Q 9

Nigeria is still in Search of Visionary Leaders-Prof. Olagoke

PoNigerians are not happy with the policies of the present administration in the country at all levels. The people insist that the policies are not people-friendly and have continuously impoverished them.
The method of control of the economy by the powers that be has to a large extent unsecured the maximum welfare, freedom, and happiness of Nigerians which has negatively affected social justice and unequal status and opportunity. In this interview with  Poverty Line, the Founder, Spiritual Head and Grand Imam of  Shafaudeen-in-Islam Worldwide, Prof. Sabitu Olagoke opines that Nigeria is still in search of visionary leaders who shall impact positively on the people. Excerpts :


The economic and other policies of the present administration have negatively impacted on the welfare, freedom, and happiness of Nigerians and have resulted in social injustice and unequal status and opportunity. Why is this so?


Nigeria's state of instability in governance and the crop of leaders emerging after the first republic became questionable for us to erroneously build on the concept of a unitary form of government to fashion out the 1979 and 1999 constitutions in running our democracy. The journey so far is really embarrassing to the extent that our leaders lack control of governance which has resulted in leakages, waywardness, frivolities, and the general culture of institutional indiscipline. In the process, the homes and other institutions lost grip pf organizational and professional ethics.
The culture of integrity and the dignity of labor suffered a lot to make prophetically real, Prof. Chinua Achebe's submission in his book, Things Fall Apart'', that the Falcons can no longer hear the Falconers as the thing was falling apart for the center not to hold anymore with the consequence of mere anarchy ruling the world.
It is unfortunate that Nigeria has not been so blessed and is still in search of visionary leaders who will be ready to sacrifice to hold Nigeria together to get us united into a permanent state of prosperity.
The culture of patriotism is gone and quick money making syndrome is becoming a palliative to replace the arrows of unemployment even for graduates of the various higher institutions.
Nigeria needs good governance that aids development without compromising the ability of the youth to take the baton of development with ease, to be able to build upon the strong foundation of the expected heroic heritage.
The issue lies in the fact that the economic and other policies of Government since  1970 till date have not favored the natural human rights of the people vis-a-vis welfare, freedom, and happiness, as a result of the series of inequities, social injustice, inequality of status and opportunities. The way forward is to work on a phrase in our national anthem that is, ''The labor of our heroes past shall never be in vain'',  by SWOT analyzing the value chains in governance through Tafawa Balewa, Herbert Macaulay, Obafemi Awolowo, Ahmadu Bello, Aminu Kano, Nnamdi Azikiwe, Okotie Eboh, Anthony Enahoro among several others.
The challenge for Nigeria in the present circumstance is for the government to respect our youths and their parents by providing good governance as precedence so that aberrations noted by them in their peaceful protests should be quickly addressed through cautious and effective restructuring programs for the economic and other policies of government to serve the expected purpose of sustainable development.

 

Nigeria Governance Prof. Sabitu Olagoke

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