I have just seen off to the airport some of my close buddies returning home after a decade and a half in the states.Mind you ,i have nothing wrong in going home but going to stay in the midst of lawlessness and anarchy isn't the reason i went on economic exile.To cut the story short,there's a distinguished selfless Nigerian who against all odds came home to serve his country and his reward,i would post bellow!
Last year i got an offer from one of the emerging players on the West African banking scene to be part of their global strategy team with a nice bundle and with all the extras that go with those jobs. I did go for a familiarization tour spent 6weeks or thereabouts and realised it was all folly-PHCN,ARMED ROBBERS, LASTMA,NPF,,DERELICT AND DEBASED INSTITUTIONS(trying to get a cof o,getting the police to arrest a maiguard who invites robbers to dismantle your gen set etc).I was just overwhelmed,people go through a lot to get basic things, to enjoy bare necessities!My friends that lured me who had also relocated were not finding thigs easy though but with salaries exceeding what some made here they had no option. Anyways,i still plan to visit as time permits,but it's the story of a patriot,who heard the calling and well judge-------------------------------------.
doctor’s hope reduced to rubble
By john alechenu
Published: Sunday, 25 Feb 2007
When Dr. Frank Fashina left Nigeria to study medicine in the United States of America in 1975, he was consumed by one passion, ‘I’ll be back one day to save lives.” That was what he told his friends. He finished his first degree in 1978 and went into practice while at the same time pursuing his post-graduates degrees. He married an American and had two children but still did not forget his roots. After completing his PhD (in 1982), with specialisation in gynaecology and other related areas, he knew it was time to plan the homeward journey. With the support of his family and in defiance of the advice of foreign friends who felt it was dangerous to venture into business in Nigeria, he returned home.

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L-R: Fashina,el-Rufai

Between 1996 and 1999, Fashina moved into Abuja to set up Arewa Hospital. He applied for land and was allocated plots number 2287 and 2288 along Accra Street, Wuse Zone 5, Abuja. As someone well-versed in the culture of due process, he went all the way to acquire his Certificate of Occupancy and approved building plan. Without any collateral to attract a bank loan, he appealed to friends for loans to build what later became Arewa Specialist Hospital. It was a masterpiece, a structure that embodied his desires and dreams. The euphoria of the democratic dispensation in 1999 brought with it renewed hope for a new Nigeria. For Fashina and his family, it meant a freer environment for private business to thrive.

He told Sunday Punch in Abuja on Tuesday, “I had high hopes because I believe in this country. I thought to my self, now we can have a better atmosphere where the rule of law will thrive and professional practice will boom because this is democracy.” His optimism was however cut short when the Federal Capital Development Authority issued a demolition notice to the hospital, a few months after. The notice was issued on the grounds that the plots were allocated in error as they were on sewage line. That in effect meant that his hospital was facing demolition. Disturbed about the turn of events, Fashina went to court to challenge the action of the FCDA. The courts granted a restraining order.

He was however dumbfounded when the Ministry of the FCT issued another demolition notice on August 26, 2003. Four days later, on August 30, 2003, President Olusegun Obasanjo paid an unscheduled visit to the hospital. Fashina and his team were in the middle of a major surgery, when he was informed that Obasanjo was at the reception. He had to choose between saving a life and attending to the visitor. To his relief, the President sent words that he should only come out after the surgery. Obasanjo waited patiently for close to one hour. Touched by the humanitarian nature of the services rendered by the hospital, Fashina sadly recalled that “The president, with his arms around the shoulders of my wife, said, his administration was out to right the wrongs of past administrations. He promised that we would be fully compensated for our property, which would be pulled down.”

The president immediately ordered the minister to take steps to effect payment of compensation and provide an alternative land for the hospital to be rebuilt as spelt out in the law. Fashina could not argue. He felt humbled by the President’s visit and the readiness to ensure that justice was done. His fears about the fate of the multi-million naira edifice evaporated, with the President’s promise of compensation made up of the full value of the structure and fresh plots of land for the construction of a new hospital. As directed by the President, Fashina hired a team of professional valuers and the hospital structure was valued at N207 million.

But the FCDA would have none of it. Its valuers said the structure could not be more than N55million. The dispute over the value was yet to be resolved when one morning in September 2003, heavy earth-moving equipment, popularly called bulldozers, pulled up in front of the hospital. There was stampede. The staff could not believe what they saw. The patients thought it was a dream. But by the time they were through, Fashina, his wife, staff and patients watched in utter shock as all they worked for, their hopes and aspirations, which translated into Arewa Specialist Hospital, was reduced to rubble. Fashina’s traumatised wife and the children left the country immediately. They viewed the incident as a declaration of war against the family. They returned to America wondering, if the words of the President could not be relied upon, who else could be trusted?

But Fashina’s troubles were just about to begin. The Minister of the FCT, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai stood his ground not to pay anything beyond N55million recommended by the ministry’s valuers. The Minister, via an approval by the Budget and Funds Disbursement Committee, authorised the payment of N14.50 million as first installment He however made a U-turn by alleging that he never authorised the payment and that the medical doctor should be jailed by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for defrauding government. The twist in the tale was so alarming that the National Assembly had to wade in.

The matter went public when the Senate set up an ad-hoc committee to take a holistic view of the entire demolition exercise. In his testimony before the Senator Idris Kuta-led committee, el-Rufai was in a combative mood. He told the committee, “The way to value is to value it at the time Development Control says stop work. In the case of Dr. Fashina, at the time the building got out of foundation, General Useni (Former FCT Minister) got advice that these buildings were on a sewage line because then the sewage lines had started bursting and the place was smelling and Development Control marked all the buildings and said they should stop work.”

He told the committee that at anytime when one was ordered to stop work, whoever continued work after then did so at his own risk. He accused some staff of his ministry of being mischievous. According to him, they made two valuations in the case of Arewa Hospital. “They did the correct one in 1998 when the buildings were stopped and applied an inflation index, the CBN inflation rate. That would have been the correct value for Dr. Fashina. But they did a second valuation whereas they valued the buildings up to today as if it is today they realised they made a mistake.”

The minister told the Kuta committee that he received reports that, such was the practice among staff of the ministry in cases where a minister’s friend was a victim of demolitions and was entitled to be compensated. He said, “The two options were proposed to me to consider. I approved the first option because that’s the legally correct option. The finance people tend to normally allocate money for various purposes and this money (first installment) was paid but not with my authority.” By that explanation, he alleged that both Fashina and certain staff of the ministry, especially the finance department, were fraudulent.

The Director of Finance and Accounts in the Ministry, Mr. Silva Ameh, was summoned by the Senate as he was directly accused by the minister. He appeared and completely faulted the minister’s claims in his testimony before the Senate Committee. He said, “Because of cash squeeze we wrote a memo to the minister to give priority approvals. On this memo dated July 22, 2004, I made a recommendation to the minister for general payments, including that of Arewa Hospital. My memo was routed through my permanent secretary that endorsed my proposal and recommended it to the minister for approval. Then the minister wrote a second approval for 14.5 million naira.” He said the minister was being economical with the truth when he claimed not to have authorised the payment. It was a bold effort by the director in the face of intimidating influence of the minister who could have have had him fired. But the Senate assured him of safety.

The Kuta committee in its findings submitted that: “It was observed that Dr. Fashina of Arewa Hospital was underpaid and not over paid as claimed by the Honourable Minister of the FCT. FCDA agreed to pay N55, 804,000.00 on Dr. Fashina’s hospital building. It only paid N14, 500,000.00, which the Minister claimed was not approved by him. However by Mr. Silva Ameh’s (Former director Finance and Supplies) submission, it was discovered that the Hon. Minister actually approved the amount paid to Dr. Fashina.”

Dr. Fashina is pained by the decision of the minister to describe him as a dishonest person. He said, “I felt very bad when they did not only refuse to consider my valuation of N210 million but went on to tell the committee that I had been over paid. I kept my peace and prayed for the payment of my balance because I was told in this country if you fight for your rights you will loose out. I still have hope in Nigeria, I did not leave America to come back home, only to go back again.” Today, the Fashinas are still waiting for justice while el-Rufai’s bulldozer is still on the prowl pulling down houses. The question has never been whether houses should be pulled down but whether the demolition is done in line with existing legislation.

The Minister’s Senior Special Adviser, Amina Salihu, could not be reached on Friday for comments on the report as her mobile phone was switched off. But there were indications that the Senate had forwarded its recommendations on the committee’s report to the President for action.

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Food for thought!

Coming back to Nigeria? You're joking, thank you very much!!!

I have sworn never to go back, not even my corpse. Keep your Nigeria and I'll keep my Europe.

Things will get better only when my great great great grandchildren turn 100 years.

Until then, I'm staying put here. Goodbye!!!

People have so much passion for nigeria but your positive energy and brilliant ideas will always almost be consumed at one point or the other.

We all have different preferences in life.

Some of us are determined to return home regardless of what may be happening, while others are committed to serving their white bosses. I guess, it's all about different people, different situations and different backgrounds.

We can not have it both ways; it is what it is.
It isn't a magic or miracle, either you take it or you leave it.

Furthermore, destiny also plays a crucial role in making or not making this move, hence I can not and will not advise people to make their decision based on Dr Fashina's situation.

My advice to folks: If you want to return back home, you should do so before the age of 40 years old and get familiar with the way things are done at home. You just never know, you might end up touching many by displaying new ideas or better strategies.
As a new comer; you shouldn't criticize everything that comes your way, you should think broadly and you should always respect others with different views.

Please, keep in mind that after 40, the decision becomes very difficult and unbearable.

Good luck.

Shutmouth:

I hate to tell you that Europe isn't all that!

Europe was once lawless, we have to create the Nigeria that our grand children will be happy in. Nigeria might have lawlessness, but an African is always an African, no matter how many years you have spent in Europe, you still face discrimination.

If some people's misbegotten kind had not made mince meat of the economy,who wants to live in the cold of midwestern USA?People should know that the liberty of living a predictable life drives millions of Nigerians out of her shores yearly!Nobody really wants to die here, but comfort,security,rule of law, basics like water,electricity,good quality education is want makes people relocate!So to those who were breast fed on other people's sweat,those who make money on people's misery,those who thrive on the lawlessness in the country,God would be your judge

2 years later, what's happening?
El-Rufai is celebrated as a 'democrat' and 'hero'.

N207 million what?, thats a lot of money.
what the federal govt should have done is instead of demolishing the structure for the sewage pipe, why not redesing the pipe for the structure. law is made for man and not man for the law. even our creator, the ALMIGHTY FATHER alters some of his plans when moses and other great profects in the bible dialoded with him. for example God promise to put off his plan of destroying Sodom and Gommora on the request of abraham, but this could not materialised because the conditions were not meet. God prospone the destruction of isreal when king Ahab repented. I wounder if man were god, they would destroy us all because the type of sinnful life we are living is not the master plan of God for mankind when he created Adam. rather God makes an alternative plan B in person of our Lord Jesus christ.
i think they could have engauge in may be an underground tunnels for the sewages. At least in many advanve countries, they transport their sewages under ground passing through buildings, underground railways, etc.
abi do they have a share in the conpensation they want to pay the arewa hospital? anything is possible