| | | | | Consequent upon this the image issue cannot be |
| | | | | resolve through rhetoric, propaganda and make |
| It will be recall that in the second week of February, | | | | believe. |
| the Minister of Information and Communication, Prof. | | | | |
| Dora Akunyili unveils a new initiative to market Nigeria | | | | The enduring image change Nigeria needs is the kind |
| both locally and internationally. | | | | that must address the image crisis that has eaten |
| | | | | deep into the fabrics of our country and its people. |
| This has to do with image laundering and marketing | | | | |
| Nigeria through public campaign, flowering speeches, | | | | There must therefore be a collective hunger for |
| flashy light e.t.c so as to make Nigeria acceptable both | | | | perception shift and there must be an understanding of |
| to Nigerians and outsiders. | | | | what should change, how it would change and what |
| | | | | result it will bring. |
| Mrs. Akunyili must not forget that branding Nigeria is | | | | |
| not merely printing of some fanciful logos on caps and | | | | The way out of these is that the leaders must set the |
| T-shirts rather branding is a concept repositioning thing. | | | | pace that will cause an attitude change to start among |
| | | | | its people. |
| It takes its root in a co-operate understanding that the | | | | |
| image currently presented is not acceptable and an | | | | Nothing will change unless our mind set are changed to |
| image change is required. | | | | such extent that we no longer rig elections, we |
| | | | | re-brand our politic to international standard of free, fair |
| It is relevant to note that our image crisis which we | | | | and peaceful practice. |
| accumulated consistently over a long period of | | | | |
| unproductive military invention and civilian visionless | | | | Also, stealing in high places must receive zero |
| leadership is today compounded by the harvest of our | | | | tolerance from the operators of our political machinery, |
| past sowing. | | | | kick back and ten percent must become unfashionable |
| | | | | in our public and private sector. |
| Today, our political class engages in stealing of our | | | | |
| common wealth, securing electoral victories through | | | | An election based re-branding will automatically take |
| unholy means, killing and maiming of perceived | | | | place if public funds is disburse wisely to generate |
| opposition, exhibition of wealth and lack of empathy for | | | | employment, deal with the Niger Delta issue in that |
| the masses who they are elected to serve. | | | | region with a sense of safety. |
| | | | | |
| Our youths are not left out; they have become hired | | | | We must also attend urgently to our numerous social, |
| and hirable assassins, scammers, telephone and laptop | | | | political and economic problems any attempts at image |
| thieves, kidnappers of their kinsmen and foreigners, | | | | laundry will be a mere waste of resources. |
| armed robbers and call girls. | | | | |
| | | | | OWOLEBI .O. |