THE GUARDIAN www.ngrguardiannews.com
Monday, December 30, 2013 POLITICS 11
democratise economy, says Jackson should be access to potable water; there shouldn’t be poverty in the land, and there must be a connection between your votes and your living standard. There must be conscious efforts to make things work for the people. We must separate the walls between us: high level of corruption, high level of segregation; it is illegal now. But then, there are these disparities in health care, housing, jobs, education and skills acquisition; the gaps are widening. Africa deserves a degree of respect because we are all basically the same and need to sit and figure certain things out. That’s why we are having an African-America Conference in New York, and African-America Economic Summit here in Abuja, Lagos; we are having some major activities in Atlanta, Houston, then in Chicago. Atlanta is the most possible route from America to Nigeria; there is a plane from Atlanta and Houston to Lagos non-stop. This is becoming more profitable and there would be more in the future. We have more Nigerians in these two cities. Nigeria can invest in many things. We often say we need unity, but we also need vision; without vision, we perish. In the midst of 20,000 people, a one-eyed person is in charge. We got to see that the Nigerian family is large. ‘America needs bigger trade, other economic change in Africa’ EOPLE around the world remember you as a civil rights activist. If you had become the president of the US, what would have been your African policy? Our foreign policy must not be the neighbour policy because distance has been breached by speed and brought everyone close. If you got on a plane in New York and I got on another plane in New York, one of us is going to Lagos and another to Ghana; we will get there at the same time. Or even South Africa, we are that close. It is the most resourceful market. The Chinese understand this; that’s why they are investing heavily here; Britain understands this, too; that why they colonised; the French, too, and through to slave trade. So, the resources in Africa are there. (If I were president), I should have had a much bigger trade and other such economic change throughout Africa. Africans are resourceful. Think about that. Now, Obama is in power, and people think he has some establishment problem. What’s the real-under-the-table problem that Obama has in the US? Has it really go to do with race? There are two sets of rules. For example, almost a billion people saw Mandela’s funeral the world over and the big deal is that Mandela was all about forgiveness, forgiveness. Mandela was the object of the ceremony, Barack (Obama) shook Raul Castro’s hand and it was impressive. There are two sets of rules. If Mandela could forgive and relate to Afrikaners, who locked him up for 27 years, killed his comrades and sent many others on exile — if he could forgive these people, why can’t Barack shake Raul’s hand? That was a big issue. He took pictures with the Denmark prime minister; he didn’t break some laws, it was just acts of kindness and diplomacy. He, at a stage, faced it — born of a Kenyan father; that he’s not American; he’s not a Christian, and the birth certificate (issue). Those types of mean toxic wind have been tackling him from the very beginning. But still, he overcame that out of amazing dignity, and made some basic promises. He promised to bring us out of the great economic recession, the global depression. More Americans have better health care cover. He says there are pre-conditions to be met, to be covered: if you lose your job, you are out of college and other such conditions. But the some are people filling up that they want global health care, they don’t want Obamacare. There is no such thing as
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You have the right to vote, and we need to vote leaders who protect the integrity of the people’s interest. We must have checks and balances, separation of powers, transparency; a free critical press and a legitimate economic justice for all. Those must come together. We really need a free press — that’s critical not just political, a critical and analytical press; we need an upright judiciary, a good legislature, too. When the democratic machinery is working, then we have the right to vote. We must use the vote; we must make choices, informed choices. It would be one man, one vote, not one million dollars, one vote.
offer these basics. There is something that transcends politics, drinking water, food, and roads because people got to move so that they can grow, either by air, land or sea because transportation aids growth. And whatever the factor and the secrets of oil should be addressed because it’s a valuable resource, that’s a huge part of the economy. And in agriculture, Nigeria has the land and the weather to be a food exporting country, not an importer. Nigeria has no business importing food; there are grains, vegetables and fruits. Nothing comes from net export from these huge agricultural resources. Considering that Nigeria is back in the Security Council of the UN, how can that be used to make a global impact and strengthen NigeriaUS relations, economically and politically? Nigeria is a great force, yes, faced with terrorism, but it’s a challenge to the whole world. Nigeria deserves a meaningful presence and participation; it would stimulate growth positively. I feel Nigeria is a big factor in the sunrise of Africa. The seven top 10 fastest growing economies are from Africa; seven top 10 in the world! There are daily challenges, yes; but we all face them. We can instill stability, entrench transparency, better use of resources, and more mobilisation of those in the Diaspora. If 50,000 Nigerians in Britain, America, Canada and all, come home, what I am saying is that, they should have a place to stay and integrate and fit in. We must make room for the family. The doctors should be coming home at least once in a year. They are talented people; they are in Houston, Texas, and it’s a big state. Atlanta, Georgia and LA, Nigeria has big presence in these places. And they have investments there. A Nigeria-American trade network, if well established, can drive the whole of Africa. ‘Series of events in my life, time inspired me’
Obamacare; it’s just a name. Some people reject Obamacare for the healthcare plan (laughs). You then understand that that kind of toxic act by the opposition has been a factor and his dream has been interfered with. But his idea of subsidised health was a great success with dignity and strength. He re-contested and won again. How can America overcome these divisions? Because of the current contradiction again, when you see what Dr. King proposed, we pull the race-cutting curtain down; the southern push region and the most recent region. We couldn’t have had the Olympics behind the cutting curtain; you couldn’t have had CNN behind the cutting curtain and many more, the high-tech industries and the investments. We pulled the cutting curtain down; so, there are people who built from the loss. Then the confusion, the under currents; there are improvements; 18-year-olds can vote, letting go of all caprices; we can go bi-lingual, either that the rules change, which is a fact in Barack’s (Obama) winning the presidency, for example. Winning the presidency indicates that we have democratised democracy and changed the rules. Even with the pitiful legal decisions, apartheid and all that, Dr. King’s assassination, we never stopped fighting. Who got the right to vote in 1965? Blacks, white, women, 18-year-olds, students, and bi-lingual! The rule changes, that is more American. We changed the balance of power. ‘Nigeria is a big factor in the sunrise of Africa’ OMING back to Nigeria and what you norC mally tell our politicians; what should Nigeria be doing to move forward? One thing Nigeria can do is to use its Diaspora family because they are so brilliant, so talented. They are in Canada, America, France, England
and so on. They may stay there in these countries but they can be of immense value to the country, be of greater value to Nigeria. The Diaspora family should be the factor. Issues that should unite people — like every Nigerian should have drinking water — those should be a goal. Every Nigerian should have access to decent meal; all the governors should create that one, whatever podium to
Our (American) foreign policy must not be the neighbour policy because distance has been breached by speed and brought everyone close. If you got on a plane in New York and I got on another plane in New York, one of us is going to Lagos and another to Ghana; we will get there at the same time. Or even South Africa, we are that close. It is the most resourceful market. The Chinese understand this; that’s why they are investing heavily here; Britain understands this, too; that why they colonised; the French, too, and through to slave trade. So, the resources in Africa are there. (If I were president), I should have had a much bigger trade and other such economic change throughout Africa. Africans are resourceful. Think about that.
ESIDES the earlier exposure to segregation, B what has been your motivation in life — the motivation for firebrand activism despite all odds? My religion, and my personal experiences in life! My first experience to indignity, dehumanisation made me want to fight for my dignity. I was arrested trying to use a public library in 1960; I was arrested trying to use a public theatre. Our match in Washington; I was with Dr. King. I was arrested in South Africa in 1979 and many others. These series of events in my life and time inspired me. Then the victories — black liberation— Ghana got independence; Nigeria got free; blacks were named national heroes. Then Black Congressional Caucus — the 42 blacks in the American congress. I wouldn’t believe it we were not taking things for granted. Then we have a Black Governor of Massachusetts; then we have American President. In Africa, colonisation is ended; we have African heads of state; end of apartheid and the freedom. All these came in stages, big stages. Taking a good look, we really have done well. And the religious part of it, Jesus in reality was a revolutionary for poor people. Born under a base occupation in a manger, he had to be taken as a refugee by his parents to Egypt. Grew up in Nazareth in Galilee, poor, lived among the dominant Romans. But the good news to the Church, the masses, is that he healed the broken-hearted, the wounded; set the captives free. He brought succour to all who believed in him. I think that’s a big deal. I take that seriously, that is just the religious symbolism. Jesus of Galilee, not Jesus of Rome, of that small Galilee, poor without a church building. He came, defended the poor and set the captives free. His values are in me, the values of Jesus of Galilee. I am just ancient, full of great confidence in our culture.