Vision is more important than knowledge, for it was Leonardo da Vinci vision of men flying that lead to the Wright Brothers flying at Kitty Hawk. It is the vision of men to choose their own kings enshrined in the English Magna Carta that lead to democracy and rule of law.
A nation that has a vision can say “we will place a man on the moon in 10 years”, and do it. A nation that has a vision can build an oasis of financial, economic and political stability on a barren rock, no not Dubai, Singapore. It is a nation without vision that wants to return to the “golden ages” by killing all her citizens that can read or write, no not Boko Haram, Cambodia under Pol Pot.
Thus we can say that a nation without vision is a nation that will never be first.
Vision is what saves lives, creates jobs, and builds wealth. That’s why Africa and Nigeria in particular are where we are. No written vision.
Let’s consider what visionary projects has Nigeria done in 49 years, I can count 3, Abuja, the Development of the Lagos Marina and the ongoing dredging of the Niger River. Kalu just hold on, what about the Lagos Ibadan express road? What about the federal universities and the unity schools? National Theatre? The Teaching hospitals? The National stadia? Pally these are all what our leadership is obligated to provide with the oil money we have in Nigeria, we can hardly clap for them. Are there no roads, universities or stadia in Chad republic? Difference is the quantity my brother. By Vision, why didn’t they build a subway in Lagos in the 70’s, why don’t we have a deep water container port in Onitsha? Why haven’t we tapped solar power in Sokoto? Why didn’t we build a mobile network when we built NITEL?
Because men of vision are so rare in Nigeria, when i see one, i sit up.
I have been a great admirer of Tinapa. Tinapa is a vision by the people of Cross River under Donald Duke. Duke became the governor of a state known for pineapples and “apples of the eye”. The state is a marginal oil producing state, with 90% of the citizens rural based? Duke imagined a better state of affairs and put in a plan to transform the state into the tourism and serviced based economic hub of Nigeria. Tinapa is a $450m bet to transform the state into a Dubai.
But sadly Tinapa is not working, do you know why? Kalu the idea was bad to start with; can Nigerians afford the expensive oyibo goods to be sold there? Thing is, Nigeria is a consumer nation, we love to spend on western stuff, Tinapa basic idea is simply to bring the same shops Nigerians travel to in UK, US and Dubai to Calaber. Let the Nigerians fly in (no visa), stay in a hotel, shop, eat, party and fly back to Lagos and Abuja. The state generates huge VAT, creates jobs in hospitality, trade, real-estate and services, the states transform her economy from dependence on “Abuja” money to taxes, that’s vision.
Ok Kalu so it’s a good idea, but has the state delivered? Have they built the structures? Maybe that why it has not worked. Pally, I have been to Tinapa; it is 100% completly built, it’s a beauty. Shops, hotels, film studio, serene near a lake, even the big man, our President YarAdua declared that he would use it as his own “camp David” to host visiting heads of state, now that a presidential endorsement. Akwa Ibom sef has invested $300m in a brand new airport they say is to service cargo transport to Tinapa. (Nice excuse to spend govt money).
Ok so, it’s a good idea, the state has delivered the infrastructure, tenants have moved in, so why has it not worked? Oh a little document called a Procedure and Guidelines (P& G) document, what’s that? Well that the FGN gazetted framework that will guide the operations of Tinapa, without that the chaps in Tinapa cannot import or sell anything as the customs guys will seize it.
So who prepares this P&G stuff? Well the Federal Governments of course, the same Federal Govt that signed agreement with the Cross River state in Oct 2007, the same Federal Government who commissioned the project.
Hang on Kalu, you mean a non oil investment of $450m, was made by Cross river state, probable the largest non-oil investment in Africa, the money was not “chopped”, but a world class shopping, hospitality and entertainment facility was built from scratch, and the site is now wasting because some fart in Abuja cannot sign a damm P & G document? Wait it gets worse
Imitation they say is the best compliment, the Dubai folk seeing the potential harm Tinapa will do to them , have moved swiftly to build a “Tinapa” in Senegal for $800m,they want to make Senegal the hub of their West African business deals. They also want to take over the Ghana Free Trade Zone. The chaps sense that Nigerians will simply stop coming over and they will lose in air travel, Accommodation and shopping expenses of Nigerians. So they are bringing Dubai closer to the market (never mind Dubai is already in Nigeria via Tinapa)
Kalu this is incredible, do you know what I am thinking, just as we hear the generator importers pay NEPA to “off” the power so their generators will sell, could these Dubai guys be paying the fellow in Abuja to sit on the P& G until they build the Senegal and Ghana Free Trade Zones?
Bros, what can we say to these things? If the Federal Government is against you, who can be for you?
It’s our problem, we have to fix it.
