Conversation with Donald Duke – The initiator of TINAPA

I got an email recently inviting me to an interactive session and dinner with the erstwhile Governor of Cross River State of Nigeria.  I had a quick look to be sure someone is not playing trick and definitely not a hoax.  I am aware of the various scams ongoing amongst our “yahoo yahoo” brothers as they are called.

In fact, a few colleagues had an accident on a business trip to Nigeria recently and we started making quick arrangement to sort out their flight to get them back to London so they can receive better medical attention.  Well, two of them are based here in London, so its just a change of flight details required, but one of them, an Architect, is based in Nigeria and needed a Visa to come here for treatment as he sustained broken limb in the accident.

I called the London Orthopaedic Clinic to state our line of business and the fact that we need a letter to get the gentleman a visa as he is coming for private medical treatment.  Our company is anxious about his well-being and happy to pay whatever it will cost to ensure he gets the best medical attention money can buy.

Well… well… well… a little shock, but not completely surprising, the London Orthopaedic Clinic staff told me that she has been asked not to write any letter for anyone coming for treatment from Nigeria.  The immigration has caught on to a substantial scam and now warned them not to respond to such request.

“Flabber-whelmed and over-ghasted”??? an understatement of sorts I must say, but no, its just so very sad as the action of a few has now been used to judge millions and deprive the majority of something that should normally be straightforward and automatic when you have the money to pay.

Anyway, back to the subject matter, or as my nephews in the Nigeria will say, “back to the koko of the matter” J.  I had a good look at the invitation and contacted the organizers of the “Interactive Session and Dinner with Donald Duke” and I was told its not a scam and I am invited to meet the man himself.

Well, I had an afternoon tea Donald Duke yesterday and we talked about Nigeria, why he is setting up an Interactive Session, what his thoughts are about the station of the nation (Nigeria), where the solution could come from and what he is happy to contribute to the resolution of the problems in Nigeria.

It was meant to be a quick half an hour conversation, but it turned out to be over an hour, plus plus as one of my former Project Support staff will say when meetings over-run.

Donald Duke confessed to being embarrassed by the actions of his political party the PDP, in not clearly supporting the Acting President, but instead stating a claim to affirm the fact that the PDP zoning of Presidency to the North remains consistent and more important to steering the ship of state away from the current doldrum.

My understanding of this situation is that PDP is more interested in seeing to it that Mr Yar’adua, now incapacitated –though would not admit it, may fail to complete this term or even aspire to contest next election, the party will have no concern about the state of the nation and their only concern is which zone of the country provides the next president.

Donald Duke made bold to say that his primary interest now is to see how many Nigerians will stop the typical “just talk attitude” and put their energy, talent and effort into ushering in a change to the Nigerian polity.

All of what he shared with me are incontrovertible facts and truly compelling and I was nodding my head with a smile on my face because its not often you get someone who has been in a leadership position speak straight and talk logical common sense.  Donald Duke was not talking politics at all and at the end of it, I wished I had recorded our conversation because to me it felt like I just had an award-winning and compelling television interview that was not recorded on tape… J

So, where am I going with all this, I am hoping the leaders of thought, opinions and businesses from the Nigerian community in London will be at the Dinner and Interactive Session tonight with Donald Duke.  Let us, in style of Donald Duke rub minds, exchange ideas and come to an agreement or disagreement on the need to begin creating a groundswell for change in the country we all claim to love.

Anyway, its just a few hours away, Dinner will be served at 7.15 tonight and afterwards, it will be time to discuss the state of the nation, the problems and proffer solutions that we can all commit to.

Nuff said… J