UI don, Odebunmi, others lead discussion on Nigeria’s challenges at Adegbite’s birthday
pannigeriannews
5 min read
Guests at a colloquium to mark the birthday of a historian, writer and public affairs analyst, Mr Adewuyi Adegbite, including a professor of pragmatics and discourse analysis at the University of Ibadan, Prof. Akin Odebunmi, engaged in intellectual discussions about Nigeria’s myriad of challenges and proffered solutions.
Adewuyi authors books, among which include “Reasoning With You”, “Issues in Ogbomoso History”, “Orlando Owoh’s biography”, “No Cross, No Crown”, among others.
Held at his Oke-Aanu residence in Ogbomoso and chaired by Prof. Odebunmi, the colloquium stressed the importance of prayers in overcoming the problems of Nigeria, adding, however, that the citizens must be ready to work hard and be more practical to effect the desired change.
The celebrant lamented the crippling of the country’s administrations at all levels, noting that dividend of democracy is no more trickling down to the common man.
He added, “This country is at the precipice. It is divisively tottering; there is never a time in Nigeria that the clamour for separatism is shriller and that is why I will wish we discuss nation building process in Nigeria.
“There is a logjam in the nation building process; so what is the way out?”
Prof. Odebunmi, in his submission, expressed displeasure over Nigerians’ penchant for eschewing the truth, remarking, “We all know the truth but avoid it. We subsume truth under personal interest. Those that directed that Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) should not be heeded or under whose watch Boko Haram insurgents are committing genocide, they are conversant with the truth but they are propelled by personal interest.
“It is because of these problems that there are several separatist groups seeking self determination, I can count about six. For me, I don’t see that as a way out because in every region, we have fraudulent people and collaborators who will come around to assume leadership in the various nations in the event of balkanisation.”
The Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of The Insight newsmagazine, Mr Femi Ogunlana, observed that the problem of Nigeria started the moment the country jettisoned true federalism for unitary system.
Ogunlana stressed that if we return to true federalism the downward trend will be halted because “each region will be able to grow at its pace. There will be healthy competition.
“And there will be development. But in a situation where we practice unitary system – feeding bottle system, where every component part looks at the Federal Government for sustenance, growth and development will be stunted.
“The system we practice kills creativity and innovativeness. Look at local governments today; they can’t ‘repair’ even a common road. There was effective leadership during the time of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo and the likes, but the military take-over destroyed everything.
“Until we go back to the system that subsisted in the First Republic and we have state police, fiscal autonomy and so on, there won’t be progress and development; there won’t be solutions to our problems.
He however regretted that the class of leaders who have the power to effect restructuring and restore true federalism won’t activate it because the present system is beneficial to them, adding, “But unfortunately too, the masses who can force it are held down by a combination of ignorance and fear.
“Religion, both Christianity and Islam, has inflicted people with passivity, believing rather that God will do it. It is never so. We have a part to play, even the blood of Jesus Christ was shed for Christians to have a chance of salvation.
“This simply means that before we can progress and have development, there must be hurtful sacrifices. The people must be ready to push for a change. Change will not come unless the people stampede it. We shouldn’t be suffering in the midst of plenty. But if we cannot fight we just should be ready to cope with the suffering.”
But Mr. Taiwo Akinfenwa, a school Vice Principal, frowned at what he described as religious exploitations by the major religions.
Mr Sulaiman Oladosu, a local government employee, also berated the system of government adopted in the country, saying it is anti-productive just as he denounced the notion of “born to rule” often propounded by a section if the country.
Oladosu said, “It is high time we went back to the drawing board by which I mean our elected leaders and others should take oath by swearing with our local deities like Ogun and Sango.
“Revolution is the best solution for our problems. The culture of lying is well entrenched and, this, we instill in our children. We need revolution; we need to come together to force the change.”
Dr. (Mrs.) Yemi Adegbite, a lecturer at the Oyo State College of Education, Lanlate, and who’s vice chairperson of the colloquium, emphasised on getting closer to God while urging everyone to let the change start with them.
Dr Adegbite, however, supported the idea of fighting like it happened during the EndSars protest, averring, “Our setting is abnormal but if we want to treat it normally, we can’t have a way. Added to that, the factors we proclaim as ways out are contradictory and so the next thing is to go back to God. The Bible states that when the foundation is faulty, what will the righteous do?
“Then, I must say I am not against use of deity that will inflict immediate comeuppance to conduct swearing-in ceremonies. That is a solution. Let African tradition takes off and see what happens. But as for Christianity and Islam that is the way we know and we will have to continue to pray.
“In addition, we should make our family a unit of change by inculcating the fear of God into every member, whoever knows God will do the will of God. If a child imbibes the fear of God from the cradle it will be difficult for such person to stray when he or she assumes leadership. We should not be weary, one day the truth will be established. We want result immediately but it might not come immediately.”
Odebunmi affirmed that prayer is being answered, “What of the secrets of frauds in government being exposed. Look at how the heist by Ahmed Idris (accountant general of the federation) was uncovered, it is not ordinary that he was exposed, prayer is being answered. God knows when to answer our prayer, so we should intensify prayer.”
Dr. Layi Ayoola, of GNS Department, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, Ogbomoso, while congratulating the celebrant described him as “very accommodating, loving and someone who always seeks the progress of others.”
Others like Mr Kehinde Odekunbi of Oyo State College of Education; Mr Tunji Alabi of Premium News equally lent their voices in the towards the direction of salvaging Nigeria.
