Former Minister of External Affairs, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, discusses the re-election of the President of African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s nomination as head of t...
Former Minister of External Affairs, Prof Bolaji Akinyemi, discusses the re-election of the President of African Development Bank, Dr Akinwumi Adesina; Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala’s nomination as head of the World Trade Organisation; and Nigeria’s acceptance of Chinese loans, in this interview with TOBI AWORINDEBut you know I had stated this before that, since I left the ministry , I have refrained from commenting on activities of the ministry.
People have made the argument that Nigerians have not done enough to protest police brutality in Nigeria, where it is perhaps even worse than in the United States. What do you say about that? Number two, there are several streets all over this country that are named after slave dealers and colonial officers and agents with very unsavoury characters, and yet, the names have been kept. I know Lagos has tried in the sense that there are several names I grew up knowing and they have new names now. But there are several others still there. I really believe we ought to make a conscious effort to really revisit the issue of colonial names in our political system.
Even the name of Nigeria itself, have you considered that? The name of Nigeria, apart from the fact that it was given to us by the mistress, girlfriend or wife — whatever it is — of Mr Lugard, there is a dispute over its meaning. Some say ‘Nigeria’ means ‘area of niggers’. While some say ‘Niger’ was the Latin name for blacks. Why did we keep that name? Ghana was Gold Coast. At independence, it changed its name to ‘Ghana’. Mali was not ‘Mali’. It was at independence it changed its name to ‘Mali’.
There is also the popular argument that the President’s recognition of June 12 benefited him politically…. I believe that we need to let Nigerians know that there is a limit to which Nigeria itself can protect them externally. If you’re in a country, obey the laws of that country. If, even after obeying the laws of that country, you are then maltreated, then Nigeria could step in diplomatically, threatening retaliation all kinds of things that are still within the diplomatic discourse.
Yes, foreign loans bother me. Number one, what are those loans going to be used for? If it’s to develop infrastructure; if it is to engineer industrial growth that will add to our Gross Domestic Product, so that it will facilitate the repayment of those loans, then fine. We’re a potentially rich country, if management of the economy is top class.
There are critical and strategic sectors like that that, as we pursue this dream of a post-COVID-19 development plan, those are the kinds of things we should be focused upon, and I don’t see us being focused upon them. To go back to your question, in Nigeria, we really cannot run out of funds, let us face it. So, the quantum of the loan we are raising is still no threat to Nigerian development. We’re not a banana republic.
Can you address the issue of xenophobia in South Africa against Nigerians and other Africans? What is the solution? Stay at home! I know things are hard here, but it’s all part of it because, in a way, we must know what we’re talking about. The US will continue to allow medical doctors, qualified engineers and architects to come into the US. It is people who have no specialised qualification that they’re targeting.
There is another category of people that the US targeted, which is people from Nigeria and other African countries who travel to give birth so their children can obtain US passports. Do you think the travel ban was the right decision? Nigeria has to pursue national interest on any particular issue. And if Nigerian policymakers feel that nominating Mrs Okonjo-Iweala for that job , then we should fight for her and ensure that she gets it or, at least, puts up a good fight. Whether Egypt decides to put in its own candidate for the positon should be of no concern to us, if we should fight for Mrs Okonjo-Iweala.
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