TO THE HOMIES THAT WE LOST!

They remind me of my kids, another generation lost to the white man. Their parents fled Africa for greener pastures because our leadership failed them. They may have fled through the Sahara Desert or through the boats that capsize daily in the Mediterranean Sea or the English Channel. Somehow, they got into Spain alive, and started a life. 

Watching Spain celebrate Yamine and Nico is one of the major reasons why I challenge bad and oppressive leadership in Abia State. Personally, I'm now lost to Scotland. It was not my plan to stay back. I came to do a Masters Degree, with the hope of returning home after my degree. After my degree, I decided to get some work experience. My first job as a junior Engineer in the UK paid me my 12 months salary in Nigeria in just 1 month, even though I worked as a Senior Engineer in Nigeria. The funny thing is that the Nigerian company could actually pay us more because we were generating big money for them, but they were simply capitalists, riding in their Range Rovers while paying their staff peanuts. 

I gave myself 5 years to return to Nigeria, but with each passing year, Nigeria got worse, and here am I 16 years with no hope of returning to Nigeria. Almost all the funds I made in my first 7 years in the UK were invested in Nigeria, as I thought that I was coming home. That was how much I believed in Nigeria. Today, the annual returns from all those investments in Nigeria cannot my pay 3 months bills in the UK.

When I challenged Governor Ikpeazu for poor leadership and corruption, I did so because I knew that his actions contributed to my fate today as an ECONOMIC MIGRANT, and the inevitable fate waiting for my kids.

We pose in all those beautiful environments, claim to be British or American Citizens, change our accents, but the reality is that the major discussions on TV daily especially during election debates are focused on us. "How do we stop them from coming here?" Some come out openly to tell you to go back to your country. It makes you feel bad knowing that we could actually have the same life in our country if we do things right.

When I challenge Dr Alex C. Otti for his poor leadership, corruption and industrial scale abuse of Abia's funds, I do it because his actions will cement my stay here in the UK, and increase the chances of losing my kids to the UK. The reality is that he is doing worse with each passing day. 

Unfortunately, a young friend of mine, who recently moved to Canada with is family in search of greener pastures, is busy defending Alex C. Otti, and challenging me to a debate on Facebook. The young man was consistent in rightly calling Ikpeazu out, but today he defends Otti's corruption, and avoids any post where the reckless looting of Abia's funds is mentioned. The most saddening part is that this young man just finished his Masters programme in a Canadian University within 12 months. I'm sure that the Governor of that province of Canada does not interfere with the running of the university, and does not get involved in the payment of salaries of the university. Yet he defends Otti for owing lecturers of Abia State University several months of salaries, while he drinks tea and eats biscuits with about N100m of Abia's funds every month.

The young man equally had a job or jobs he was doing in Canada, while as a student, yet he defends a man who runs his office/home with N59m per working day, who has not created 1 single job for Abia Youth in 13 months as governor, who has not attracted 1 single investor, who has not supported any Abia business, who has not connected 1 single house to the state's electricity grid, who has not built 1 single school, who has not connected 1 house to the state's water grid, who has not built one single hospital hospital, but has claimed tens of billions of Naira for these projects, while his personal bank is multiplying in geometric progression since he became governor, and is now being used in state transactions.

Nico Williams could have helped Ghana win AFCON, Yamine Lamal may have helped Morocco win the next World Cup, but we have lost both of them to Spain, the same way we lost Bukayo Saka, Anthony Joshua, Israel Adesanya, Kamaru Usman MMA and many others. 

Spain treated Nico & Yamal as human beings, gave them good education and is now reaping the dividends of their investments in humanity. The saddest part of it is that many of us who are lost in Europe and America, are busy defending Alex C. Otti. 

Even after providing evidence to them that he continues to claim billions of Naira of public funds through non-existent projects, they find a way to defend his corruption, while blaming Tinubu. Their only reason is that he is their kinsman.

I just wonder if they ever think about the future of their kids!