Oru refugee camp alive

The leadership of the Liberian Refugee Community in Oru-Ijebu, Ogun State, is deeply concerned that it has been widely rumoured and actually subjected to media reportage that the Oru International Refugee Camp in Oru - Ijebu, Ogun State has been closed down, and that, officially, there are no more Liberian refugees in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

And by way of this piece, the leadership of the Liberian refugee community in the Federal Republic of Nigeria wishes to make it equally known that the Oru International Refugee camp in Oru - Ijebu, Ogun State, Federal Republic of Nigeria, is still alive and providing homes to more than 3,000 mingled arrays of Liberians, Sierra Leoneans and other refugees who are all full of gratitude to the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), the National Commission for Refugees (NCFR), the Nigerian authorities and the local community of the Ijebu North Local Government area for the warmth of African hospitality they continue to enjoy.

We are appealing to whosoever had a hand in the business of spreading this false rumour to take a reasonable stake in the on-going damage limitation exercise concerning the damage this action has inflicted on the refugee population in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, especially our children who stand the risk of becoming hopeless kids in the event of total stoppage of the much needed Nigerian philanthropist support for their schooling and future.

Rev. Mustapha Kiadii,
President,
Refugee Entrepreneurial Development and Poverty Alleviation Intiative (REDPAI),
Oru Int’L Refugee Camp, Oru-Ijebu.

Celebrating wealthy compatriots

FROM a modest com modity trading con cern established in the late 1970s with a loan from a benevolent uncle, Dangote has today built a multi-billion naira conglomerate with heavy investments in commodities, banking, agriculture, manufacturing, textile, import, exports, agro sacks, freight and port operations. He has a staff strength of over 15,000 with a broad minded employment policy devoid of discrimination. Dangote’s achievement brings to global focus the positive potentials, the acumen, intelligence, energy and resourcefulness that are abundant in Nigeria .

Still, his name evokes mixed reactions. For some, he is a beneficiary of government patronage who profited from a vile political cronyism and bought up the people's patrimony at auction prices. He is seen as creating a virtual monopoly over his products and fiddling with the supply chain to push prices up or down despite the incentives and waivers granted to him. We have a predilection for demonising wealthy compatriots. All over the world, it is the duty of government to regulate business to check the emergence of monopolies and to ensure fair competition.

Which astute businessman will not take advantage of a system that provides ample latitude for him to realise his dreams? Which ambitious businessman will not hasten to maintain the best possible relationship with the government in power? Which businessman will not apply his economic muscle to influence politics in order to expand his investment opportunities? They all do one way or another! Did Buffet not hold fundraisers for both Clinton and Obama for president based on his belief that both would make “great presidents?” Were the earliest billionaires in the US — J.P Morgan, J.D. Rockefeller, and Andrew Carnegie —not tagged as robber barons? Dangote’s business empire was not built during the privatisation scheme.

As a man with a dream and the determination to realise it, he only took advantage of an opportunity he saw to expand his tentacles. But there is a thread that runs through all billionaires: philanthropy. Rockefeller, Carnegie, Ford and Bill Gates, all have foundations established in their name which serve as a platform for demonstration of corporate responsibility. About a year ago, the Dangote Foundation, a grant making entity that would focus on improving the living conditions of all Nigerians through support for projects which tackle hunger and water supply problems, strengthen the quality and quantity of health and education, and promote economic empowerment at the community level was made public. By his humility, modesty and robust achievements, Aliko Dangote is a Nigerian success story . We ought to celebrate him and others like him. Dangote deserves a toast.

Uche Ohia
uchebush@yahoo.com