“The bigger the head,
The bigger the headache”
– a proverb, by Chief Moshood Abiola
The level of hatred against Nigeria and Nigerians generally is unbelievable. We are probably the most hated country, and citizens of Africa. The conspiracy against us is only comparable to that of the Americans.
Everywhere in the world, a Nigerian and his green passport evoke instant emotion and suspicion. We are always believed to be everything bad under the sun. Nigerians are thought to possess the legendary and talismanic powers of the consummate rogue and trickster, Ali Baba and the 40 thieves!
One often wonders how we acquired all these epaulets, and terrible infamy. A critical examination of the Nigerian spirit would reveal our character traits which can make our traducers to hate and loathe us with such amazing venom; and also make them love us so passionately.
Nigerians are assertive, colourful, flamboyant, stylish, sometimes loquacious, lavish, daring, supremely ambitious, domineering, proud, arrogant, very brilliant and intelligent, brash, intimidating, beautiful and charming, hardworking, ubiquitous, pugnacious, crooked and corrupt, impossible to ignore and so on.
Everywhere we go, we stand out like the peacock. It is so easy to spot a Nigerian, even in China. The way we walk, and speak, and behave generally, like the owners of heaven and earth, makes it impossible for most people not to detest us.
But it is not our fault. God must have created us to be different and to be a special people, with a proud and glorious heritage. Just mention any country as endowed as Nigeria in Africa, with our population, natural resources, fertile minds, aggressive ambition, superlative fashion sense, never–say–die attitude, spiritual fortification against natural disasters and the Midas touch. Never mind our bad luck with getting leaders who can lead us out of economic doldrums and political instability. It is only a matter of time.
What is worrisome about the hatred against the Nigerian is that it cuts across all nations, including countries that have benefited and continue to benefit from our large-heartedness. I am particularly disturbed about the West Coast where trouble seems to be brewing again. Some of us have traversed the length and breadth of West Africa and worked hard in the last few years to encourage unity and good neighbourliness among our people. I drove a lot between Nigeria and Ghana and this enabled me to feel the pulse of our brothers and sisters who are nearest to us.
We were arrested several times in the middle of nowhere and money extorted from us. Our cars were impounded on flimsy excuses and we later discovered that our travel documents had been cleverly but mischievously altered by customs people. The commonest trick was to add a figure to the chassis number on your ECOWAS brown card, thereby finding a cast-iron alibi to impound your car and extort money from you. The solution is for all drivers on these routes to be very vigilant and have photocopies of original documents handy so as to detect what figure has been added.
The other problem is the useless bureaucracy at immigration desks. Sometimes it is easier for those without passport to simply “settle” and cross the borders than for people with genuine travel documents to cross the borders. ECOWAS naturally should promote the free movement of people and goods; the reality is far from that lofty ideal. The ECOWAS borders look more like a forest of a thousand demons, where all manner of wolves descend on hapless victims. The touts are in full swing and control. They act as mediators and immigration agents. It is shameful and disheartening.
The systems are not computerised. Goods take forever to search and examine. Businessmen and women are subjected to very harsh punishment and indignity. I think the solution would be to privatise the borders, especially the tourism arm, so that those who have no money or goods to declare can easily have their passports swiped, pay their tolls or fees from inside their vehicles and zoom off.
I must also alert our nation and our government urgently about the new threat that is growing against Nigerians and Nigerian interests in Ghana. I have been a major marketer of the renewed Nigeria – Ghana economic and tourism alliance in the last 12 years, out of which I have lived there for about five years.
Nigerians today are invading Ghana in droves as tourists and investors. The influx of Nigerians has made Ghana to become an expensive country to live in. Our rich students are all over the campuses in Ghana spending an average of $10,000.00 per annum, as a result of the collapse of education at home in Nigeria. Ghanaian hospitals are also enjoying the boom.
Our tourists are flying in on different airlines from Nigeria and beyond and taking over major hotels in the capital city of Accra. Those who cannot fly are boarding ABC and Chisco luxurious buses everyday. Our women now trade largely in Woodin fabrics and prices are jumping up astronomically.
Many rich and famous Nigerians are buying up homes and investment properties. Prices of properties have more than doubled in the last 24 months, at Ghana’s upscale Italian development called Trasacco Valley. Even the unfinished condos and the penthouses called VILLAGIO across the road from President Kufuor’s residence in the Airport Residential, have doubled in prices long before completion.
To compound the situation is the invasion of our highly aggressive and dynamic banks. As at the last count, about six of them have invested heavily in the Ghanaian economy, with more searching frantically for licences to obtain directly or indirectly. One of such banks was stopped in its tracks recently because of the fear of a total domination of the Ghanaian economy. The fear of Nigerian banks is generating so much tension at the moment.
Unfortunately, the banks are rather too individualistic and there is no cohesion among the new breed of Nigerian professionals. The banks hardly interact with the Nigerians living in Ghana. They open their doors without even patronising or inviting the many Nigerian organisations on ground. The banks are investing hastily and buying up properties all over the major cities without any sense of caution. I say with all emphasis that this is very dangerous.
As media operators, we gauge the mood of the nation, and we know that the heat is on. There are serious campaigns going on against Nigerian businesses. You only need to listen to radio, which is the most powerful medium in Ghana. Everywhere you go, you hear such comments like “these Nigerians are taking over our country.”
I have had to go radio to defend Nigeria. Even our outgoing High Commissioner, Dr. Tunji Kolapo had to phone in on one of such programmes. Our students have been expelled for allegedly causing trouble in Kwame Nkrumah University of Technology in Kumasi. I also went on air to defend the allegations against them on discovering that the problem was largely that of LIFESTYLE. You cannot admit rich kids and collect their dollars and expect them not to live like superstars. You just need to monitor them and have good rapport with their parents or guardians.
A company in Tema once accused Nigeria of ruining their business, which led to their laying off about 200 workers, because President Obasanjo banned their goods. Many people therefore campaigned vigorously that Ghana should retaliate by banning Nigerian goods. I went on air to argue that Obasanjo did not target Ghanaian goods in particular, but those counterfeit goods that are smuggled into our country through our neighbours. It was also argued that if the Ghanaian had a good market in Nigeria, he should have considered establishing a base in Nigeria like we did in his country.
The most dangerous development is the manner the Ghana Investment Promotion Council is going around terrorising some Nigerian companies on the flimsy excuse that they were not duly registered with them. Under the law a wholly-owned foreign company must show evidence of a transfer of $50,000 into a cedi account in Ghana. There are companies that have transferred much more and were still marked for closure by GIPC under very suspect and confusing terminologies and legalese.
Those who should know the politics of it are telling us that the countdown to a clampdown on the “invaders” has started. A Nigerian company whose $50,000 worth of goods arrived from South Africa since February at Tema Port is yet to get it cleared as a result of a cobweb of technicalities. There are many good Nigerians working in Ghana, just as there are many wonderful Ghanaians doing business in Nigeria. A lot of our people have also intermarried. The Nigerian government has shown great faith in the people and government of Ghana, which made it possible for a major street in Accra to be named after President Olusegun Obasanjo. President John Agyekum Kufuor is very popular in Nigeria, especially after his thoughtful comments on the third term saga in Nigeria. He has a wealth of friends in Nigeria, and his government has been able to attract the largest investments and tourists ever from Nigeria. He needs to work hard at stopping some conservative people who are hell-bent on destroying his commendable relationship with Nigeria. A major media campaign for true love and the establishment of a helpline for African investors, especially the big players from Nigeria, would boost his towering stature and the Ghanaian economy. The investments being sought in Europe, America and Asia are waiting for Ghana, barely 45 minutes flight away. Chief Ojo Madueke, our Minister of Foreign Affairs should also seek urgent audience with his Ghanaian counterpart as well as our High Commission in Ghana before the situation degenerates any further. A stitch in time saves nine!!!
By Dele Momodu
delemomodu@thisdayonline.com
