Yet another Re-branding Charade

Nigerians are once again being led on another value re-orientation campaign farce. This recent campaign urging “Nigerians to do the right thing” is coming on the heels of Dora Akunyuli’s futile attempt to re-brand a country whose warped value system is compounded by inept leaders whose stock in trade is to perpetuate corruption and injustice. The inherent dilemma which has led to the failure of past efforts to refocus our distorted value system is the projects’ erroneous belief that ordinary Nigerians, and not the leaders, are the problem with the country. That Nigerians are not patriotic enough, hence, the need to introduce programmes to drive their patriotic fervour when in the actual fact, it is the leaders that ought to change their ways which is currently leading our country into the abyss. The past attempts at addressing the symptom of our national decay rather than the ailments makes the current “Do the Right Thing Campaign: Transform Nigeria” dead on arrival. The National Orientation Agency in foisting this new joke on President Goodluck Jonathan administration has no sense of history or they are being deliberately mischievous with the sole aim of lining their pockets with resources that will be voted for the already jinxed project.

Last week, some opportunists in the corridors of power with their conniving “patriots” imagined that introducing another jamboree of re-branding Nigerians to “do the right thing” is the panacea we now need to solve our myriads problems as a nation. This campaign is intended to urge all Nigerians everywhere to do the right thing always. According to the National Orientation Agency, the programme “is a national value re-orientation campaign that seeks to create a deliberate consciousness in Nigerians and a national call to do what is right. It is the beginning of a new effort that will daily remind Nigerians of the need to be a part of the development of our father land. It is not a slogan but a charge and this campaign will unveil a logo which shall strike you each time to do the right thing and transform our great country. The intention is to establish the logo of the “DO THE RIGHT THING: TRANSFORM NIGERIA” charge in the sub-conscious of the public. It is the hope of the Agency that by so doing, Nigerians and friends of Nigeria, irrespective of call or vocation will pause a while to ask ourselves whether we have done the right thing for the day!

“The strength of every nation lies in the character of its people; therefore, we should not lose our country. The time has come to believe that now is the time to rise up to the difficult challenge of developing our country through active and collective participation in governance, education, industry and even entertainment. This campaign also seeks the partnership of critical stakeholders, both in the public and private sectors, aimed at weaving the essence of, and inculcating the virtues of right values into the very existence of all Nigerians. The agency hopes to use the current programme to change the thinking of Nigerians” But we have head these before. Now they also think the programme is different from others past programme because they intend to campaign from house-to-house, an approach where agents of change will move around neighbour hoods with the message of “DO THE RIGHT THING: TRANSFORM NIGERIA”, both in the cities and in the Local Government Councils. Already, a logo of the programme has been unveiled by the National Orientation Agency on the 7th May 2012, after which a 10km walk road show in the Federal Capital Territory on the 8th of May was organized to further charge the Nation to Do the right thing to transform Nigeria. The organizers of the programme should be told in plain terms that Nigerians do not need to be told to do the right thing. The organizers of this ridiculous jamboree should also know that Nigerians are no fools. They should instead present to their pay masters a shopping list of what Nigerians demand the Jonathan government “ought to do right”. Ordinary Nigerians are tired of being asked to do more. It needs being reiterated that because this inept government and past leaders refusal to do things right, Nigerians are now suffering their lack of vision. What do Nigerians need to “do right” when each household is already a republic providing electricity, security and sundry duties that ordinarily should be the responsibility of government. Why should a government that cannot provide the basic amenities for its citizens demand patriotism from them? Why should a government that pays lips service to corruption demand that its citizens do the right thing? The Jonathan administration should do the right thing by fighting corruption; provide power and security for ordinary Nigerians before asking us to make more sacrifices. Instead of also asking Nigerians to do the right thing, the organisers of the programme should demand accountability from this government. Nigerians have been doing the right thing. That was exactly why they made their voices heard through the protest against the removal of fuel subsidy. It was the government that did the wrong thing by lying to Nigerians by not providing the palliates promised them. The further lies of the government have now been exposed through the fuel subsidy, pension and stock scandals. It is also sad the way entertainers are lending their names to be used to perpetuate programmes that further portray them as a group “of anything goes”. It’s a shame. The current jamboree in the name of “doing the right thing” should be discontinued before further resources are wasted to promote the sham. Now we should be asking this government to “to do the right thing”