Leader of the United Kingdom’s Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, a Yoruba by descent, came under fire recently for her comments about Nigeria which some Nigerians see as unpatriotic.
The new Conservative leader was accused of speaking in undignified manners about Nigeria and its leaders. For instance, she had described Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, as a city “where fear was everywhere,” insisting she “is not the PR for Nigeria”. Amongst Badenoch’s critics is Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Badenoch’s comments in themselves are not the real bone of contention. What irks her critics is the fact that the statements came from ‘a Nigerian’ who is now the leader of one of the biggest political parties in the UK, who may become the Prime Minister, PM.
The critics compare Badenoch to former PM Rishi Sunak, who is of Indian origin but never criticised India. They also see similarities in Badenoch’s statements and what Davido, Nigeria’s Afrobeat star, said recently about Nigeria in the U.S. Davido was also criticised for telling Americans not to invest in Nigeria because of the systemic corruption in the country.
We cannot but admit that both Badenoch and Davido spoke the truth about the situation of things in Nigeria. We also believe that instead of reacting negatively, what the offended Nigerians and government officials should have done was to look inwards and repent.
Badenoch’s utterances may seem harsh and undiplomatic for a politician of her stature, but it is always more beneficial to judge a message on its own merits instead of attacking the messenger. After all, there is nothing Badenoch and Davido said about Nigeria that both Nigerians and foreigners do not already know about. In recent times, the slogan, ‘may Nigeria never happen to you’, has become a wish exchanged between Nigerians. It means ‘may the avoidable death prevalent in Nigeria never happen to you’!
Many Nigerians do not wish to share Badenoch’s comments about Nigeria, especially on the North, but, sadly, our leaders’ corruption and lack of sincerity in finding genuine solutions to the problems they created leave people with little or no choice.
Those who benefit from the rot in Nigeria at any point in time will always lie about being proud of the country, but deep down their hearts, they are not. Nobody is proud of a country plunged into failure by corrupt and inefficient leaders who impose themselves on the people against their will.
Instead of flaying Badenoch and demanding spurious patriotism from her and others who feel sad about the rot in their country, we should invest the energy in turning over a new leaf. Badenoch’s critics should concentrate on giving Nigerians at home and abroad genuine reasons to be patriotic.
Hardly do citizens of prosperous countries where the rule of law reigns seek the citizenship of other countries. Badenoch sees herself more as a Briton than a Nigerian for good reasons, and we must respect her choice.
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