FORMER Nigerian Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Yusuf Maitama-Sule, has expressed disappointment over Nigeria’s failure to develop its politics, philosophy and economy.
Maitama-Sule, who bagged a Lifetime Achievement Award alongside a former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Kolade, at an annual dinner organised by the Academy for Entrepreneurial Studies in Lagos, also described the situation facing the country as “meaningless”.
According to a statement in Lagos on Tuesday, the diplomat said present Nigerian leaders had betrayed the efforts made by the nation’s founding fathers to bring orderliness and greatness to the country.
He said, “Honestly, everything in the Nigerian state has become meaningless. In short, today there is meaningless in philosophy, intellectualism, politics, immorality in the society, corruption in the economy, fraud in act, and lack of creativity.
“Nigeria today is not what it used to be. Our founding fathers made all efforts to give us foundation and dream that between the next 15 and 30 years, Nigeria will become a great country. But things have fallen apart. The family institution today has broken down. Respect for elders and constituted authority, which used to be a standing order in our society, has now become a wasted effort.”
He, however, urged Nigerians to love one another, saying there was still hope in the country.
He added, “I remain optimistic. I believe that we shall overcome. I saw it in the past. In the First Republic, I saw so many crisis and we overcame. As we overcame those crises in the First Republic, so shall we overcome these crises in the present Nigeria by the grace of God.
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“I have a dream; I have a dream that Nigeria will soon be great, I have a dream
that Nigeria will soon become united and a prospering country - A country that
will take her proper place in the committee of Nations, a country that will lead
the rest of Africa and inspire Africans all over the world. I have a dream that
we will come to love one another. The problem with Nigeria is the lack of love,
tribalism and religion.”
Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who was also awarded the Governor of the year, blamed the failure of the country on corruption, mismanagement and greed. He said, “Our biggest problem is greed, corruption and mismanagement. It starts from the top to the bottom. I am not sure if anyone can exclude himself or herself. Leaders now struggle to buy aircraft. Governors and other leaders are now hovering in the air without catering for the state.” Also, Minister of Works, Mike Onolememen, who delivered a paper on “The Transformation Agenda in the Federal Ministry of Works”, noted that leaders must instill values that would transform the country for the good of all. “Nigeria is on a favored map and we are progressing. Leaders must change the business against the usual mentality of the polity and transform the country. They must take their time to plan for change. They must work together,” Onolememen, who bagged the award for Minister of the Year, said. The president of the AES Excellence Club, Dr. Ausbeth Ajagu, decried the spate of bad leadership in the country, adding that leaders must bear the love of the country in mind. He said, “It is hard to find a dedicated Nigerian nowadays. Where many people are suffering, some people are fighting for private jet in the country. We have heard of a governor in the South-South who has acquired two aircraft to hover in the air. This is very wrong because leadership is a trust and must be accounted for.” Other awardees of the night included, Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Adejoke Orelope-Adefulire, AES Fellowship Award; a former Vice President, Chief Alex Ifeanyichukwu Ekwueme, Life Time Achievement Award; Group Executive Chairman, Standard Alliance Group, Olorogun Emerhor, Entrepreneur of the Year; while African Independent Television and Nigeria Television Authority bagged the Televisions of the year awards. |
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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