Photo credit: Reuters
That Nigeria is begging for alms and carrying its porringer to countries that could help out is now a matter some people are wasting their time on. According to stories, Nigeria has gone to secure a loan of 328 million dollars from China to boost its telecommunications.
What’s the problem of these wailers? After all if the loan comes through, it will be used to the benefit of some politically exposed elements on our behalf.
We, like the prodigal son, are now going to nations which, Nigeria, in the days of its splendour would not touch with a ten foot pole, to beg for alms.
By the way, if the national assembly was filled with people of impeccable character, I would have pleaded with them to probe the loan. But then, iru kan na ni kanun. That is, they are not much different from each other.
Loan for telecoms? What’s wrong with our telecoms? Let’s even agree that a lot of things are wrong. I’m aware that telecommunications companies operate in this country. What’s wrong with encouraging them to make donations which will automatically give them tax reliefs?
Something keeps telling me that the loan will go the way of its predecessors. It will be wasted. We are already piling up debts for our future generations.
Nigeria has so much to develop if it could only exercise some fiscal discipline. For instance, an Indian once told me that before anyone brought in an item like a motor car, for instance, it would be recorded on their passport because the system expects them to take those items out when they were going away from the country.
I learnt that China, on its own closed its borders when it was undergoing changes.
But Nigeria will have none of that. We are a people with the highest of tastes but we tend not to produce anything to exchange for our sophisticated tastes.
To produce food has remained a problem not to talk of going into scientific exploits. Yet our nationals are everywhere on the globe making waves.
At the rate we are going, when the nation really goes to the dogs, we will be seeking loans from our less endowed neighbours who have managed to keep their finances okay.
A fool and his money!
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