Governor Oyinlola Advises Nigerians to Riot Against the British Embassy in Lagos.

On January 27, 2004, the present Osun State governor and the formal military administrator of Lagos State during Abacha's regime, Governor Olagunsoye Oyinlola, was hosted at a welcome party in Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.A during his last international trip which was said to be for inspecting tractors that the state was planning to buy.

In attendance were the members of his entourage, including Alhaji Tunde Badmus, the owner of Tuns Farms in Osogbo, the Osun State Commissioner of agriculture and the personal secretary to the governor. The chairman of Atlanta chapter of Isokan Yoruba organization, Mr. Oladapo and the PRO of Isokan, along with other Nigerians in Atlanta were also in attendance. The ConcernedNigerians was represented by its moderator, Dr. Adebisi.

After a brief introduction of the governor by the Nigeria consular officer in Atlanta, Mr. Joe Keshi, a brief question session was entertained by the governor after he gave a brief update of his administration's achievements in Osun State.

The ConcernedNigerians' representative, Niyi Adebisi, asked the governor about the way the current government would address the alleged extortion of money at the UK embassy in Lagos. The followings were the excerpts:

Dr. Adebisi: "Your excellency, my name is Niyi Adebisi. The question I am about to ask is not directly related to Osun state. It is a problem that affects all Nigerians in Nigeria. We believe you may be privileged to give useful advice about this issue because of your closeness to the Aso Rock as a key member of the ruling party, coupled with the fact that you had once served in Lagos where the incident allegedly happened. There was a reported incident of alleged extortion of money at the British embassy in Lagos. A member of our association, the ConcernedNigerians, wanted to book appointment at the UK embassy in Lagos to travel to Britain. All efforts to contact the embassy via their listed appointment hotlines (telephone numbers) proved abortive. Eventually, our member was asked to bribe with twenty-five thousand naira by some touts who claimed that they were working for the embassy's appointment officers, and that there was no way our member would be able to get the appointment scheduled without going through them. We sent series of e-mails to the UK embassy in Lagos and we copied their office in Abuja and Aso Rock. Only Abuja office replied, claiming that they had no knowledge of what might be going on at their Lagos' office. No response came from the Aso Rock up till the moment. Sir, we know the type of negative image the international community gives Nigerians when it comes to issue of corruption. As a member of the ruling government, what is your advice for us and other numerous Nigerians who are already the victims or are potential victims of this serious scandal?"

Governor Oyinlola, having responded to many of others' questions, responded to the issue raised by the ConcernedNigerians about alleged corruption at the UK embassy in Lagos as follows: "Corruption! UK embassy?" Pause. "I think eh, it's a pity that we found ourselves in the situation we are now. I remembered when I was studying in Britain in '74 that I could spend my naira in Liverpool, in eh .... and everywhere without changing it."

"Hun!" Audience responded with a mixture of surprise and distaste about what has become of Nigeria currency, naira, which was legal tender all over the world in 1974, as confirmed by the governor, but now treated like ordinary paper by even those that mint the currency - the Nigeria government - all resulting from corruption.

"But over the years," continued the governor, "we have utilized our brains in negative manner to the extent that for every misdemeanor that occurred in Britain ..., and that as may ..., if it is an offence, it has a Nigerian involved. That is the propensity. Because I was back there between 2000 and year 2003 before I decided to go back to become a politician." "Now, if we have not... encouraged it, obviously, they wouldn't be able to be asking for it" he added. "....if such a thing is done in their own country (Britain), there will be a protest right in front of such embassy and in front of their government house. They will insist that this thing has to change. So why can't we do the same thing? ....it is because some of us will go to them at back to tell them that look, don't mind them. That is it! So, we must be united in our efforts to change our future. And until we are able to do that, we just wasting time. Because, if all Nigerians that want to travel to Britain walk out to there (to the British Embassy in Lagos) en-mass and make a man-chain as they would do here in United States if such a thing had happened to them ...." said the governor. "Ha, ha!" chuckled the audience. "....yes, I am serious, they will change, there will be a change in their attitude," continued the governor, ".... there is eh .... there is a diplomatic problem that is emanating from the new visa system in
'? Vertican' (I am not sure of the name of the country mentioned by the governor in connection with this said visa problem. The recorded tape was played over and over without being able to make out the right name) in which they asked everyone to come and ..... for visa (probably he was making reference to diplomatic visa's application that used to be given special treatment different from the regular visa application). Britain is declaring that kind of treatment. And they are doing well ..... and if they are okay with it, they don't protest and they go and line up. But if they do protest, their protest would make them to version their policy to take care of them. That is if they (the other country) subject them to that type of treatment, they will have enough at home to change their policy. And I bet, at the end of the day may be we will reach a decision that will be satisfactory on both end. That is it. So, if we don't resort to that type of action (protest and riots), we will continue to suffer in silence. Sometimes we are overwhelmed by the anxiety to get across. And getting across is not only a problem, we also stand a risk of being joined by a band wagon of those that taint the image of the country." The governor concluded his response to the issue about alleged corruption at the UK embassy before he switched to other topic.

The extended response of the governor on the issue raised about the extortion could not be responded to by the audience because Mr. Keshi who presided over the forum pretty much made it a one way form of discussion. What I can deduce from the governor's response are: That the governor was lucky to live in Britain at two important, but totally different, eras in Nigeria's history. He had opportunity of living in Britain around 1974 when Nigeria and Nigerians were highly respected all over the world because of our perceived strong economy with less than one billion dollars external debt despite the cost of more than three years of civil war. The newly discovered oil was another positive event in favor of Nigeria and Nigerians. Naira was almost equivalent to a British pound and, thus, recognized all over the world. The governor also happened to live in Britain between 2000 and 2003 when all dignities accorded Nigeria and Nigerians in the 1970s around the world had been eroded by gross mismanagement of Nigeria economy by the looting leaders. No wonder naira that he was able to spend freely in Liverpool in 1974 was worth less than a toilet paper in Britain between 2000 and 2003 when he lived their for the second time before he went back to Nigeria to take on a political regalia.

Another important point made by the governor was the fact that he was blaming Nigerians, which I believe he must have been referring to the common Nigerians and not the looting Nigerian leaders, for the negative image associated with Nigeria and Nigerians in Britain and all over the world. He is surely entitled to his opinion as a Nigerian and human being, but we ConcernedNigerians strongly believe that the negative image accorded to Nigeria and Nigerians all over the world today has more to do with the image portrayed to the world about Nigeria by the corrupt leaders of Nigeria, and has little or nothing to do with the common law-abiding Nigerians that are struggling to keep body and soul together. As we all know, the prevalence of involvement of common Nigerians in criminal acts is not different from that of any other nationals around the world. Common crimes' rates are not anyway higher than the rate of the same type of crime in America. To be candid, many crimes like homicide, drug abuse, rape and so on, are even less prevalent in Nigeria compared to developed nations like the United States of America. Few crimes in Nigeria that are unfortunate, like armed robbery, burglary, pickpockets, and the likes are pretty much the products of poverty resulting from corruption engendered moral and economic deprivations. I have no other explanation for an armed robbery that resulted in unnecessary death of the victim over nothing other than a video player whose market value is less than $100.00, or somebody killing another in-order to get away with the victim's car that is more than twenty years old. These are undoubtedly connected with societal impoverishment that resulted from decades of high level corruption.

The major issues that are giving Nigeria and Nigerians negative image around the world, apart from the high level corruption engaged in by the Nigerian leaders, are issues about drug trafficking and money laundry. All of us know that ordinary Nigerians like you and I do not have the required capital intensive networks and resources to engage in successful drug trafficking. The bulk of drug trafficking is usually done by powerful people and their cronies, including people in the corridors of power. We all remember the saga connected with Ms. Gloria Okon that allegedly resulted in the palace coup that removed the only government that was genuinely committed to destroying drug trafficking network in Nigeria. I am referring to the Babangida coup that removed Buhari/Idiagbon regime from office on August 27, 1985. It is the same group of people connected with drug trafficking, capital flight and corruption that are involved in money laundry. I am very sure that people in our governor's caliber can point fingers at the right culprits of major crimes like drug trafficking and money laundry that taint Nigeria image around the world. Ordinary and law abiding Nigerians do not deserve this type of defacing comments from our leaders.

Coming to the main reason why we asked our governor the question about corruption. Governor Oyinlola advised us, as defenseless and impoverished common masses, to stage riots and protests in form of mounting man-chain human shields in front of the British embassy in Lagos as our reaction to the alleged extortion of money from poor masses. This idea sounds very reasonable and intelligent, but will only work in communities where law and order are the rule of the day and the leaders are sensitive enough to taking people's opinion into consideration in their policy making decisions. We however think that this idea is too dangerous for the already impoverished Nigerians for the following reasons:


Experience has shown that there has never been any major, otherwise peaceful, protest organized by common Nigerians in Nigeria that did not result in either loss of lives or properties or both. Which ever way, the same impoverished masses invariably end up losing at both ends. Many students in Nigeria lose either their lives or years of their lives (years lost to prolonged school closures) almost yearly to the consequences of students' protests in universities and colleges against injustice melted against them by the insensitive Nigerian leaders, and yet nothing positive comes from those leaders in response to those protests other than prolonged clamp down and financial starvation of the national educational system.

Secondly, we mentioned that this embassy's officers allegedly have touts working for them apart from the heavily armed and trigger-happy security officers that are on the pay roll of this embassy, coupled with the fact that no protest can be staged in busy city like Lagos without being hijacked by hooligans and touts, we strongly believe that our governor's advice may be too risky to the lives and properties of our loved ones who are being victimized.

Thirdly, violence, like riot and protest as suggested by Governor Oyinlola, is usually used as the last resort in crisis management in any civilized nation that Nigeria happens to be by virtue of her potentials.

Common Nigerians, who are naturally peace loving, prefer other means of crisis resolution first before resulting to peaceful protest as a way of showing their displeasure for injustice against their rights. We have taken the first step of crisis resolution by making efforts to contacting the alleged culprits of the violation of our civil rights as citizens of a country that has diplomatic agreements with the accused embassy, apart from being the host of the accused diplomatic body. Our expectation, as citizens of a civilized nation that has an organized system of governance, is that, if our efforts as ordinary citizens fail to resolve the alleged violation of our fundamental rights, the next step is to report the allegation to our government for further actions. The steps that will be expected of any respectable and accountable government are to first investigate the allegation, then if found to be founded, the next step will be to contacting the accused diplomatic body to officially inform such body about the allegation and the fact that the investigations carried out so far have proven that the allegation has reasonable basis. At this juncture, such accountable government will be expected to ask the accused body to make official comment about the allegation public for all concerned to read.

It is never the responsibility of the common citizens of any country to correct diplomatic problems. It is the responsibility of the leaders of such common citizens to treat any diplomatic issues diplomatically once such diplomatic problem is reported to that government through its leaders. I have a personal experience that I will like to share with anyone that cares to share the experience with me. I happened to be a member of the UN team that carried out the ex-fighters' demobilization and disarmament in Liberia in 1996. A friend of mine, who happened to be a Nigerian, was accused of sexual harassment by an American lady that he allegedly examined without a chaperon. This lady was not left alone to seek 'justice' by her government despite the fact that she was just one of the over 250 million Americans. The America embassy in Liberia immediately contacted the Nigeria embassy and the United Nations' office in Liberia about the issue. Within a matter of one week, my friend was relieved of his position with the UN as a compromised settlement of the allegation. Of course, this lady had gotten justice which would have been impossible without the intervention of her beloved country's leaders who knew and appreciated the values of every American. American leaders will not give a dam to destroy a whole nation in order to save a single American. No wonder any American would not mind to die for America's course and for defending America's flag and constitution. This is simply because American leaders lead by example by showing that they do care about every American - whether poor or rich, powerful or weak. This is the kind of respect and concern for ordinary Nigerian that we expect from Nigeria leaders. We promise that the day we receive this type of treatment as a people from our leaders, Nigeria will reoccupy the now lost right abode in every Nigerian's heart for the benefit of all.

The reason why we raised the issue about the alleged extortion at the UK embassy to the hearing of his Excellency, Governor Oyinlola, was for him to giving us an authoritative promise that our concern would be communicated to the Aso Rock for immediate action, and that we would be communicated as per the resultant resolution or outcome of the government's diplomatic actions about the issue. We did not expect our honorable governor to advise us to engage in efforts we long knew that were futile. Riots and protests have never worked in Nigeria. They always inadvertently usher in significant loss of lives and properties. We are impoverished enough that we do not want to engage in any act that will make life more difficult for the defenseless Nigerians that are already living in Nigerian leaders' perpetrated corruption engendered abject poverty.

We shall appreciate receiving a response from Governor Oyinlola about this issue. We implore the governor to convey our concern to the appropriate authorities at the Aso Rock for diplomatic resolution of this lingering violation of common Nigerians' rights at the British embassy in Lagos.

Thanks.