By John Abolarin
Kemi Badenock, a 44 year old young woman of Nigerian heritage made history yesterday when she became the Head of the Conservative Party in the UK.
She won the long contest fair and square against a White male counterpart by a wide and comfortable margin.
In the social and political life of the British, that is the highest post that any black woman or man has ever attained and the closest any black person has reached to have some chances of becoming the first black person to become the Prime Minister in the UK.
Whether or not Kemi eventually becomes the Prime Minister is another thing. However, I wouldn’t be surprised if she does in the end following in the footsteps of Rishi Sunak, the immediate past leader of the Conservative Party.
Whatever the case, Kemi has made a history and taken a giant leap forward that may have been considered inconceivable 44 years ago.
Foremost, we need to appreciate the large heartedness of the British people. We need to accept that Great Britain has moved on and moved forward in the right direction.
Secondly, we also need to appreciate Kemi’s parents and congratulate them heartily for raising well adjusted children in Europe. Most people understand the challenges Nigerian parents faced raising children in Europe and in America.
This landmark occasion emphasises some important lessons for Nigerians currently living in the UK, America, Canada, Australia and other countries in Europe.
It should also assist those who are aspiring to seek their fortune in those places to be mindful of the kind of attitude, mindset that can connect or disconnect them with the land they are planning to take up residency.
Currently, there are all sorts of “Militant” video clips going around the cyber space distorting history and blaming all the problems in Nigeria on other people especially the British.
Look friends, we need to be very careful with the kind of concoctions we allow anyone to throw at us. They are usually half truth and half lies.
This sort of narratives can only produce unhealthy negative emotional feelings – Anger and resentment towards people you did not know and whose existence should not be made to disturb our lives today.
This sort of story may not have any real negative impacts on our people who are at home but it is potentially very dangerous for some of our children that may be aspiring to go abroad to study or to work.
When you allow these hate inspiring videos to dominate your mind, spirit and soul, it spreads poison in your mind against your hosts if ever you go and live in Europe or America.
The effect is that you will generally develop a natural hatred towards white people. It will surely make you hate your co-workers who have not personally offended you. There is no way you can enjoy living in the areas where white people are. You won’t be able to make friends with them. You won’t be able to connect properly with the people and the land.
It is an unrighteous anger because the new generation of white people knows nothing about what happened in the past and the family of those you come in contact with abroad may have nothing to do with the families of those who actually committed atrocities in Africa.
It is like the situation we had in Nigeria in the mid 2000 when Delta and Ogoni boys were kidnapping white men working in Shell and other foreign oil companies.
Some of the white people died in the process. Some of their people had to pay heavy ransom to get kidnapped people released.
Then imagine if the white people in the city where l live in the UK continue to harass me or my great grandchildren in the UK for the offence they or their father and I their great grandfather knows nothing about.
Part of the negative impacts of carrying bitterness against white people when you are living in their country is that you cannot enjoy the fruit of the land. The land cannot work for you but against you.
It is a spiritual thing. If you live in Ibadan or Ilorin but you passionately hate the indigenous people there, how can you enjoy the best of the fruit in that place?
Rather pray and bless the city where you live. In their blessings and peace you will get your own blessings and peace.
Let me give you some examples of what I met on the ground when I started living in the UK on a permanent basis.
I met several Nigerians who have been there 10-20 years before I got to the UK. Most of those people were also older by the same age range.
I was shocked by the attitude of some of these people. Not all of them l must say.
Some of them were getting white women pregnant left right and center. They used some of those women to get their papers to stay in the UK. Once they are settled they abandon these women and their children and move on to other victims.
As they had become citizens, they used their status to collect weekly allowances called “Dough” or Job Seeker’s allowance.
Our people usually call that money “Owo Bàbá” meaning that they believe that they were only taking back from the white man what they believe the White man stole from Africa.
I used to preach to some of those people in the 1990s, but they laughed at me and said l was only being naive.
They thought they were wise and enjoying free money and free housing benefits. They refused to work and they refused to go to school or learn any trade.
I told them, there are vast opportunities here. Go to the university and re-train yourself and earn money and pay taxes just like everyone else. With that you will be able to buy a house for yourself and live a decent life.
Thanks be to God for those who listened. I know many engineers from Nigeria who went back to the university and are mathematics teachers today. Some did nursing. By the grace of God, today they are settled. Not only that, their children are doing well too with far more advantages.
I remember one man in particular who told me if he had the opportunity to steal anything from the white man he would do it.
Some of these people took loans from the bank and came back to Nigeria without any intention of paying back the loans.
Some took credit cards, bought goods and came back to Nigeria to settle.
You may have heard stories of people who cheated White people especially white women leaving forwarding addresses in Nigeria as
Number 35 Omo Setan Omo Rele.
22, Oyingbo, Òyìbó Go Street
Suru Lere Lagos.
Due to the nefarious activities of these wicked people, credit card companies and airlines don’t allow Nigerians to use credit cards to buy air tickets if we want to travel.
There was a time when Nigerians were singled out and discriminated against when opening a bank account. Thanks be to God, some people rose up to fight against the discrimination. The policy was stopped.
Thank God for some wise parents who made their children study hard and gave opportunities they did not have to their children in the UK.
Today, some of those children are doctors, lawyers and health professionals.
An example of second generation migrants in that category is Kemi Badenoch who may eventually become the Prime Minister in the UK.
While some people were doing all they can to give themselves a better future, some are busy looking for loopholes to steal from the system.
Occasionally, l still see some of those men in the market in Toxteth and Kensington where we usually buy Nigerian food stuff.
They are very old men now mostly using walking sticks and with poor mobility and poor eyesight.
They have no wife living with them and their mixed race children hate their fathers like excrement because of what these men did to their mothers and to them when they were little.
At old age, it is impossible for the men to even contemplate going back to Nigeria they left more than 50 years ago. At the age of 80-90 years, they come to the market by themselves to buy Ugwu, Yam flour, Maggi, Palm oil and plantain.
They have no houses of their own as they lived in council flats throughout their time in the UK.
Now they realise that the White man is not stupid they are the ones that were stupid and foolish.
In conclusion, please and please, if ever you are nursing the ambition of living abroad or intend to send your children abroad in the future, kindly protect yourself and your children from this type of poison that people are throwing about on social media.
If you are living in the UK, America or other countries in Europe, for now that is your home. Try and contribute your quota towards the development of the place to make the place habitable for you and your family. Chances are that you are able to help your extended family members more because you are living in any of those places.
On the other hand, if you are so angry with white people for what you consider that they did to cause the hardship in Nigeria and you feel it is just and equitable to make them pay for it, l think the right place to start your campaign is Nigeria. It would serve your interest better to just pack your things up and go back home. The alternative is that you may end up in prison for a very long time if you try anything funny here.
•Rev John Adebayo Abolarin can be reached via john.equip@hotmail.co.uk
