"The U.S. Department of State warns U.S. citizens of the risks of travel to Nigeria, and continues to recommend U.S. citizens avoid all but essential travel to the Niger Delta states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers; the Southeastern states of Abia, Edo, Imo; the city of Jos in Plateau State, Bauchi and Borno States in the northeast; and the Gulf of Guinea because of the risks of kidnapping, robbery, and other armed attacks in these areas. Violent crime committed by individuals and gangs, as well as by persons wearing police and military uniforms, remains a problem throughout the country. This notice replaces the Travel Warning for Nigeria dated October 19, 2010, to update information on recent violent activity and crime in Nigeria. "
The above excerpt is Paragraph One of the travel warning for Nigeria with the US State Dept. The website address is http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_5580.html. This website was updated on 10/31/11.
Who are we deceiving ?????? That an American company will ignore the warning from its own State Dept and do considerable investment deals with us?
I have not heard any dialogue nationally or otherwise on how we will take this country off that list !!!!
We need Investments and Trade Deals but every American Company before leaving the shores of the United States checks out with the US State Dept. When a deal is made it is not a hidden thing. The three trade deals worth billions of dollars with Panama,South Korea and Colombia were announced worldwide. Real deals are announced openly,they are not hidden !!!!! Real investment like Range Rover going to India is announced openly ,or like google setting shop at Sweden or AT&T trying to merge with Sprint etc.
However there are rules of engagement. We will not force Oyinbo to invest with us(Which involves them spending their money) in the midst of Assassinations,Kidnappings,Murders,Corruption and all other kinds of chaos. Contrary to what sycophants may want to say, things are relatively peaceful where these huge companies and conglomerates open shop at. We may smile at them and they may smile back at us but the fact remains that they are not stupid. They know everything that is going on and they will surprise you if they want to describe your own environment for you !!
The sub division of the G-20 countries ,the G-8 (Canada,France,Italy,Japan,United Kingdom,United States and Russia) control the world's economy and they have standards. We will not dictate to them, they rather dictate to others. Silent observers to this group include China,Brazil,India,Mexico and South Africa.
So we can go for investment meetings, theycan even be gracious enough to open the wine bottle for you but it ends there. When it is over they will open the door and let you go quietly with your issues. You will not force them to invest in your chaos ridden society reeking of corruption.
All that Akwa Abasi Ibom state needs is one,I mean one Fortune 100 Company to come and open shop in Uyo and Three-Quarters of Akwa Ibom is employed in no time with a huge crowd of foreigners working and living there and buying land too and building houses !
However,whenever I put my ear to the ground it always us doing deals with some company that is so africanized that they are as corrupt as the people themselves like Julius Berger etc.
How about a Fortune 100 company like HoneyWell, Google, Cisco, Northrup Grumman,Boeing, Apple, Microsoft, Dow Chemical, Walgreen, Walmart, Proctor and Gamble , HP, Dell, 3M, General Dynamics, Intel just to mention a few of them. You cannot close a deal with these guys by force. They will not invest in your area when you cannot even take that stuff in the travel warning off from the US State Dept website.
So who are we deceiving ??
Investment is not having all the outfits in the state being co-ops of the State Government. Investments for Akwa Abasi Ibom State should "Heavily" affect the lives of the common man. I would rather prefer a Fortune 100 company coming into Uyo and the service companies to that investment belong to the common man. Say Intel came to Uyo and opened a Billion dollar plant. Let the Cafeteria Caterer be from Akwa Ibom state,same for the Stationary supplier,Car Fleet Managing Company,Pharmaceutical Supply Company, Maintenance supplies,Travel Agency,Auditing Firm,Technical supplies and the list goes on and on.
When it is real it is open. CNN would just announce that Microsoft is going to Uyo, nothing is hidden. Trade deals are announced openly and worldwide. In fact it is like a kind of signal that the country or area is opened for high powered business with the atmosphere to match. So all these "hidden" attempts to pull investment into the state is just something else. It is a reflection of a forgone era that we will not let go. The fact also is that instead of admitting the truth ,people would rather die in silence.
Ghaddafi figured this out and he spent millions of dollars with consulting firms trying to regain the image of Libya and it paid off . So what are we doing to attract investment ? Rather Nigerians want to eat their cake and have it. With all the inconsistent electric power, Assassinations,Corruption,Kidnappings, we believe we will make the world come in and invest in us by force !!!! Obama in fear of Nigeria will announce a major trade deal with Nigeria or Akwa Abasi Ibom State ! Right?
I repeat again and again as some people who travelled are beginning to realize. Oyinbo are not stupid. Like most of our people are beginning to recognize, after all the talk ,they opened the door and the team left. If there was a major trade deal signed or investment agreement signed and made,we would have heard about it in their own foreign TV stations and ours too and CNN does not miss that kind of news with Fox Business Channel too. Never heard Nigeria mentioned not to talk about Akwa Abasi Ibom State.
Oyinbo are not stupid,they will not spend a dime in your land if the atmosphere is not conducive. They do not have a problem taking your money and building Airports/Repair Hangers and Seaports and Hotels and stuff for you. However it is another story when you say that Mercedes Benz has decided to build the Assembly plant for the next generation S-class in Akwa Abasi Ibom State. This would entail Mercedes Benz buying land in Uyo and building their own Residential Estate,then a huge Industrial complex and employing the local populace and then shipping the finished product from a Sea port in Akwa Abasi Ibom State to the rest of the world. That is real investment and Oyinbo are not moved by words to invest in less than ideal conditions and spend their hard earned money where they could easily get killed or kidnapped or get annoyed by Corruption.
It is a bit humbling ,the day you go to Boeing and start trying to have them assemble engine parts of the New Dreamliner 787 in your state not to talk about country. That is when you know how powerful you are in the world business scene. Asking Wal-mart to use your state as an "experimental hub" to penetrate the African market(knowing that entails them spending millions of dollars) and they delay you in a hotel room cuz they cannot wait to penetrate your part of the world and want you to sign a deal.
Oyinbo are not stupid
If this administration is not careful,they will end up being the administration with a record that succeeded in paying huge sums of money to foreign companies for contracts and services rendered but could not attract a single solid fortune 500 company to invest likewise in the land.
A super spending state that spent every single dime away.
Bringing Life changing investment is where the real work begins and we shall come to notice that Oyinbo are not stupid.
They are rather ready to give you awards than to bring a company to your land that will make 2000 Americans to be permanently stationed in Uyo spending cash like no man business.Oyinbo are not stupid.
Until we get our name off that travel warning list no solid company will want to do business with us and we can continue to act like we are superior to them and that we do not need trade and investment with Europe and the United States of America.
In fact we don't need their help because oil money is flowing and AIDN will figure out how to get companies into Akwa Abasi Ibom State with the name of our state on a warning list.
I also anticipate all those that will attack me for bringing to notice the fact that the name of Akwa Abasi Ibom State is on a travel warning list.
Oyinbo are not stupid
Clayton Udoh
Defender of the Down Trodden Masses.
No comments:
Post a Comment