Originally Posted by Big-K 
Ayomide
Take your digital camcorder along. Enjoy!
Big K,
Thanks for putting me on the spot like that knowing that I’m no longer technologically savvy. I tried to ignore your entry but… So, I said lemme rush to Costco o… Na so porsin wey wan die con meet porsin wey wan kill am. Na so dem push JVC EverioS camcorder for me hand make a carry go. The thing dey so user unfriendly, the audio, which I was emphatic about, was of
very poor quality and the video, forget it! So, you go wait small make I waylay Osagie, the President of NAS, the Northern California Chapter, in the next few days. Perhaps he too will come and join us here to recount his experience giving us a better insight…’cause em…na so-so Seadogs full joint.
Anyway, I missed most of the cultural events during the course of the day. I’m awaiting the CD/DVD after completion, however, I made it to the night event and that was quite interesting.
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Hon. Aminu Shehu Shagari., Chair, House of Representatives, Committee on Steel, Federal Republic of Nigeria was ending his speech when I arrived. He was at the tail end in diplomatic deference to area dignitaries, so, you will have to listen to him as soon as the DVD is available.
The Key Note Speaker for the evening, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Chair, House of Representatives, Committee on Diaspora Affairs (which includes all of us outside the country), Federal Republic of Nigeria, gave a speech, I believe many came to hear…; a speech on “Global Citizenship, Charting the Winds of Change”, the main theme for the evening. You should have witnessed the “Lagbaja wetin you get for me moment” from the audience.
She highlighted that for the first time in the history of Nigeria, the House of Representatives set up her committee specifically for Diaspora Affairs, i.e., matters of concern to us, therefore ‘we’ are her constituents: “We are here, and there for you”, she said as she warmed up to us, followed by a roaring welcoming appreciation.
She commented that there are about 8 million Diasporans, although, with unclear statistics and a poor database, it was difficult to estimate how many are actually outside the country. About 4 million are in the Americas alone, she said.
She applauded successes amongst Nigerians in the Diaspora and minced no words in the challenges facing the country, emphasizing how transformational our successes here can translate into desired growth on all levels in Nigeria, and in return for good governance.
In diffusing the seriousness in the ballroom, although making factual statements, nonetheless, well known shortfalls plaguing the country, she was honest, not sugar-coating Nigeria’s problems especially concerning the lack of electricity. In fact, during her speech, she joked about her son calling just the day prior imploring her to enjoy the constant electricity for the few days she is visiting because she should not expect any upon her return. In consolation, she said he’d commented on the nicer weather in Nigeria; albeit, many Nigerians would gladly swap cold weather for a daily dose of half a day of electricity throughout a winter season.
Without downplay, she reiterated our lack of infrastructural development, embedded corruption, failure at a decent scale of electricity generation, lack of water and a dire need of capable Nigerians for the task at hand. She congratulated all successful Nigerians in the Diaspora, and beseeched their help in working in a partnership towards blowing the ‘Winds of Change” back to Africa. She further encouraged, in an adage that “no matter how a river flows, it can never forget its source”; in like manner throwing the challenge on us to return home immersing ourselves in our various areas of interest.
She marveled at how Nigerians in the UK have made a mark there, citing developmental milestones by Nigerians, making references to the man behind British energy being a Nigerian, of whom Nigeria was not even aware.
Not forgetting Sanya Ojikutu, in the state of Maryland, USA, who recently developed ShareBuds MX™ Twin Stereo Earphones, designed to offer a fun, easy and superior way for two people to listen to and share their favorite playlist together on an iPod or Mp3 player, with a patent-pending by Apple, Hon. Dabiri-Erewa acknowledged her pride in the Diasporan.
Furthermore, and excelling in acting, medicine, the arts, music, sports and in many other areas, she pleaded that Nigeria needs to tap into our enormous human resources more than ever, stressing that it is a challenge and that our ‘wind of change’ should blow back to Africa. Change, she enthused as witnessed in the Obama phenomenon.
She called for unity, working as one even in our cultural and ethnic differences, together, for a stronger Nigeria, without which she warned we cannot achieve much.
To that end, she hailed NIDO (Nigerians in Diaspora Organization), other diaspora Nigerian organizations, including individual contributions, in extensions to health centers and various charities; although she encouraged that these individual achievements should be channeled into a wholesome benefaction for Nigeria.
In so stating, she recognized the impact of Diasporan ‘dollars’ in the Nigerian economy to the tune of over $18bn annually (70% of the total remittance to Africa goes to Nigeria of which $4bn towards charity work came from the Bay area alone), yet insisting that channeling our collective resources and concrete ideas will move a stronger Nigeria forward faster than charitable contributions. In the deplorable state of affairs in the Nigeria of today, I was very much in accord with her.
She called for a database to identify where we are, what we are doing and how we are doing it, indicating that the Nigerian Diaspora Group is already working on one and that it is open to everybody.
Sadly, she informed that although the courts have ruled that we cannot vote, we must continue to try to change the law against The Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) ruling, a cause to which the House is devoted thereby enabling us a major stay to vote out a President and vote in our choice.
She called for a total electoral package reform that is primal on the President’s agenda, and that the House of Representatives had a motion calling for a presentation of its electoral reform report to the Parliament for a quick/swift action to ensure that all votes do count. For this, in particular, she received a very strong applause.
She commended Dr. Philip Emeagwali on his notable contributions in ideas, stating that a recent review of his read has him stating that “ideas, not money can eradicate poverty”.
The basis of her speech centered around Nigeria not needing separate clusters but a collation of ideas “together” to move the country forward. Adding finally that our ideas, brains, and enormous resources are needed and that for this reason her committee was created to work with us, stating: “use us, harass us, stress us, and let us know what it is you want to do. Whatever the lapses, we are there as a committee to look into it. That is the work of Parliament. We will place the executive on their toes to ensure that these things are done”. A major challenge, she said, is having a Nigerian Diaspora Commission, a Commission strictly for Diaspora affairs, to guide Diaspora policy with which the Diaspora can channel its resources into concrete results at home, ending in confidence that God willing, that bill should pass.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we need you, you need us; your country needs you, your continent needs you and you need your country; so, the challenge to all of us, and I’m appealing to you all is that we work together; let’s work together in building a strong virile nation and ultimately a strong virile continent. Ladies and gentlemen, I hope we can achieve this and I will come back in a few months to talk about what concrete actions we’ve been able to take as a result of our various activities today. We have to do it, together. Thank you very much.”
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I had the opportunity to engage her on a one-on-one conversation asking if she was aware of the NVS and its Market Place of Ideas, boldly informing her that we have nothing but ideas in abundance. I was quite stunned when she was in the affirmative but disappointingly commenting that the arguments during discussion of ideas can be overwhelming, sometimes. [Enh? Egba mi (somebody save me), I thought, we, the best of the best of the best on the www, ka ma ri (God forbid bad thing)
…] I wasn’t going to let her off that easy, encouraged she visits again and that she will be surprised to find our home page filled with nothing but ideas on alternative energy, modern agriculture, self-sustaining small business ventures as a means of injecting life into the economy, Infrastructural suggestions including revamping primary and tertiary healthcare, transportation—reconstruction of our roads including routine maintenance—to include a functional rail system and waterways to decongest the megacity (>10 million people), cities and a maintenance of peaceful rural living, other basic amenities, water etc, etc. She is giving it another consideration but again, insists that Nigeria needs ideas now more than anything else and that since she represents the Diaspora, she is looking forward to being bothered relentlessly by us.
I intend to persuade that she visits us again (NVS, that is). In the meantime, it might be worthwhile to aggregate and highlight all suggested ideas on our site in a highly visible and accessible section. She is aware that NVS will haunt her again and happily, she replied that she will be looking forward to it. She insists that it is for this reason she was elected to work for us.
I must say, in ending, that she is very charming, approachable and honest and that, I respect.
Re: NAS International Sixth Annual Black History Event; February Saturday 28, 2009 
"Global Citizenship, Charting the Winds of Change"--Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa 
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Re: NAS International Sixth Annual Black History Event; Oakland CA 
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