President Macron’s visit to Lagos: The good, bad and ugly

Maybe after President Macron’s public position on the issue of insecurity (saying that France is not in a position to help us), Nigeria would stop expecting countries that are working to come and think for us. There is no nation on earth that is going to solve our problems for us. You know why? One, it is because they do have theirs and they are not asking anyone to come and solve theirs for them. Two, they derive their dominance from us having problems we are too lazy to solve. Their entrepreneurs are exploiting our being refusing to think. In other words, we are going to wait forever, if we are expecting foreigners to come and fix our country for us.

This is called 21st century and it is cheerless that our leaders are still expecting — world powers to transfer to us — things that are making them who they are in the midst of the earth. No nation is going to transfer its technology to us; we would need to start thinking, so we can with intent develop ours. It will be foolish of any company to disclose its trade secrets. Thank you, President Macron for letting our leaders know that our problems are unwittingly made by us and only us can solve them, partnering with relevant countries.

Also, President Macron’s visit brought some glad tidings to Ogun, Kano and Lagos States, signing 475 dollars agreements on social amenities, reforestation…, covering urban mobility improvement programme of Lagos State; sustainable water supply in Kano city and reforestation in Ogun State. If the outcome of the 475 dollar agreements is allowed to touch the common man, then Mr. Macron’s visit ain’t a bad one!

President Macron is the first President to come to the “Afrika shrine,” where the man who saw and sang about Nigeria’s tomorrow, “Fela Anikulapo Kuti” was doing his own thing. Late Fela was jailed and beaten by those who were in power — who hated and couldn’t stand his message. Long after he died, a foreigner has come to endorse the place, giving it more global prominence and eminence. After Macron’s coming, our politicians would start looking towards the place, playing politics with it, using it to get people’s votes.

Weaving the three together, it is safe to say that Macron’s coming to Nigeria is “cool.” He has made history and generations to come will read about his two-day visit to one of the most promising countries on earth. It is my desire that Nigeria would realize how important she is before it is too late. Foreigners know our worth more than we do. And foreigners value us more than our leaders do. This is why I do not have any respect for any leader—who does not value our people.

Taking Macron’s visit to Abuja and Lagos a little further, anyone who says that our politicians do not know what to do to make Nigeria great is simply being roguish. One, the systems they build around themselves work. They have filling stations in the corridors of power and they enjoy twenty-four hours of uninterrupted power supply. Two, they give the citizens junk because they know that our people do not know that they are not being treated as human beings. Three, they treat our people the way they do, because they do not value them a hoot.

How do I mean? Two days ago, on my way home from the office, I noticed an urgent transformation — surrounding the major place that President Macron was visiting at Ikeja. And on his way to the “Afrika Shrine,” he would see those roads and streetlights. As an effect of this, some roads were quickly tarred and streetlights urgently fixed, not because of the downtrodden people of Lagos, but because of one man. Nigeria would not change until those in power can quickly fix roads, electric power supply, water supply…because of the voiceless and unknown common man. This is the bad and hypocritical aspect of his coming.

The mindset that quickly fixes roads and streetlights can never take us beyond where we are as a people. It is a very warped mindset. You can never find this kind of mindset in 1st world countries. The question is, when our politicians travel to countries where their systems are working, do they quickly fix roads and streetlights for them? This is one of the things that make it so pricey and painful being a Nigerian.

The ugly part of his coming to Lagos is the closing of some roads. On the 3rd of July, 2018, some roads were closed from 12noon to 12midnight, making it impossible for me to go to the office. As an effect of this, I had to work from home. Those whose offices are around those closed roads almost died — swimming in the pool of heavy traffic-jam. This is why it is a rare wisdom to have an office at home, especially if you are working for yourself. If you do not know, now you do know!

For how long are we going to be closing roads for the comfort of a few, discomforting the rest of us in Lagos? The other time President Buhari was in Lagos, many people’s offices were under lock for two days. One man’s visit crippled their livelihood. The question is, for the umpteenth time, do they close businesses for our leaders — each time they travel to 1st world countries?