IS NIGERIA A CHARITY ORGANIZATION?

The idea of national interest in the area of foreign policy show clearly how countries  of the world relate. It shows for example how the USA will relate with NIGERIA and what will determine the principle and interest  guiding such relationship. In addition, it also shows WHY countries will relate with one another. The why becomes very important because areas of interest determines the why. No country of the world goes into any kind or type of world interaction without first asking the question, what's in it for me? The United State of America for example will not just engage in any intervention program without first looking at what is in it for them. An example is clear. In all of the period Liberia had issues, the united state failed to show interest in any form of intervention program until Nigeria decided to show up. However, because of her oil stake in Iraq, the United State did not need the approval of the United Nations before intervening. The question again is why? My answer is NATIONAL INTEREST. It is so bad that the prime minister of England or The president of the United State or even the President of Ghana will not visit Nigeria without a national interest being first considered. Why did America have to wait this long to take out Gadaffi? National interest. America's  economy and the economy of europe is bad and some thing in Libya is needed to help build back their economy so the man had to be taken out ( my sentiment please forgive me) so they can gain access. Do you think he was taken out just because he ruled his people as a dictator? Why wasn't he taken out ten years ago? Did he become a dictator recently? The answer is National interest. China will boost her relationship with Nigeria because Nigeria has become a good dumping ground for most of her cheap and inferior goods (that is not to say all their goods are cheap and inferior. Many Nigerians own a phone today thanks to them). Today we talk about china phones and even china town. Indians will not leave Nigeria because even we ( Nigerians) believe they are superior to our people so they are given free hands to rule the manufacturing industry and treat Nigerians like animals. I remember some one once told me that, right before her presence, an indian man asked a Nigerian girl to slap another Nigerian girl just because she came late to work without being interested in why she came late to work. It took her intervention to stop that slap because she had to warn the Nigerian lady never to try it. Go round the country, Nigerians are treated like slaves in their fatherland by indians. They come to Nigeria and casualise Nigerian workers and drive them like slave and yet the government is watching. How many Nigerians can go to india and do that? In to days world, if you kill a simple American citizen, your government will be made to at least explain why? That's in a state where things work. A place where national interest is the guiding factor.. In our relationship (Nigeria) with state of the world and in the way Nigerians are treated in the world, I fail to understand if the idea of national interest matter to us in any way. Our own country men and women including children are suffering in the midst of so much resources yet we spend billions of dollars claiming we are doing peace keeping abroad, helping countries to stand. The government of Nigeria spend the countries money helping other state of the world without caring if Nigerians can feed. In Nigeria today, no steady power supply, many bad roads, no security, no jobs, no maintenance culture, no good and safe transport system etc yet the government does not care. I hear speech like ' Nigeria economy is better today than it was yesterday' but I fail to see the effect in the life of Nigerian Man. Instead I know that many Nigerians have lost their jobs since Sanusi became the governor of the central bank and things have refused to work well. I know that the rate at which robbery take place today and the kind of weapons used has gone high tech. Where am I going with all this? My answer is,  no country in this world is a charity organization. The interest and needs including wants  of the people of the federal republic of Nigeria must be considered in any local, national,intercontinental or international dealings before decisions are taken. A continuous neglect of this fact may one day take us to that point where we say enough is enough ( that is if we are not there yet). A wise leader and a wise follower will read in between the lines. My point is made, I will let you take it from here. Joseph Ogundare June 24,2012. All rights reserved.