This is to commend Mrs. Chalker, the Baroness who visited Nigeria recently and used the occasion to chastise some Nigerians, among those chastised Nigerians are some of us in the Diaspora, who as private citizens, journalists and or public commentators, create the impression that nothing good could ever possibly transpire in Nigeria or from Nigeria, these Nigerians talk and write about Nigeria as if Nigeria is the worst country on earth or as if Nigeria is irredeemably bad?

Baroness Chalker Spoke Volumes when she was quoted as haven said "Many good things have happened in Nigeria in the last 18 months than in any other country in Africa but the outside world needs to know this to be able to take positive investment decisions on the country… "But often all that we see outside Nigeria are the negative things. The media and Nigerians in the Diaspora must take the challenge of telling the world that good things are happening here. Nigeria stands a good chance of attracting foreign investors if they have adequate knowledge of the real situation rather than the perception which is often wrong".

http://www.nigeriansinamerica.com/articles/577/1/Those-Comments-On-Nigeria-By-Baroness-Chalker/Page1.html
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The above accurately represent my feelings about too many of Nigeria's commentators at home and abroad, whether as private citizens, journalists and sundry public affairs commentators, as too many Nigerians are no longer able to use personal adjectives such as "my" "our" to describe Nigeria, as I would of Nigeria as my country and our country. Reading articles and tons of negative articles by Nigerians about Nigeria has become a depressing endeavour! Nigeria is constantly portrayed as on the precipice and death bed!

I strongly believe that Baroness Chalker has spoken truthfully to some Nigerians who are always going negative on Nigeria!

Why can't some Nigerians write articles that are critical about public policies and the public officials who are behind such policies, whether as initiators or implementers, but without condemning the country as an entity? Living in America, one experiences critical analyses and appraisals or the most scalding of criticisms of public policies, generally and usually directed at public policies, and at times, at public officials, but NEVER at the country America! Americans are adept at making a clear distinction between the unacceptable policies of Mr. Bush or Rumsfeld or Dr. Rice on the one hand, with criticizing America as irredeemably belonging to the dustbin of human specimens!

I have wondered why too many Nigerians are unable to make a clear distinction between analyzing public policies and criticizing public officials who may pursue ridiculous policies, instead of maligning, lampooning and ridiculing Nigeria as the worst place on earth, hostile for human existence, hostile to tourists, hostile to foreign investment etc.

Why are Nigerians only at their eloquent best, when they are anti Nigeria? When are Nigerians going to use their talents in praise, celebration and jubilation of their Nigerian-ness and of Nigeria's wondrous diversities and the infinite possibilities imbued therein?

Good one , i wonder if they think they would be treated differently from the country where they come from .

I have observed that too many Nigerians are skilled in viewing the country with a negative prism. Very unfortunate!

Yeah , and many of them post here .

Many Nigerians who leave their home country for the first time experience culture shock on many levels, one of the most profound being that they suddenly become aware that in most of the West, bribes are neither demanded nor expected as they are in Nigeria for just about every activity save for breathing air.

Those Nigerian immigrants are also universally astonished to discover that places exist on earth where mains electricity runs uninterrupted 24 hours a day, every day, and that they can drive for hours on smooth roads, any time of the day or night, and not run into a SINGLE police checkpoint where gunmen demand cash as they do in Nigeria.

As they take in all these "American Wonders", they inevitably come to reflect on the fact that Nigeria's crude oil earnings are in excess of a 100 million green-back dollars PER DAY, and then they start to wonder how many lifetimes it will take before there will exist any evidence of that staggering daily income on the ground in Nigeria, where squalor, primal danger and endemic official corruption continue to rule as if it were the most impoverished nation on the planet.

Is it therefore any wonder that the harshest critics of Nigeria are in fact Nigerians who have escaped their homeland and find that they can no longer remain silent about the savage daily reality and international pariah reputation of their once beloved country ?

these same people that go abroad and se how developed those countries are never help to develop nigeria, never contribute anything and never visit nigeria to se its improvements.

you talk about crude oil like its some magic pill. outside of small nations with crude oil like UAE, oil doesnt develop a place

I think Seun should ban these Nigerians who go from topic to topic saying how bad Nigeria is. If Nigeria is that bad stay in your America forum and leave us here jare.

The bad attitude of "badmouthing" Nigeria amongst the diasporans is alarming to say the least. Some talk as if they have another country apart from Nigeria (true, for those with dual citizenship) and always see things with a cynical eye.

Amongst Nigerians at home we also have the cynical set who see everything good abroad and nothing good @ home.

Jakumo:


As they take in all these "American Wonders", they inevitably come to reflect on the fact that Nigeria's crude oil earnings are in excess of a 100 million green-back dollars PER DAY, and then they start to wonder how many lifetimes it will take before there will exist any evidence of that staggering daily income on the ground in Nigeria, where squalor, primal danger and endemic official corruption continue to rule as if it were the most impoverished nation on the planet.

Over 100 Million green-back dollars PER DAY in a country of over 140 Million people is very small and that is the reason of our relative poverty. Until we diversify the economy and make Oil & Gas income to become less than 50% of our foreign earnings, we will continue to have problems with the economy.

Diaspora nigerians are to blame.
Majority of them don't see anything good in nigeria.
A web visit to nigeria village square will prove this true.
They see evil in everything nigerian.
I have tried so hard to understand why it is so.
Some illegal ones here even pray for war so that they could be granted assylum.

sharap all of you , let the truth be told always. how do you want me to tell the world that my country is wonderful when everyday they hear of abductions of even little kids in the niger-delta? when they saw what we called elections and how, even as it was openly rigged to global world record levels, our leaders still came up and unashamedly said the elections went well? how we couldn't conduct a clean census. how sweet our roads are. what kind of patriotism are you trying to potray? they'll look at you and laugh in their hearts.

beware of foreigners who come to say great things about nigeria. they have a hidden agenda. the west initially criticised our elections, but when they saw the oil in the niger-delta they started to soft pedal. beware of those guys. this is the same cabal that wont waste time in degrading nigeria as a 3rd world country with extreme corruption and then when it comes to helping poor countries they claim nigeria has money. beware of people who tell you sweet things. get the guys who'll tell you the truth.

iwo na sharrap. you don't have to sing praises of your country's magnificence if you don't want to. the embedded idea within the article is that we must put a limit to our constant satirization of Nigeria. Let's stop dragging naija in the mud with each little opportunity we get.

exactly - God bless her, Nigerians are the worst people on earth - speaking vile and evil about their country andthe government anywhere they congregate, example NairaLand, check out the threads on Nairaland and see how is has been used as a bastion of ignoble discourse and parambulated and harangued vituperations against governet and government intentions.

The magnanimoty of the issue is further accentuated by so called diasporians most of who have run away from the country and are finding it hard to obliterate the past from their mind and ferment the positive present and future into their medula oblongata, they still think Nigeria is what they left 10 years ago. Well, taking further concrete visualisation of the imbroglio, it is because these so called Disporians have lost touch and do not know how they will fit in when they come back to Nigeria, most of them sweep gutters and clean rubbish in so called Diaspora that they will prefer to die if they are asked to replicate their daily waka waka in Nigeria, often they come home and they see the magnanimous improvement in the entity and they become bewildered and concietly at awe at what they see. This is why most of them speak so vile about the country.

exactly - God bless her, Nigerians are the worst people on earth - speaking vile and evil about their country andthe government awher they congragate, example NairaLand, check outthe thread on Nairaland and see how is has been used as a bastion of ignobl discourse and parambulated and garangued vituperations against governet ad goenment intentio

The magnanimoty of the issue i further accentuated by so alled diasporias most of who haverunawayfromthe country and are findingit hard to obliterate the past from their mind and ferment the positive present and future into their medula oblongata, they still think Nigeria is what they left 10 years ago. Well, taking further concrete visualisation of the imbroglio, it is because these so called Disporians have lost touch and do not know how they will fit in when they come back to Nigeria, most of the sweep gutters and clean rubbish in so called Diaspora that they will prefer to dies if they are asked to replicate the daily waka waka in Nigeria, often they come home and they see the magnanimous improvement in the entity and they become bewildered and concietly at awe at what they see.

simply_me you won't kill me ooo. kai, see as you dey blow grammar. jesus of nazareth is nearer 

@simply me

kai. . . . i withdraw my case until the time comes when you decide to breakdown the grammar wey you gramatise for that post

darfur:

sharap all of you , let the truth be told always. how do you want me to tell the world that my country is wonderful when everyday they hear of abductions of even little kids in the niger-delta? when they saw what we called elections and how, even as it was openly rigged to global world record levels, our leaders still came up and unashamedly said the elections went well? how we couldn't conduct a clean census. how sweet our roads are. what kind of patriotism are you trying to potray? they'll look at you and laugh in their hearts.

Irrespective of this above, critism i beleive must have limit when it comes to your own thing. We too much talk of corruption in Nigeria as if it is made in Nigeria. Rigging election is bad in totality but Bush was rigged in twice no western govt or press has ever said anything about that till today. The only president that has the gut to through it back to them is Putin of Russia. Do you wash your dirty undies in the public? no and why? cos you do not what the public to know how dirty you are. Tony blair govt was recieving money millioniares to give them Knight Hood, the investigation died down till today why? the same reason of not washing you dirty undies in public and the list goes on.

It is is unfortunate that some of our views (especially Nigerians in the diaspora) are so vile and contorted that when delivered to anyone who's never seen nor heard anything about Nigeria, the person will pray for the total annihilation of the over 140 Million citizens of Nigeria. There's nothing in this world that is bad/rotten all round, not George Bush, not Osama Bin Laden and Nigeria is not an exception!

Some illegal ones here even pray for war so that they could be granted assylum.

now thats sick

yeah i agree.
some of the most patriotic nigerians you'll ever meet reside abroad and some of it's most unpatriotic people also reside abroad.

i really can't stand it when fellow Nigerians bash Nigeria to the face of other nationals (i can understand it when you talk amongst yourself but to other people? come on). i will never bad-mouth my country. that's just ridiculous

When you tell them to ease up on the castigation, they call you a blind patriot. Can anyone tell us about any US citizen in Naija who derives pleasure (including but not limited to orgasm)in bashing the USA at every given opportunity? Please don't give me that "US is perfect" nonsense. . . any one?

I didn't think so.

awwwww this thread is an inspiration to me now.
it makes me teary to see that we still have this many patriotic Nigerians left that are willing to defend her unity and uphold her honor and glory.

Diasporians they call themselves, what does it even mean?

there are many things not right about Nigeria - fact

there are many good things about Nigeria and going on in Nigeria - fact

what we should strive to achieve is balance, the Western Media are doing more than a capable job of showing the negative aspects of the country, so we should do our best wherever we find ourselves to highlight and promote the positives going on even in the midst of the negatives.

We are not to deny these negatives, however, lest we be labeled 'apologists' or 'blind patriots' as some are wont to do, but to condemn them as well, while still promoting the positive over the negative. Nobody will do that for Nigeria, we must do it ourselves.

ONE NIGERIA!!!!!!!!!!! . GREAT GREAT GREAT NAIJAITES!!!!!! AAAAA OOOOOOOOO AAAAAAA!

You guys are forgetting the saying "A hungry man is an angry man".   Maybe when the government starts caring, then the people will start caring.   I am not going to be sleeping in a 90 degrees, mosquitoes infested room, no light, no running water etc and be saying "I love Nigeria, I love Naija".   Although I believe there are worst places than Naija, but damn, can we at least get some good roads, lights, and customer service oh and before I forget security too.  Just because Haiti is bleeped up does not mean we have to have the bleeped up atitude of "oh we not the only country that is messed up".  Believe me, the day the US starts to provide services like Nigeria, then you will see wether Billy Bob is very patriotic.

@ debosky, that's a good one my broda. . . the balance is non existent, by this I mean the negative has been pushed to the fore so much that anything positive becomes a drop of water in the Atlantic ocean, pretty insignificant. Like you said, we are the only ones that can even the scale or give the positive a bigger chunk.

Baroness is a paid agent of OBJ. She even castigated those who insisted that last elections were mired in fraud. How on earth would she ask Nigerians to accept that results knowing fully that they were below international standards to the point that a meth dependent welfare sucker in Britain would not stand it.

If Brits, despite and in spite of their advancement could criticize their country who are we not to criticize our country. I will post these questions. Would enroll your kids in the same primary schools you attended with the hope that will get ahead in life? Would you rather study in South Africa than in Nigeria? Would you rather be treated of chronic illness in S/Africa than UNTH? Answer these questions truthfully and tell me if you are blindly patriotic or critically patriotic. It’s like saying that if you do not support the mission, you are anti military.

@debosky
nice write up

@adconline
better write up. these guys dont know white people. that baroness whatever her bitchy name is may have some hidden agenda in denying such obvious national disgrace. it's like telling a bleeding patient to relax that the red stuff coming out of his body is not blood. instead of doing something to stop the bleeding

that kind of attitude creates complacency. you guys talk of americans, those americans have come out on cnn to call bush a noncompoop, they've called him world's #1 terrorists. they've called him the worst president america ever had. they've cried out loud about post katrina management, the brits called tony blair. . . . . b[b]liar[/b]. we have a govt that tells us all is well. they look at an election we all saw and said no wahala and "hire" an oyibo to agree with them. just to fool us. and you guys expect me to be fooled.

the best patriotism and i could give my country is to tell her the truth. that's why chinua achebe is a hero. he refused OBJ's award and made it an international news item. and told the world why he refused it. that's why soyinka is a hero, all those guys who fought against abacha and took the battle to foreign lands

one thing with crooks in govt is that they call their opponents unpatriotic. that's why the republicans say the democrats have a patriotism problem. babangida used such strategy against those who fought for june 12 (those guys are heroes today).
if the oyibos want to see anything good from nigeria they can look at me and say nigeria can have good schools b/c i learnt their language in our local schools.

but i'll always say the truth for the sake of my country. call me bagger today, history will call me the hero

darfur:

@debosky
nice write up

@adconline
better write up. these guys don't know white people. that baroness whatever her bitchy name is may have some hidden agenda in denying such obvious national disgrace. it's like telling a bleeding patient to relax that the red stuff coming out of his body is not blood. instead of doing something to stop the bleeding

that kind of attitude creates complacency. you guys talk of americans, those americans have come out on cnn to call bush a noncompoop, they've called him world's #1 terrorists. they've called him the worst president america ever had. they've cried out loud about post katrina management, the brits called tony blair. . . . . b[b]liar[/b]. we have a govt that tells us all is well. they look at an election we all saw and said no wahala and "hire" an oyibo to agree with them. just to fool us. and you guys expect me to be fooled.

the best patriotism and i could give my country is to tell her the truth. that's why chinua achebe is a hero. he refused OBJ's award and made it an international news item. and told the world why he refused it. that's why soyinka is a hero, all those guys who fought against abacha and took the battle to foreign lands

The best you can do for your country is actually to help solve its problems pratically not just to stay and make exagerated critism.
She said the truth, I don't know if most Nigerians living in Diaspora feel the need to justify their stay there by badmouthing everything we do in Nigeria, even if there is nothing to critise. Anyway they will soon run out of things to complain about, Government and even private individuals are working hard to make it better, People like you just stay and make empty, uninformed noise. Before you accuse me of being a Government agent, I will have you know that i have no affiliate with anyone in Government. I grew up in the worst of poverty, struggled through school and i am making something good of my life in Nigeria without any connections, I am an example of a system that is recovering.
I do not just stay and make bad cricism about my country when i see problems in Nigeria I try to see how I can intervene as a Person and appeal to good spirited Nigerians to do something which God bless their hearts they always do even not in the magnitude we expect.
Before I got a job, I wrote over 50 tests and i knew i di not do well in them so i worked harder, read harder and thought harder.
[b]No matter what any of you say Nigeria will get better we have started the process, complain all you like form every available conspiracy theory, IT WILL NOT STOP US NIGERIANS FROM MOVING NIGERIA FORWARD. WE WILL OVERCOME AS A COUNTRY AND AS A PEOPLE, WE WILL KEEP MOVING EVEN IF WE FALL WE WILL NOT STOP WE WILL CONTINUE. GAT USED TO IT,

True talk o my sister. the great countries did not get great by their citizens sitting back complaning and doing nothing else. let us all do our little bits to make a change

I did state once that the views of Nigerians living outside Nigeria is less important compared to the views of Nigerians living in Nigeria because those within know what goes on here first hand.

All we ask for is objectivity and honesty in criticisms. No one can absolve the government of the day of any wrong doings but comments and discussions shold not include fabricated and manufactured allegations.

Why do people expect to judge Nigeria by the highest of standards even when the countries they reside in cannot even meet up with reasonable standards?

Things are not perfect here but things are certainly getting better.

It is also important for us to know that amongst those that will always say negative things about Nigeria and Nigerians are 419ners, corrupt officials and other get rich quick people that have woken up to a whole new way of doing things.

No nation was developed by foreigners just as no nation has won the world cup under a foreign coach.

Nigeria can be great, Nigeria will be great with or without the bad belle.

Right then.  Enough of this nonconstructive criticism of Nigeria, and let us have some individual action for a change.

To all Nigerians in the diaspora who wish to effect change in their homeland, here is your chance to stand up and be counted.

If you want continuous electrical power in Nigeria effective right now, hold your breath and repeat the phrase  
" Let there be power "  3 times every evening before you go to bed, for the next week.

If you are tired of Nigerian roads being cratered like the surface of the moon, then try the ritual of shaving off all your hair, and then rubbing that bald shiny head every morning while saying the worlds  " Roads smooth as a baby's ass "

If Nigeria's image as the 419 internet crime capital bothers you, stop whatever you are doing at precisely 4.19 pm every day, remove your shirt, tie and shoes, and yell out loud " I am mad as hell, and I won't take it any more ".

If you are fed up of hearing about armed robbery gangs raiding entire residential neighborhoods in Nigeria and staying there for hours of uninterrupted pillage and plunder, then wear a T-shirt that bears the inscription " My dad is a 7th degree black-belt" whenever you visit Nigeria next.

Do you object to the Nigerian police collecting bribes from motorists at gunpoint ?  Well then, next time you run into a Nigerian police check-point and you sense danger, simply click your heels together 3 times and say the words " No place like home"