Reflections of a Columnist

I have not written this column for four weeks, the first such absence since its inception in 2006. At first it was simply overwhelming work pressure; then a realisation that I was physically and mentally exhausted, and unable to secure the level of inspiration and stimulation required to gather my thoughts and put them down on paper-or rather my laptop!; in the midst of that, an overseas trip during which my schedule and activities made it difficult to write; finally a recognition that I really needed to take a break, reflect on the column and its primary subject-Nigeria, and re-assess the column’s purpose and strategy. Writing this column was not a random or accidental event. It followed a personal trajectory, and was a result of a deliberate decision, after much frustration at Nigeria, to acquire a voice, hopefully for good in our drifting nation. I had always been passionate about “current affairs”-I started reading “Daily Times” as a five year old, starting with the diplomatic and sports pages. News about Israel and the Palestinians, Europe, America and Asia, world leaders like Begin, Anwar Sadat, Gaddaffi, US and UK leaders, OPEC, the Arab-Israeli Wars, the boxing exploits of Cassius Clay aka Muhammed Ali, Joe Frazier, George Foreman etc always caught my attention. In domestic matters, it was the exploits of Haruna Ilerika, Yakubu Mambo, Victor Oduah etc and their teams-Stationery Stores, Mighty Jets of Jos and Bendel Insurance and the other “super” teams-IICC of Ibadan, Rangers of Enugu, NEPA of Lagos and Sharks of Port Harcourt that captured my attention. The end of the civil war; Gowon’s proclamation that 1976 was “no longer realistic”; the retirement of “Black Scorpion”-General Benjamin Adekunle; the Murtala coup and Dimka’s failed attempt were some developments that stuck in my young mind. When Nigeria returned to civil rule in 1979, politics became interesting. Then in secondary school, I closely watched the bold attempt by Chief Obafemi Awolowo to attain the Nigerian presidency. For a form 2-3 student in Igbobi College in 1978-1979, it was amazing how much interest I devoted to the politics and campaigns of that era! I read all the political news, had my own exercise book for my analysis, and on election days, stayed up all night recording the seats won by the various parties. By the time the military returned in 1983, I was already a law student at Ife and my focus shifted to economic issues in line with the times-oil glut, austerity, import licenses, counter-trade, structural adjustment, deregulation etc as our economy took a turn for the worse! As I graduated, attended law school and made my way to Benin for national service in 1986, I had made up my mind to try in my own way to affect public opinion. Thus started my “letters to the editors” of weekly newsmagazines from 1986-1990 until I settled on Nduka Obaigbena’s defunct THISWEEK. My persistent letter-writing indeed earned me an invitation from the editors of THISWEEK to their Surulere offices. But then, my public endeavours were truncated (or at least suspended) by a career in banking from 1989 and I begun to slow down and eventually stop my letters and articles. Until Abacha!!! In 1998, frustrated like most Nigerians by Abacha who had become a human obstacle to the country’s development, I again picked up my pen and wrote an intellectual critique of Abacha, which fortunately perhaps was rather too sophisticated for Abacha and Al-Mustapha to understand. Many of my banker colleagues wondered at my temerity, but then I got away with that one! A few months later, Abacha was dead, but he had forced me out of my sabbatical from public commentary and I would continue with occasional pieces on the op-ed pages of The Guardian. My writing picked pace in 2003, as I consciously began to wind down my banking career (as my self-imposed exit date from the profession approached-I had decided to become self-employed and “free” by the age of 40!) and I was impressed by the outlines of economic reforms then been sketched by Obasanjo”s economic team, to at first sceptical reception from the Nigerian media and public. I was initially alone in supporting the pro-reform case, at least in the media. When I agreed to start this column in January 2006, I was clear what it would be used for. It would be pro-economic reform and anti-corruption. It would seek to advance the policy ideas I had pushed in my political economy and business strategy classes at the Lagos Business School. It would seek to educate the public and policy makers on policy, strategy and the economy; and it would seek positive change in our politics and governance. Very many readers tell me the column has had an immensely positive effect on them and the nation. Indeed I was very gratified at the expressions of concern and even alarm at the column’s absence for a few weeks. I am not so sure however that all policy makers agree! And some others may have celebrated (prematurely) the end of our interventions. The column will of course continue. Our work is not done! The effort to establish good governance, sensible public policy and sound economic management, and a better polity in Nigeria is far from accomplished.