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UNANAONLINE.ORG

At the summit, from L-R are Governor Uduaghan, the Nigerian representative at the UN, Mrs. Carrington, Ambassador Walter Carrington and Professor G.G. Darah

Governor Ewetan Uduaghan at a recently concluded D3 summit in New York, said Delta State is just as safe as America. Gov. Uduaghan said this in response a participant of the summit who expressed fears of the possibility of her family being attacked or killed while visiting Nigeria. Governor Uduaghan added that there is crime everywhere in the world. He referred to the news he heard while in the US about a family of eight being shot dead by an assailant. He then stated that "Delta State is just as safe as America". When reminded at the close of deliberations for that day, which was around 8 pm, that he could jump in a car in New York and travel to Atlanta, a journey of about 17hrs, without  fear of attack whatsoever, but you cannot say the same for a trip from Warri to Asaba. Governor Uduaghan said that is not true "People are making the trip as we speak".

Now, there lies the problem! The failure of Nigerian officials to fully grasp a grave impediment to the return of Deltans and indeed Nigerians in the Diaspora. The same goes for investors. This grave concern being dismissed by the wave of  hand.

In recent years, my family and I visiting from the US, were twice victims of  armed rubbery. We were subject to a life threatening ordeal  which put an indelible experience especially in the young minds of my children who were minors at the time. They had never experienced anything like that while living in the US before and thereafter.
To be sure these are not isolated incidents, the same can be said of most Diaspora Nigerians who at one time or another visited Nigeria. Virtually every one of  them can relate to this unfortunate phenomenon. They either have had similar experience or they know of a relation or friend or an acquaintance who had either been attached or killed by armed robbers.
Earlier this year, the governor's very own entourage was attacked by armed robbers near Oghara, on his way to Warri.

Gov. Uduaghan said he was terrified when he looked out of  his 45th floor hotel room window, he was afraid a plane might just fly in and blow up the building, probably having the 2001 terrorist attack on the world trade center in mind. The governor was obviously paranoid. The chances of this happening is very slim. He is more likely to get struck by an asteroid than another plane flying inter that hotel building.

The point here is that, the issue of security of life is one of the most important reasons Nigerians in Diaspora and Investors alike get discouraged from returning to Nigeria. The ones that do, are either blindly patriotic, or do so because of family bonds or they are daredevil investors. No amount of profit in the world is worth dying for.
I know of Diaspora Nigerians who prefer to stay put and invest wherever they live, or go to safer neighboring countries like Ghana, Benin, Togo etc to invest.

The same reason is why tourism cannot really take root in Nigeria. The government pump billions of Naira into programs trying to lure the elusive western tourist to no avail. All they have to do is take a cue from countries where tourism thrive to get a clue of what the problems are. These countries have something in common. They are relatively safe. Most tourists want to visit a place where they  harbor very little fear of attack from criminals. They go to a place where they can settle down and relax.

Nigeria must first, squarely, face the issue of security of life & property with the priority it deserves, if it truly wants to attract investors and it's Diaspora Citizens. Attracting the Diaspora goes beyond a wish. They must be actively courted and persuaded by paying close attention to their real concerns.

The government must seek and thoroughly study other countries like China, Israel,  and more recently India that had succeeded in bringing back their Diaspora.