AMAZON AND TWITTER – I UNDERSTAND EXPERIENTIALLY

You see, we sha like to be opening our mouth and be talking crap. There has been much angst at Twitter opening shop in Ghana and now Amazon going to South Africa. People who have not seen anything in this Nigeria that will be shouting, those that have experienced what Nigeria is, will just be clapping for these people. Let me tell you, people, one story: that is how one man call me. He say, is that Edgar? I say yes, he say I am Dr…. I am an international TV consultant.

I have lived in America for over 40 years and I have the option of opening an international TV station in either South Africa or Nigeria. I am a Nigerian from Bayelsa, and I think I should come into Nigeria because with the US government backing this project, it will create thousands of direct and indirect jobs and open up Nigeria, making it the hub of international broadcasting.

The South African government has given me land, tax holiday for five years and part of the funding, but I want to come to Nigeria for patriotic reasons. I say, oya na. I love this. Let’s do it. As an investment banker, these kinds of transactions excite me. So I took the mandate. My people don’t let me talk far. We ended up in EFCC cell, losing millions of personal money, and much more painfully, the old man losing all his life savings. That night inside EFCC cell, I ask myself questions. Questions I could find answers to.

Where did we get it wrong? We only just wanted to bring in our own small FDI and contribute. See me inside cell. The man is in Abuja today jobless, penniless and ruing the day he called me. Me, I am here writing a column and doing plays and running around begging people for sponsorship. Mbok, you don’t know what Amazon must have experienced trying to come. Dem just quietly go saner place. Mbok, don’t blame dem o. I cannot blame them. I understand.