Kemi Badenoch simply nudging Nigerian leaders, by Yemi Adebowale

Leader of United Kingdom’s opposition Conservative Party, Kemi Badenoch, who is of Nigerian ancestry, is unhappy with the state of her country of descent, so much so that she does not want to be associated with the country called Nigeria. Born Olukemi Olufunto Adegoke in Wimbledon, this member of the British Parliament, who spent part of her childhood in Lagos, wants to be known as Yoruba but not Nigerian.

For Kemi, the condition of Nigeria is appalling and disgraceful. In the last four weeks, at different fora, the intensely bitter Kemi unleashed heavy punches on the Nigerian state, apparently tagging this country as a state that has failed its people. She has been talking about the failed leadership, economic crisis, poverty, insecurity and corruption in Nigeria.

Speaking before she was elected Leader of the Conservative Party, Kemi described Nigeria as a nation brimming with thieving politicians and insecurity: “This is my country. I don’t want it to become like the place I ran away from. I grew up in Nigeria, and I saw firsthand what happens when politicians are in it for themselves, when they use public money as their private piggy banks, when they pollute the whole political atmosphere with their failure to serve others.

“I saw what socialism is for millions. I saw poverty and broken dreams. I came to Britain to make my way in a country where hard work and honest endeavour can take you anywhere. I grew up in a place where fear was everywhere. You cannot understand it unless you’ve lived it. Triple-checking that all the doors and windows are locked, waking up in the night at every sound, listening as you hear your neighbours scream as they are being burgled and beaten, wondering if your home would be next.”

Also speaking during a trip to the United States last week, Kemi remarked: “I’m a child of the 80s. I was born in London, but I grew up in Lagos, Nigeria – a place where almost everything seemed broken. I watched my family become poor as their wealth, income and savings were inflated away by destructive government policies. They didn’t call it socialism – but it definitely was.

“Capital controls, no freedom of movement, government owning the means of production. There was no freedom either, the government deciding which school your child would go to, deciding what businesses could or could not operate all the way to arrests with no trial, state-sanctioned murder.”

Some Nigerians, including those in government, have been responding to Kemi’s “denigration” of Nigeria with heaps of abuses on her. For these Nigerians, Kemi is just an unpatriotic superbrat, an exceptionally ill-mannered person, who has been demeaning her heritage and her country of ancestry. Vice President Kashim Shettima even said she has every right to remove the Kemi from her name if she was not proud to be from Nigeria.

Shettima compared Kemi to Rishi Sunak, her predecessor, adding: “Rishi Sunak, the former British prime minister, is originally from India. A very brilliant young man, he never denigrated his nation of ancestry nor poured venom on India.”

For me, Kemi’s outbursts should serve as a challenge to those we have entrusted this country; a challenge to raise their games and holistically tackle Nigeria’s numerous problems – corruption, persistent insecurity, economic crisis, hunger, disease and inept leadership. A bitter and frustrated Kemi has simply been saying “this is not where Nigeria should be 64 years after independence.”

Right now, Nigeria is home to the second highest number of people living below poverty in the world. This is an insignia of disgrace that should challenge our leaders. Beloved Nigeria should not be in this club. This is basically what Kemi has been saying. In this country now, many go to bed without meals and wake up not sure of breakfast. In beloved Nigeria, the cost of transportation alone has outweighed the salaries of many. Inflation is at over 30 percent. Over 133 million Nigerians are multi-dimensionally poor. This is the level we have degenerated.

Kemi talked about destructive government policies sending many Nigerians to the poverty club; their incomes and savings eroded by these destructive policies. This is exactly what has been happening for years in this country. It became very bad in the last ten years under Buhari’s leadership and now, President Tinubu. In the last 18 months, the policies of Tinubu have eroded the incomes and savings of millions of Nigeria, thus impoverishing them.

What about the raging insecurity in beloved Nigeria? Terrorists are still moving around killing, maiming and abducting Nigerians. Just last Thursday, terrorists invaded Kuringafa, in Kafur LGA of Katsina State, killing five persons. According to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), in the first nine months of this year, 1,463 Nigerians were killed by non-state actors while 1,172 others were abducted. These are reported cases. So many killings and abductions are not reported. This is the insecurity Kemi is talking about. Our leaders must make the security and welfare of Nigerians a priority. It is a Constitutional mandate.

For me, our leaders’ response to Kemi’s criticism should be to wake up from their inertia, and move swiftly to tackle the poverty and insecurity in Nigeria. They should respond to the criticisms with actions that will lift many out of poverty; not throwing jabs at Kemi. This is the only way forward.