Ajumogobia’s message to the nation

When earlier in the year, President Barack Obama was asked about the prospect of his former Secretary of State, Mrs. Hillary Clinton, should she decide to run for the America’s Presidency in 2016, Obama said without prevarication that, “she’s going to have some strong messages to deliver” and that she would make an excellent President.

These important messages, which situate at the heart of a nation’s journey to greatness and as devotedly inferred by President Obama, are the missing links in many democracies in Africa and of which many African leaders are equally lacking.

So when about two weeks ago, Mr. Odein Ajumogobia, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and former minister of foreign affairs, lent his voice to the anti-corruption mantra of President Buhari’s government, I felt one of the few public figures with some strong and powerful messages in Nigeria and on the continent of Africa had helped hit the nail on the head. I was positive that it would ignite many interventions for real messages to be delivered in the affairs of Nigeria and its people and Africa as a whole.

Ajumogobia, a gentleman with impeccable credentials in public and private services, who coincidentally has worked very closely with Hillary Clinton when both were heads of Nigeria and US foreign ministries respectively, raised the bar for President Buhari’s fight against corruption by offering a thought-provoking suggestion in ridding Nigeria of the corrupt elements who are holding back the country’s clock of progress.

Speaking from the sidelines of the first Annual National Law Officers’ Conference in Abuja, which he chaired, Ajumogobia proposed a new law that would compel suspects facing corruption charges to explain the sources of their wealth. The former minister suggested that the new law should allow for the prosecution of accused persons by weighing their yearly earnings against their wealth.

Certainly, If one is to judge from the perspective of the damage being done to Nigeria’s economy and the lives of her citizens by the country’s rapacious politicians vis-à-vis her potential for growth, one cannot help but agree with Ajumogobia’s stance.

Perhaps the only obstacle for the operation of this law would be the legislature through which such propositions must pass to gain valid existence. And that legislature, unfortunately, is peopled with individuals many of whose personal acquisitions cannot pass a simple test of legitimacy.

That notwithstanding, I believe consistent beating of the drum against questionable and dishonest acquisitions could sound a piercing noise for necessary adjustment and decency into the ears of the wrongdoers, and also draw attention to their lifestyles which may ease the investigation and prosecution efforts of the relevant agents of the state.

Meanwhile, if many of the self-serving politicians across the country, particularly those at the legislative arm of government choose to disregard the kernel importance of Ajumogobia’s idea which, I believe, is very critical to our development and the anti-graft crusade of the federal government, such objective is not lost on the wider African public.

And this was attested to by the reactions of the participants at the just-concluded Africa Shapers’ Summit on Entrepreneurship that I organised along with my friend, the cerebral and multi-award winning journalist, Adeola Akinremi, at Four Points By Sheraton in Lekki, Lagos.

The summit, held last Thursday was to commemorate the Global Entrepreneurship Week in Lagos, Nigeria and it had Ajumogobia as one of its leading speakers.

There, the respectable lawyer delivered an eloquent and poignant speech surrounding the development of Africa, the entrepreneurial pursuits of many Africans despite the harsh realities that still pervade the continent’s business environment, and the news of opportunities on the continent of Africa that is being amplified fervently by our Western Frenemies (friendly-enemies), as I would like to describe many of these Western nations that have curiously become the cheerleaders of the “new” Africa.

Amongst other valuable nuggets, Ajumogobia reminded the large crowd that cuts across the young and old that “Africa’s rising is a convenient and dangerous one, because it is a challenge for youths to tap into the emerging market for growth and prosperity. Africa, one day, would become the economic power of the world. But, we may not get there with improper planning and bad trade policies. Africa must create its market to sell the entrepreneurship ideas of its youths.”

The former foreign affairs minister hinted that he would improve action in the delivery of such salient messages under an Africa Now concept in a selfless bid to enlighten Africans of all generations, particularly the younger generation, on the reality of now; and the urgent need to accelerate efforts in rescuing the continent from its development challenges without getting carried away by the hype of the Western megaphones.

A similar call for realistic developmental approaches was also made by successful entrepreneur and the CEO of Marine Platforms, Taofik Adegbite, who was one of the speakers at the summit.  He equally lamented the scourge of poverty across the continent which he said would stultify greater entrepreneurial benefits.

So, if nothing at all, the constant reminder by the Nigerian Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, that there are 110 million Nigerians living in extreme poverty and the eradication of poverty sitting atop the newly adopted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the UN make the Ajumogobia message really invaluable and timely for Africa