Buhari:Expectations of a Diasporan by Janet Fasan

JANET IN BELGIUMLike many who came to study in the UK in the  80s, the expectation and indeed the convention was to return to Nigeria to find employment. I was no exception to this rule and duly returned if only for a brief period  in 1985 after completing first and masters degrees in law. At the time Nigeria was  in the grip of military rule and my boss the late chief Gani Fawehinmi, human rights campaigner and activist was at the  forefront of a campaign against the excesses of the then military  government.  I ‘checked out’ in 1989  as the country’s fortunes declined , however little did I know that things would get much worse and that  the excesses of the military rule  would  pale into insignificance when compared to what was to come under subsequent civilian administrations. Twenty odd years in the diaspora and  I feel   drawn to my great country  once again.  The new government holds much promise and   I feel,  as I suspect do many in the  disapora, that this is the time to make a contribution.

My expectations of the new government   are  the same  as those of many Nigerians – stable power , security ,good infrastructure,  and  good governance   to name a few.

Beyond these,  I would like to see  the new government  foster a climate that actively encourages some of the  many  of the Nigerians in diaspora to  return to Nigeria to put to use their  skills, talents  and expertise.  It should not be a big ask to create such a climate. It is about creating a culture where merit is rewarded and cronyism and god fatherism are shunned, where openness and accountability are the order of the day, where people go into government to ‘serve’ the  people and not themselves, where crime is  punished and  justice prevails and  where all are equal before the law.  It is about good functioning schools with  high standards of education fit for the modern world, It is about good leadership that manages our collective wealth whilst creating opportunities for employment/growth  and improves the lives of all Nigerians and not just the privileged few.  It is about   guaranteeing the  safety and security of all our people irrespective of tribe or tongue, …. it is about things we take for granted in  the developed world.

Some of the above can be achieved  in the short term and  others longer term but this government cannot afford to ignore Nigerians in the diaspora and the human capital  that they could contribute to  making our great country even greater and regaining  her title ‘Giant of Africa’, a task in which we all have a part to play.

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