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Okonjo-Iweala, Kemi Badenoch: The duo whose great feats shame Nigeria!
Olu Fasan December 16, 2024

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The strength of any country consists of its natural resources, human resources, and capital assets, namely, the economic wealth that delivers higher living standards. The first two determine the third. If a country can successfully harness its natural resources, using its human talent, it will prosper; if it can’t, it will fail.

Now, Nigeria is known worldwide for its abundant human and natural resources, so why is it one of the world’s poorest countries? Why is Nigeria run so badly that it is utterly dysfunctional, verging on state failure? The commonest answer people give is "leadership." But Nigerians run world bodies and lead major political parties and governmental agencies in the West. So, why can’t Nigerians run their own country well? How can Nigerians provide leadership abroad but not at home?

Well, the problem is systemic and structural: Nigeria is systemically wired to fail and structurally conditioned to produce bad leaders. It is a corrupt, morally bankrupt nation. If values, not self-interest, guide your action, Nigeria is not your natural habitat: you must, if you are public-spirited, look for opportunities abroad. Nigeria’s brightest and best are crowded out by a political system, a political structure, and a culture that rewards self-dealing knavery over meritocracy, honesty, and integrity. Thus, Nigerians who will never succeed at home go abroad and succeed there. Consequently, Nigeria is brain-drained and utterly denuded, thereby lacking state capacity and true statehood.

Read also: Okonjo-Iweala reappointed as WTO DG, pledges to deliver results that matter

Recently, two Nigerians hit the headlines worldwide for their outstanding feats. One, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala was re-elected unanimously, unopposed, for a second term as Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). When she was first elected in 2020, she was the first African and the first woman to hold the position. So outstandingly did she perform that no one attempted to deny her a second term by running against her. The second, Kemi Badenoch, was elected as the first Black leader of Britain’s Conservative Party, which has produced more prime ministers than any other party in the UK since the country had its first prime minister in 1721. Given the Conservative Party’s track record of producing prime ministers, Olukemi Olufunto Badenoch, née Adegoke, could become the UK’s first British-Nigerian prime minister!

Of course, Nigerians and, indeed, the Nigerian government are quick to celebrate and “claim” any Nigerian abroad who achieves great feats. But what chances would such achievers have had at home? For instance, how far would Dr Okonjo-Iweala have gone had she decided to run for president? How far would Badenoch have gone? Badenoch answered that question herself in one interview she gave about her childhood: she was born in the UK in 1980 but brought to Nigeria by her parents, Femi Adegoke, a medical doctor, and Feyi, an academic, for her early education; she later returned to Britain at 16 for her A-levels.

"Well, the problem is systemic and structural: Nigeria is systemically wired to fail and structurally conditioned to produce bad leaders."

Now 44, Badenoch said she toyed with the idea of returning to Nigeria at 25 to begin a political career. However, according to her, a Nigerian political figure “belittled” her, “saying something about her being a woman and how she would never make it.” Hardly any Nigerian would consider that account outlandish given that there is not a single female state governor in Nigeria, let alone the remote possibility of a female president. Yet, if Badenoch became British prime minister, Nigeria might declare a public holiday to celebrate her achievement, never mind that she wouldn’t even become a governor in Nigeria!

What about Dr Okonjo-Iweala? Well, at least she was twice finance minister, first under President Olusegun Obasanjo and then under President Goodluck Jonathan. Even so, Dr Okonjo-Iweala is a prophet without honour in her own country. In 2018, she launched her book Fighting Corruption Is Dangerous at the London School of Economics. I attended the event and wrote about it for the Africa@LSE blog, describing her as a highly respected global personality who’s underappreciated at home.

After President Jonathan lost power in 2015, Okonjo-Iweala became a hate figure in Nigeria, frequently subjected to trenchant criticisms. She narrated at the LSE event how the Buhari administration hounded her and her family, sending police officers to search her house for “illegal currency holdings” only to find “bags full of old newspapers.” But when she became the Director-General of the WTO, thanks largely to her personal recognition and the pivotal intervention of the then-new US president, Joe Biden, President Buhari gave her the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), Nigeria’s second-highest national award. As the old saying goes, success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan!

That was precisely why Abike Dabiri, the CEO of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, NiDCOM, tried to reach out to Kemi Badenoch after her election as the Tory leader and was miffed that Badenoch rebuffed the overture. “It depends on whether she embraces her Nigerian identity. We reached out to her once or twice, but there was no response. We don’t force anyone to acknowledge being Nigerian,” Dabiri said peevishly.

Last week, Vice President Kashim Shettima put his foot in his mouth when he publicly attacked Badenoch for “denigrating” Nigeria. Shettima uncouthly suggested Badenoch could “remove the Kemi from her name” if she wasn’t proud of her “nation of origin.” A Badenoch aide responded that she “stands by what she says” about Nigeria, adding, “She tells the truth. She tells it like it is. She is not going to couch her words.”

Here’s the truth: Badenoch doesn’t deny her Nigerian lineage, but she’s not proud of the country; she’s not proud of how the patronage and corruption of Nigeria’s political class have held the country hostage for years and stunted its development. She says one of the books that shaped her worldview is Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson, the economics Nobel laureates, and she sees Nigeria through the prism of that book. Whenever any British politician did something that she considered unacceptable, she would say, “It’s a Nigerian thing.” Give her credit; she ran on the values of truth, honesty, and responsibility and won over the overwhelmingly white Conservative Party membership. By contrast, such a commitment to personal ethics is utterly lacking in Nigeria’s self-serving political class.

Read also: Kemi Badenoch stands at the threshold of British political history

Which brings us back to the broader point. Okonjo-Iweala, Kemi Badenoch, and other Nigerians who have achieved great feats abroad show that Nigeria’s problem is not the absence of talent. And those who say it is the absence of leadership are only half right. Of course, Nigeria has always produced leaders who can’t sacrifice their own self-interest for the common good. But it is a country’s political system that determines which leaders emerge. Sadly, Nigeria’s broken political system cannot produce public-spirited leaders because it favours the highest bidders and makes it easy for state institutions, notably the electoral body, judiciary, and security agencies, to be captured and manipulated, resulting in fraudulent elections that produce dubious leaders.

But think about it: Even if an Okonjo-Iweala or an Akinwumi Adesina, the successful president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), emerged as Nigeria’s president, would they succeed? Well, not under the current over-centralised political and governance structure that lacks effective checks and balances and that’s riven by ethnic polarisation and zero-sum politics. The sharp North-South divide and entrenched vested interests over the tax reform bills are recent evidence of Nigeria’s acute systemic and structural problem.

Yet, the fact that Okonjo-Iweala, Badenoch, Adesina, and other Nigerians succeed abroad is an astonishing indictment of the Nigerian state. For if Nigeria is so dysfunctional while its citizens rule the world, where’s the statehood? It’s a failed State!

BusinessDay

Yet, the fact that Okonjo-Iweala, Badenoch, Adesina, and other Nigerians succeed abroad is an astonishing indictment of the Nigerian state. For if Nigeria is so dysfunctional while its citizens rule the world, where’s the statehood? It’s a failed State!

CyrusVI:



Nonsense article

Ngozi is a full-blooded Nigerian and she hasnt done anything to shame us one bit...She's a pride to us

The other lady there is British, I dont know why we keep giving her free publicity on all our Social Media space

Kukutente23:
So much on point

Majority of those attacking Kemi spilled so much hate against NOI in 2015 and afterwards. Someone on this forum called her "fat pig feasting on Nigeria's money" then.

They hate Kemi now not necessarily because they disagree with what she says but more because they feel she's providing ammunition for those they think are opposed to the politicians they adore

CyrusVI:
They hate on her because shes two-faced

One time, shes a Nigerian, the other time, she's a UK citizen that doesnt care about Nigeria

Thing is, since she doesnt care about us, she should stop making references to us.

Its like an Atheist that goes about mocking and shaming GOD...If you feel something doesnt matter, treat is as inconsequential and stop going around crying about the thing

She should rest

Yoruba Union Backs UK Party Leader, Kemi Badenoch, Condemns Nigerian Police Misconduct Under IGP Egbetokun

https://saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/focal_point_1300x650/public/2024-12/1215202475211_img_6412.jpeg
December 16, 2024
NEWS

The Yoruba Union, known as Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorúbá, has thrown its support behind Kemi Badenoch, the leader of the United Kingdom Conservative Party, following her recent comments about the Nigerian Police.

The Union commended Badenoch for shedding light on what it described as systemic misconduct by the police force.

Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorúbá highlighted such abuses involving the Nigerian Police, including the reported abduction of Yoruba activists Dele Farotimi and Olamide Thomas, a nurse, who were allegedly transported from Lagos to Abuja under the directives of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and spokesperson, Muyiwa Adejobi.

The Union accused Egbetokun, whose tenure is over, of exploiting his position to harass and intimidate Yoruba citizens while neglecting critical security issues.

“Under his leadership, kidnappings and killings have escalated across the South-West, leaving Yoruba communities vulnerable and fearful,” the group said.

They further condemned the Inspector General's alleged silence and inaction on widespread criminal activities in the region, described his tenure as a period of systemic abuse and impunity.

This was contained in a statement released on Monday by the General Secretary, Olugbenga Olotu, who said: "The Yoruba are known as Omoluabi, but a few corrupt individuals are trying to tarnish the heritage and legacy that our forefathers laid down.

"We, Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorúbá, will not sit idly by and allow some people, who always use the left hand to point to their father's house, to destroy what our ancestors have built. As Kemi Badenoch rightly said, she is Yoruba before anything else, and that shows the true spirit of an Omoluabi in her.

"We recall how Vice President Kashim Shettima, during his tenure as Governor of Borno State, rehabilitated Boko Haram terrorists and reintegrated them into society. A man who negotiated with terrorists dares to criticize our daughter for speaking out against the ills of Nigerian society."

"If anyone needs to change their name, it is definitely Shettima who should renounce his citizenship and return to Niger Republic," said Olotu.

Olotu added, "People like Shettima should be ashamed of themselves. What he needs to understand is that Yorubas are not cowards, and no amount of money can buy their conscience. They are well-trained, educated, and exposed. They travel across the globe and contribute positively to their societies.

"Yoruba children are not raised to become terrorists. They are raised to be educated, respectful, and courageous—not cowards.
"Shettima, a shameless man, remained silent when the Nigerian Police maltreated minors arrested during the #EndBadGovernance protests. These poor minors were malnourished, yet he never spoke about the disgrace the Nigerian Police brought to the country with the way they handled those minors.

"Was Shettima blind when the Nigerian Police killed innocent people during the #EndBadGovernance protests? Or is he unaware of how trigger-happy policemen killed students in Ilorin? Why is he coming after Kemi Badenoch now?"

Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorúbá warned the Vice President to stop harassing their daughter and urged him to focus on his Almajiri people, who are being used by terrorists he allegedly rehabilitates to launch attacks in his region.

According to the group, the Nigerian Police have become tools in the hands of politicians, subjecting themselves to public ridicule. Instead of upholding the law, they are the same organization violating it and using their offices to frustrate innocent Nigerians.

The union further stressed that Kayode Egbetokun has turned state police spokespersons into attack dogs, defending indefensible actions.
Referring to Kemi Badenoch's remarks about the Nigerian Police stealing her brother’s shoes and wristwatch, they said, "It is a shame to the Nigerian Police."

"We demand the immediate and unconditional release of Abiodun Olumide Thomas. The lady has not committed any offence. Why did Kayode Egbetokun send his officers to abduct her from Lagos to Abuja? This act further confirms what Kemi Badenoch said about the Nigerian Police.

"We want all Yorubas worldwide to take note and have it on record that people like Kayode Egbetokun and Muyiwa Adejobi are misusing their positions as Nigeria Police officers to oppress Yoruba people in the country. They abducted Dele Farotimi, and now Abiodun Olumide Thomas. This will be a lasting record for their children and grandchildren to know how their fathers abused their positions of power against humanity.

"Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorúbá will not stand by idly. We will petition embassies worldwide to deny visas to those involved in abducting our people, including their children.

Olotu also stated that the Union would write to the United Nations to report how Egbetokun and his associates are abusing their offices to torment the Yoruba people.

"We condemn Egbetokun's abuse of power and disregard for human rights. We strongly demand the immediate and unconditional release of both Dele Farotimi and Abiodun Olumide Thomas," he added.

[color=orange]SaharaReporters[/color]

Kukutente23:
So much on point

Majority of those attacking Kemi spilled so much hate against NOI in 2015 and afterwards. Some even tried to tarnish her hard-earned international reputation by trying to link her to fuel subsidy scam, Dasukigate and even Excess crude account. There's no narrative they didn't run on social media to run her down. Someone on this forum called her "fat pig feasting on Nigeria's money" then.

They hate Kemi now not necessarily because they disagree with what she says but more because they feel she's providing ammunition for those they believed are opposed to the politicians they adore. If Kemi had been saying all these pre-2015, they would have adored her. Her only mistake is speaking up at the wrong time.

These same people don't really care about Nigeria and the well being of the people there as long as those at the helm of mismanaging it are those they share common identity with

Kemi Badenoch Was Right: Nigerian Police Stole My Phone In 2019, By Elias Ozikpu

https://saharareporters.com/sites/default/files/styles/focal_point_1300x650/public/2024-12/IMG_9153.jpeg
December 18, 2024
Elias Ozikpu
OPINION

As for the Nigerian police, it has to be completely revamped, and then its officers retrained all over again, with heavy consequences in the event that ethical codes are violated.

British politician Kemi Badenoch recently became a subject of fierce attacks by officials of the Nigerian government for continuing her criticism of Nigeria’s crumbled and utterly corrupt system.

Part of what riled officials of the Nigerian government was her disclosure during her interview with The Free Press, when the Conservative Party leader said, ‘Nigeria is a very poor country’ where people do all sorts to survive. Kemi was right and wrong at the same time, depending on your perspective on this matter. Personally, my understanding is that Nigeria isn’t necessarily a poor country as she put it, but the pervasive poverty in the country is man-made—created and entrenched by political officeholders who have done nothing but privatise public wealth since independence in 1960. So, contrary to Kemi’s submission, Nigeria is a wealthy country, but that wealth appears to be the ‘birthright’ of the political class alone! Except you are a politician, you will never enjoy Nigeria’s immense wealth, nor will you enjoy the benefits of being a Nigerian citizen, if any exist. Even your fundamental human rights, which are inherent, are taken from you if you are not amongst the political class in Nigeria.

The second remark that irked Nigerian officials was her submission that the Nigerian police once stole her brother’s wristwatch and shoes. It is not clear why this should get officials worked up, especially with daily reports of the infamous activities of some officers of our police force. Whilst I know absolutely nothing about the theft of the shoes and wristwatch belonging to Kemi’s brother, I can tell authoritatively that I have been a victim of the robbery of officers of the Nigerian Police. During the #RevolutionNow protest in Lagos, which took place on August 5, 2019, I was arbitrarily arrested, and my phone, an HTC Desire 10 Pro, was snatched from me by a police officer. The press captured him holding the phone whilst dragging me to get locked up in a waiting Black Maria. All the police officers present at the scene saw him snatch the phone, but none of them asked him to return it. Whilst I was being prepared for detention, the police did not record the phone as part of my belongings despite my insistence that they do so.

Lawyer and human rights activist Inibehe Effiong took up the case at the time and petitioned the Commissioner of Police, Lagos State, asking him to investigate the robbery of his officers and ensured my phone was recovered and returned to me. When we were invited in respect of the petition, the police told us that it was impossible for them to identify the officer who snatched my phone. They asked me to go and find out from the journalists who captured the officer holding the phone he had forcefully taken from me. That was how that case ended. They didn’t know their own officer, but they expected journalists to. Incredible!

So, it is a curious thing to me that government officials should be infuriated because someone talked about the notorious activities of officers of the Nigeria Police. The truth will always remain what it is; it never changes nor dies. Nigeria will never get better with its officials deliberately working to conceal a stinking decay already known throughout the world, nor will the country get better by expecting impoverished citizens to do false PR in the face of the economic oppression they have been subjected to for approximately 70 years as an independent nation. Nigeria will only get better if political officeholders respect citizens and ensure that the nation’s wealth is justly and equally distributed in a way that puts a permanent end to the monopolisation of public wealth by political officeholders.

As for the Nigerian police, it has to be completely revamped, and then its officers retrained all over again, with heavy consequences in the event that ethical codes are violated. This will avoid incidents such as the ones that led to the eruption of the #EndSARS protests in 2020. If Nigerian officials expect positive remarks about the system they preside over, these steps must be taken, along with the equal distribution of public wealth. Until then, international embarrassments about the true Nigerian situation will not cease. Of course, through their trigger-happy uniformed men and women, Nigerian officials are adept at silencing those within for criticising the chaotic system they have vehemently refused to fix. But what will they do to the Kemis who do so from several miles away? What will they do to the likes of David Cameron, who famously said, Nigeria is ‘fantastically corrupt’? In the end, it becomes clear that fixing the country is the only solution, not intimidating, arresting, and detaining critics and unarmed protesters and slamming them with laughable charges of treason.

Nigeria’s political officeholders must do what is right, or they will spend their tenure defending the indefensible, thereby making themselves a laughing stock locally and internationally. You cannot impose respect; you must earn it.

Elias Ozikpu is a novelist, dramatist, and journalist.

[color=orange]SaharaReporters[/color]

FriendsAndFans:
The 2 you are comparing aren't similar in anyway.
Nigeria isn't just a country but an identity of a people.
You can make comments that do not asperse your own people and still excel...

UK Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch Demands National Inquiry Into 'Rape Gangs,' Cites Thousands Of British Girls Abused By Muslim Men, ‘Official Collusion’

F
January 5, 2025
NEWS

Nigerian-born Kemi Badenoch, leader of the British opposition Conservative Party, has called for full inquiry to expose those who turned a blind eye to the grooming gangs in the UK, responsible for raping thousands of girls.

Badenoch, in an article, lamented that “Britain has witnessed the mass grooming of thousands of the most vulnerable white working-class girls – children – by gangs of men, many of Pakistani heritage”.

“This was rape on an industrial scale,” she said.

She added that “shockingly, it was a scandal made possible by the collusion and cover-ups of officials, the police and politicians who were more concerned about community relations than about victims and their families”.

She said, “The fact that perpetrators of this sexual violence appeared to have deliberately picked victims because they were white – and not from their own community or religious background – must not be ignored.

“Previous inquiries have failed to examine this. It’s for society and the state to address the issue, no matter how uncomfortable it may be.

“The testimonies of the victims are hard to read. Girls being forced into barbaric sexual acts. Raped by multiple men at the same time or one after the other. Punished by grotesque sexual violence when they resisted.

“Children were identified as targets because of their backgrounds and experienced years of systematic abuse from adult men whose communities in some cases even helped protect them.

“Thousands of girls’ lives have been damaged or destroyed. Worse still, this was perpetrated not in one rotten borough by a few rotten individuals, but across the nation.

“It is just as disturbing to read accounts of collusion between officials and police – people entrusted with protecting the public – to keep the scandal under wraps, and in some cases even to allow the abuse to continue.”

She lamented reading “a shocking example of social workers attending a 'Nikah', an Islamic wedding ceremony, between an abuser and his victim” from court evidence.

Narrating other cases, she mentioned how a father was arrested for trying to retrieve his daughter from “rape dens”.

She said, “Of councils and a police chief collaborating to keep the extent of the child rape scandal out of the headlines for fear of inflaming community relations or being called racist. And of academics and charity workers drafting obfuscatory reports to conceal the true scale of the problem. This can never be allowed to happen again.”

Badenoch, however, recognized the efforts of a “number of heroes” who fought “a lonely battle against not only a conspiracy of silence but active hostility that victims faced from officialdom”.

She said, “Failing councils were taken over, like Rotherham in 2015. Grooming gang members were prosecuted.

“The Grooming Gang TaskForce, launched in April 2023, made over 500 arrests in its first year.

“But we still need to know the extent to which institutions like the police, prosecutors, local government and social services are compromised by wrong-headed political correctness, and even self-interest.

“Only then can we have any hope of upholding our laws and culture, and preventing this scale of abuse ever again.

“That is why I have called for a full national inquiry into the rape gangs scandal. It must have the powers needed to go further than local inquiries have done.”

“The inquiry I want to see should start by considering the likely racial or religious motivation of these crimes,” she said.

“It should identify all of the institutions and bodies that failed. It should also identify those individuals who facilitated or ignored these crimes so they can be removed from their roles.”

According to her, no lenience should be shown to those “who rape and exploit children, nor can we tolerate those who protect predators”.

[color=orange]SaharaReporters[/color]

Stolen:
NO YORUBA DEAD OR ALIVE HAVE ATTAINED THE GREAT FEAT OF OKONJO IWEALA, SO STOP FALLING OVER YOURSELF TO COMPARE KEMI TO OKONJO IWEALA.

Badenoch on misgovernance: “I don’t want Britain to be like poor Nigeria”

January 18, 2025
Imoh Bright

Kemi Badenoch, leader of the UK Conservative Party, has once again voiced sharp criticism of her home country, Nigeria, highlighting its governance failures during a speech outlining her vision for “real conservatism” in Britain.

Speaking on Thursday, Badenoch reflected on her upbringing in Nigeria, recounting the economic struggles her family faced under prolonged misgovernance. She warned against policies that could lead Britain down a similar path.

“I grew up in a poor country, and I watched my relatively wealthy family become poorer and poorer and poorer despite working harder as their money disappeared with inflation,” she said.

Badenoch, who migrated to the UK at 16 with her father’s last £100, described her determination to prevent Britain from experiencing the hardships she witnessed in Nigeria.

“I’ve lived with the consequences of a terrible government that destroys lives, and I never ever want that to happen here,” Badenoch emphasized, linking her experiences to her push for a “better, richer, and safer” future for younger Brits.

This is not the first time Badenoch has openly criticized Nigeria. She previously described the Nigerian police as “armed robbers,” accusing them of intimidating citizens rather than protecting them.

Her remarks have sparked controversy, with Vice President Kashim Shettima recently responding to her comments. “If she doesn’t want any association with the greatest black nation on earth, Nigeria, she should change her name,” Shettima said.

Badenoch’s remarks resonate with a broader critique of governance in Nigeria, a country often labeled as underachieving despite its vast potential. However, her repeated public criticisms have also raised questions about the balance between calling out failures and maintaining pride in one’s heritage.

As Badenoch advances her conservative agenda in the UK, her reflections on Nigeria serve as a stark reminder of the human cost of failed leadership.

BusinessDay

CyrusVI:
They hate on her because shes two-faced

One time, shes a Nigerian, the other time, she's a UK citizen that doesnt care about Nigeria

Thing is, since she doesnt care about us, she should stop making references to us.

Its like an Atheist that goes about mocking and shaming GOD...If you feel something doesnt matter, treat is as inconsequential and stop going around crying about the thing

She should rest

'Keir Starmer is OUR idiot!'

Kemi Badenoch tells @NickFerrariLBC that it's 'her job' to criticise the PM, not Donald Trump's. pic.twitter.com/qw7AzDKix5

— LBC (@LBC) April 28, 2026