Confirmation From A Friend

Today I received a message from a friend back in Nigeria who had just read my book (My Africa, My Africa) and he was telling me how much he enjoyed the book. He said, "The first page touched my heart" and went on to talk about how I spoke the truth about what's going on in Nigeria with the talented youth and how there is no cultivation on behalf of the government for these talented youth. First off I was really excited that someone that I had encountered on my journey really appreciated my story and the way I depicted the people and the country. Sometimes as an artist/writer you don't really know if your message is coming across the way you intended and he more than confirmed that I was dead on with the message I wanted to convey.

My friend is an aspiring maritime professional. After attaining his first degree in Maritime studies he is seeking employment in his industry and there are no jobs. He's also seeking to obtain a master's degree in the subject but has to go abroad to obtain the degree. For me this is the exact thing that is wrong with Nigeria today. If he is lucky enough to obtain a visa to go off to New York to obtain his Master's and find employment he will never return to Nigeria for anything other than a visit to his family. In hindsight a person instilled with nigerian cultural virtues has left nigeria to go and live a prosperous life and Nigeria as a country and a people have not benefited from this transaction. To me this is very similar to what is going on with the current oil subsidy crisis. A country rich in oil produces oil that goes off to enrich industries abroad and the people who live and are raised on these lands where the oil comes from receive nothing but high oil prices. A country that provides energy all over the world doesn't have regular energy itself. The oil companies such as Chevron have been spilling oil in my families native homeland in the Niger Delta for more than 60 years and there have been no political out cries from the Nigerian government to compensate these people.

I see a tremendous potential for the people of Nigeria if the few men with fat pockets see past the fleeting desires of wealth and think about the future of the children of Nigeria. Nigeria is a country full of resources and is being exploited by many international influences. I simply plead with the powers that be and ask, 'how much money do you need to make?'

'How many wives do you need?'
'How many cars can you drive?'
'Does the legacy of buying a bunch of things really matter more than the legacy of someone who gave a people opportunity?'

Book link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B006EP1CMA