Advice to Nigerian rich men and women

the Church Centre at the UN, so I and our working group coordinator in London had access by showing the letter given us by the Caritas UN Representative. We were able to listen to the Pope in the UN chapel and although security prevented us from opening the back door that would lead us a few metres from where his car would pass, we still managed to go to the 8th floor of the building and see his exit down below. I photographed his tiny car. Right across, on the roof top, were snipers who used binoculars to watch us. Thank God we weren’t carrying anything that looked like guns. And so the Pope came, fired up the place and went.

Although my accreditation to attend the UN General Assembly on the first day was to attend the interactive session one, I let go of that in order to attend the side event organised by Nigeria in Conference Room 3. Strange how we all become equal when we are in foreign lands. Some of those who mount human road blocks before you get to see them in Nigeria became people you could just ignore and pass. The Chief Whip, Dogara became my companion for a while and sat by me as I supported him to insist on being given a place at the high table where PMB was going to sit and address us. Earlier on, I saw Tony Elumelu walking alone across the street and he even paused to shake hands. As for the Benue State governor, he was quite genial and accessible. And PMB passed me by a hair’s breath to sit on the high table to deliver his address.

It was the closest I had been to President Buhari. I was taken aback by his frailty. He looked overworked and drained and for a moment it struck me how demanding the office of the President could be to a man in his seventies.

Finally the volume of the public address system was increased and I guess those that sat behind could hear him as well because initially, I could barely hear him, even as I sat in the front row. Watching Buhari closely, I decided that he needed my prayers, and I would carry on with this ministry unsolicited, because I suddenly smelled a danger where a cabal could hijack the power and he would remain only as the conscience of the nation. Even as head of a national NGO, I know how tedious it could be, reading through mails, approving documents and decisions, not to talk of the office of the President of a federal republic such as Nigeria’s with all her intrigues. I am not a politician and seek nothing from any government. I will sincerely be praying for my president and invite all well-meaning Nigerians to pray that God strengthen and direct him. I have already started praying fervently that he appoints a good crop of ministers whom he would entrust a large chunk of this burden. I wonder what kinds of ministers Buhari would appoint. Will they be young, innovative and dynamic as these women?

The Sustainable Development Goals are truly an ambitious agenda. Made of 17 Goals and 169 targets, and numerous indicators yet to be finalised by March 2016, “They seek to build on the Millennium Development Goals and complete what these did not achieve. They seek to realise the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. They are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, social and environmental.”(See the Preamble).

I nearly wept as I read these words: “Today we are also taking a decision of great historic significance. We resolve to build a better future for all people, including the millions who have been denied the chance to lead decent, dignified and rewarding lives and to achieve their full human potential. We can be the first generation to succeed in ending poverty; just as we may be the last to have a chance of saving the planet. The world will be a better place in 2030 if we succeed in our objectives.”(no.48).

If our country must change we have to keep pushing our governments but we cannot rely on them. The federal government will attempt to do its best, because we have a man with a perceived desire to do something different. Beyond that, most state governors will continue with their tokenism and remain faithful to their primary aim of being in government, self-service, unless somehow citizens take back their power and curtail the dictatorship of state governors. Or if PMB can find a way to keep his promise to not let them continue their pillaging of the peoples’ resources under his watch.

I, therefore, invite every person with some degree of authority and resources to read the document setting forth the post 2015 agenda: Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Anyone with any degree of authority and resources should strive to align the work plans of his/her institution towards achieving these aims. The institution need not be a formal one, it might just be one’s family and the objective would be, how many other families could one liberate from poverty? In other words, what can you or your institution do to support livelihoods for a number of families? Can you roll over a few of those who keep asking you for charity into a livelihood program? Can you train a few young men and young women to gain skills and support them to set up a small business? Can you take over the scholarship of one of the children of that poor struggling woman? Can you build a decent toilet for a couple of families? Can you go the extra mile to provide climate friendly stoves and lighting to a few families? No one can remain indifferent after reading the agenda. And my fear is that, ministers, state governors, commissioners, local government chair persons, would give only a passing thought to it whereas whole nations are changing their strategies to reflect the new agenda. And even when you want to work with them, they are too busy even to reply a simple letter. As for me, I will do what I can.
• Rev Father Bassey wrote from New York.