HERE AGAIN! I WILL PURSUE YOU UNTIL I CURSE YOU TO DEATH! SO, YOUR POOR BASTARD SOUL IS SO DEAD THAT YOU CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHO TO ASK THE QUESTION? WRITE THE AMBASSADOR IF YOUR BRAIN CAN FATHOM THAT TO FIND OUT HIS BRAND OF CAR! APPARENTLY, YOU CAN NEVER AND WILL NEVER BUY A SPOKE OF A BICYCLE TILL DESTRUCTION WIPES YOU AWAY. . .FOOLISH IDIOT! IF I COULD ONLY BUT REACH YOU WITH MY HANDS NOW. . .YOU'D HAVE NO CHANCE OF TAKING ANOTHER BREATH! PIECE OF TRASH!

Paroh_frey:

he is not telling the truth- what vehicle does he spend 12,000 naira filling the tank?

excuse me,who are you?i am really disappointed in all your post.

CyberG:

ROTTEN FISH BRAIN. . .YOU ARE HERE AGAIN! I WILL PURSUE YOU UNTIL I CURSE YOU TO DEATH! SO, YOUR POOR BASTARD SOUL IS SO DEAD THAT YOU CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHO TO ASK THE QUESTION? WRITE THE AMBASSADOR IF YOUR BRAIN CAN FATHOM THAT TO FIND OUT HIS BRAND OF CAR! APPARENTLY, YOU CAN NEVER AND WILL NEVER BUY A SPOKE OF A BICYCLE TILL DESTRUCTION WIPES YOU AWAY. . .FOOLISH IDIOT! IF I COULD ONLY BUT REACH YOU WITH MY HANDS NOW. . .YOU'D HAVE NO CHANCE OF TAKING ANOTHER BREATH! PIECE OF TRASH!

I only need one gun shot to your head, so, watch your back, You cant rant because you are angry, but watch your moda foking back.

Paroh_frey:

he is not telling the truth- what vehicle does he spend 12,000 naira filling the tank?

Yes he does. The special vehicle he uses has tank storage of 185 lites. So do the maths yourslves.

HAHAHA. . .BITCH. . .W

Paroh_frey:


I only need one gun shot to your head, so, watch your back, You cant rant because you are angry, but watch your moda foking back.

HERE DO YOU WANT TO MEET? I WILL MAKE YOU WATCH AS I RIDDLE EVERY BIT OF YOUR CARCASS TO PIECES. . .AND EMPTY ALL THE ROUNDS OF A WHOLE MAGAZINE INTO YOUR SKULL. . .CHOP THE PROSTITUTED BODY OF YOUR SMELLY SELF INTO BITS AND FEED THEM TO THE DOGS AND VULTURES! YOUR REMAINS SHALL BE WORSE THAN THAT WHICH BEFALLS THE DUNG OF THE EARTH! WHERE DO YOU WANT TO MEET LOUD-MOUTHED IGNORANT BASTARD? ASHAWO SCUMBAG. . .YOU ARE A FOOL AND YOUR DESTRUCTION COMETH QUICKLY!

IF YOU ARE SURE YOU ARE NOT JUST RUNNING OFF AT THE MOUTH POST YOUR ADDRESS AND I ASSURE YOU OF EVIL VISITATION TODAY FOR TODAY YOUR BODY WILL ROT AND ROAST IN THE HOTTEST PART OF HELL FIRE!

Another shame that we have to take from other nationals, imagine, Venezuela . . . na wa oh

Because he is "white" and you are "black", you beleive every silly thing he says to you, because you are so black you cant think. A man tells you it takes him 12,000 naira to fill his car tank in your own country, and you, because you are so black and sick with all brain diseases, you beleive him without using your GOD given brain to think and know that what he is saying is an impossibility?

Are you so black that you eat the shit from every one that looks like a white man? 12,000 naira to fill which car? IDIOTS!

Paroh_frey:

Because he is "white" and you are "black", you beleive every silly thing he says to you, because you are so black you cant think. A man tells you it takes him 12,000 naira to fill his car tank in your own country, and you, because you are so black and sick with all brain diseases, you beleive him without using your GOD given brain to think and know that what he is saying is an impossibility?

Are you so black that you eat the shit from every one that looks like a white man? 12,000 naira to fill which car? IDIOTS!

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/01/news/international/usgas_price/

read that and you will stop arguing anyhow.
It cost 12cent a litre of gas there.
How much would it cost to fill a 40 litre tank . . . .do the math and convert the money to naira.

So it has reached the stage of shooting yourselves?
FYI, one bullet is 40 naira.
Save it for armed robbers, instead of wasting on each other

So it has reached the stage of shooting yourselves?
FYI, one bullet is 40 naira.
Save it for armed robbers, instead of wasting on each other

Paroh_frey:

Because he is "white" and you are "black", you beleive every silly thing he says to you, because you are so black you cant think. A man tells you it takes him 12,000 naira to fill his car tank in your own country, and you, because you are so black and sick with all brain diseases, you beleive him without using your GOD given brain to think and know that what he is saying is an impossibility?

Are you so black that you eat the shit from every one that looks like a white man? 12,000 naira to fill which car? IDIOTS!

Silly Bleep, he's black not white

^^^^

You obviously didnt see the quote around the white.

Paroh_frey:

^^^^

You obviously didnt see the quote around the white.

So, What's your point.

^^^Go back to secondary school to learn english.

Paroh_frey:

^^^Go back to secondary school to learn english.

You'rejust going off point, ANUOFIA 2009/2010

your mother's pu ssy.

Paroh_frey:

your mother's pu ssy.

How did you learn there was something called internet? Shouldn't you be raping someone rightnow?