[I Love Nigeria]

Kalu,

Thanks for your comments. I understand how you feel.
However, there are other ways to examine and confront these issues and I will tell you a story.

It is of a father who played football and also wrestled with his, his son always won, this gave the son so much confidence, and the son prospered in everything he did and his father was proud, very proud of him.

One day, the father was sick, son was visiting his hospital bedside, and said to dad, I cant wait until you are strong enough to wrestle and play football with me, I know I will beat you in both. Father calmly narrated to son how and why he always allowed son’s triumph and how this was to instill confidence and can-do attitude in the son, confidence and can-do which son imbibed with which he has conquered all.

This is a lesson in good parent techniques.

I have also seen men who run with their wives or daughters, and men who chose to run at the pace of a weaker runner and both, sharing the good company of one another, and the benefits of jogging simultaneously. I am a runner, and just like my mother use to tell us her kids, life is a middle, there is Always someone above and someone below you, and someone to who you are above etc. Even despite my physical dexterity, there are lot of men and women, who are even still physically tougher than me, so, anytime I run or exercise with anyone, (male or female) who is less dexterous, I learn to take it easy, so that it is fun for them too! Imagine how I will look, if I were to sprint ahead, because I am stronger!

See how Mr. Obama hired Mrs. Clinton? No winner takes all. Too many among Nigerian “leaders” practice winner takes all, Kalu and me, should learn to do different, be magnanimous, like Mr. Obama! After all the excoriating campaign, in which Mrs. Clinton threw everything and the kitchen sink at him, who do you want to call at 3:00AM? The rest of it is now history.

Merit is not an exclusive preserve of Nigerians from the south.
It should be borne in mind that Nigerians from the north did not embrace western education when the south did, mostly because Christian Missionaries Society/School were evangelizing through their mission schools.

In the near future, a time will come, when there will be an equalization of numbers of college graduates and professionals across Nigeria. You must remember that girl-child used to be considered a waste by some in the south, and now, there are more females in the south, who are college educated, middleclass professionals, than the men, who had the gender advantage at some point in Nigeria’s education history.

In the United States, there used to be more men in the workforce, who are college educated, these days, in the USA, there more women in the workplace than men, and there are of course more college educated women, than men. The same used to be for sports, sporting events in which men participated were funded and the females were neglected, that has also changed in the USA, to the extent that American female soccer team is internationally known/popular, more than the American men in soccer.

Well meaning Nigerians should not see any happiness in leaving any segment of Nigeria behind developmentally. We should pull along. We should actively support those who are perceived to be weaker than us. It is often said that, a society’s human refinement is judged by how such society treats its weakest member.

We are Nigerians, north, south, east and west. We should support each and everyone of ourselves. We should not appear to engage in condescension when we refer to other Nigerians. We have to be cognizant and conscious of the reaction which our condescension might generate among those other Nigerians.

What possibly could be my loss, if there are hospitals with competent doctors, adequately equipped, in every part of Nigeria. And, how can we do that, when and if, everyone does not meet your parameter for admission to medical school through JAMB etc