THE POLITICIAN OCTOBER 2013 | Page 52

Arguments have been posed to the effect that these foreign partners were brought in because of their superior competence and expertise in business and even though there is some element of truth in that, there is also another reason why some Nigerians prefer to partner with foreign entities and that reason is simply because they don’t want any other Nigerian to know what they know, do what they do, and have what they have. This attitude however must be flushed out of the Nigerian psyche’ if our nation is to achieve its target of being amongst the 20 most developed nations in the world by the year 2020. We have less than 10 years to achieve this great vision that was set out by President Olusegun Obasanjo, late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, and 36 we can only achieve this when we realize that the task of nation building is “ours” and not “theirs”. So when I titled this article with a question “who is Nigeria”? The answer is simple, we are Nigeria. You, me and every single person of Nigerian ancestry has been mandated to be a problem solver in our great land. My question to you therefore is this; will you roll up your sleeves and begin the work nation building or will you join the other faceless and nameless critics that have absolutely nothing to offer the nation apart from cheap rhetoric and accusations? The choice is yours but as for me, I have decided to be on the right side of history. I have decided to stand up and be counted, to play my part in the realization of the 2020 vision laid out by our illustrious leaders. I believe in Nigeria because I believe in myself, what about you?