Germany-based Nigerian public intellectual Franklyne Ogbunwezeh has revealed how planes full of white people are daily coming to Nigeria from European capitals at the same time that Nigerians are doing everything possible to emigrate from the country.

In an exclusive interview with Rudolf Okonkwo on 90MinutesAfrica, the scholar said that since Nigeria is not a known tourist destination, something else attracts so many Europeans to the country.

“Every time I am travelling from Frankfurt International Airport to Lagos or Abuja, the plane is always full of white people with only a few sprinkles of Africans.  One plane leaves Frankfurt for Nigeria every day, and it’s always filled up with white people.  And I will ask myself, what are these people going to Nigeria to do? Nigerians are running away from the country, and these people are going in. 

“We don’t have a tourism industry, so what is so attractive about Nigeria that they are rushing to find? And this is only one European capital. Fly British Airways from London to Nigeria, and you will see it is the same thing. So the thing that is interesting is that they are going to Nigeria to find, they are finding it because if they are not, they won’t be going there every other day,” he said.

The former Director of Genocide Prevention in Africa at the Christian Solidarity International (CSI), Switzerland, said that while Nigerians are busy allowing themselves to be divided by petty tribalism, foreigners are coming in to exploit the nation’s resources.

He argued that international politics is dictated by the interests of nations. He decried the absence of a common national interest in Nigeria as a result of petty squabbles among the diverse ethnic groups in the country, warning that unless Nigerians sit down to discuss among themselves how they want the country to be structured, the nation will continue to struggle.

While responding to questions during the interview, Dr Ogbunwezeh alleged that it is in the British interest to maintain Nigeria as a business concern that guarantees the “flow of rivers of oil” into British coffers.

“And that was how Shell BP became the shadow government of Nigeria to date. Shell BP has been Nigeria’s shadow government and that’s why we can’t do anything to Allison Madueke even after everything that happened in the Petroleum Ministry under her, because she was seconded by Shell to the Nigerian Oil Ministry. She can’t be brought back to Nigeria for trial because she is a British agent. These are the kind of neo-warrant chiefs that have been in charge of Nigeria since the British granted us independence,” the scholar said.

The author also explained that for Nigeria to develop, the country must invest heavily in its citizens’ education. He said the money wasted in maintaining members of the Senate and House of Representatives and those given to governors as security votes should be channelled into providing free and quality education at all levels, as is obtainable in countries like Germany.