Comments on naijablog: On the replication of values

@ Akin:Your question is very valid, and I strongly...

2006-08-16T02:43:00.000+01:00

@ Akin:
Your question is very valid, and I strongly urge you to put it to the Nigerian consulate at your base.

Opium: To vote in NIgeria and elsewhere in the world, one has to be registered- have you name listed in a voters' register.

The issue Opium brings up- the 'absentee ballot' is unfortunately not an option yet in Nigeria. But it will be resolved in the nearest future- on one condition though. Progressives with practical ideas like Utomi must assume power in Nigeria, It is that simple!

As long as one is a Nigerian, and has NIgerian blood running through one's vein, it is imperative to look beyond the obvious and distractions and make some adjustments and allignment that makes this a reality.

Opium,I suppose that presents an interesting situa...

2006-08-15T18:58:00.000+01:00

Opium,

I suppose that presents an interesting situation, my Nigerian passport expired in 1995 and I never renewed having suffered enough from the suspicion that entertains a non-European passport when travelling round Europe.

The idea of Nigerians in Diaspora voting is a nice one, especially if consulates and embassies can manage the logistics of registering Nigerians and handling their votes.

It might be that there should be a proviso that those who have not visited Nigeria in the last 5 years cannot vote.

I was concerned when I visited the Nigerian ambassador to Germany and found that I could be co-opted into sorting out some IT related problems.

Is there anything about legally British citizens with Nigerian ancestry working for the Nigerian diplomatic service?

Jeremy, How about starting a call to all Nigerians...

2006-08-15T13:25:00.000+01:00

Jeremy,

How about starting a call to all Nigerians away from home to go home and vote in the 2007 elections. E.g. give "us" updates of the election registration process, haphazard as it may be, etc. Challenge people to use their vote back home where it will, in the long/short term, count for them.

"us" because though I am Nigerian I do not hold a Nigerian passport but that's another debate.

I must admit that that interview came across wrong...

2006-08-15T01:10:00.000+01:00

I must admit that that interview came across wrongly even for me- who believes in Utomi. I had since made a transition and now see a different person with great and well-conceived ideas!

Personally, I won't let events in Nigeria continue to mount unnecessary obstructions to seeing a better Nigeria. In fact, it invigorates me that there must be a change.

Maybe Pat Utomi does have some seriously good idea...

2006-08-15T00:30:00.000+01:00

Maybe Pat Utomi does have some seriously good ideas for developing Nigerian infrastructure, but you only a few months ago offered a link to an interview with him on the quest for presidency.

After reading that article, I was concerned about presidential aspirants who express their desires through martyrdom and in the case of Utomi, he had the view that contesting the presidency would diminish his stature.

Anyone who wants to rule Nigeria should have their heart in it whilst they bring their good brains to bear on issues.

As for returning to Nigeria, the episode with Okonjo-Iweala regardless of the underlying issues does not encourage many of us in Diaspora.

About a quarter way reading through your writeup J...

2006-08-14T18:33:00.000+01:00

About a quarter way reading through your writeup Jeremy, I said to myself Pat Utomi is the person that can do just what you are talking about--"create ideological development and inject fresh thinking into conservative societies."

You didn't disappoint me; you can see a gem among the garbage that has accumulated on the Nigerian political landscape.