Economic hardship, bad leadership responsible for growing agitations -Prof Amadasu
Retired Professor of Health Science Management from the University of Benin, Henry Igbinokpogie Amadasu, on Sunday said the hydra-headed problems threatening the unity of the country are occasioned by the “harsh economic reality and bad leadership threatening state of the Nigeria nation.”
He said the clamor across the Country for restructuring and agitation for session by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), would have been unnecessary of the federal government had been able for provide the basic need for it citizen.
Amadasu, who spoke to journalists as part of activities to herald his 80th birthday celebration slated today however regretted that “events in the nation signal the reversal of the expectation of the founding fathers of Nigeria that this country based upon the principle of liberal democracy in which citizens shall have freedom of choice and be treated equally. There are worrisome signals that Nigeria is sliding dangerously down the destructive slope of justice, oppression, discrimination and disregard for the rule of law.”
The university don posited that a “steed view of this national malaise as solely economic is even more frightening than the predictions of political pundits of coming anarchy,” adding that the “overlapping interest between politics and economics along with its concomitants effect in such a hugely diversified country is crucial to its growth and stability. It is bad policies in itself that has ruined us, it is bad politics.”
On the agitation by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), he said: “It is true that people can always demand their right one way or the other but they n must do it with caution. The way IPOB are going about it also infringed on the fundamental right of others. They don’t have the right to demand that the Country must be broken to pieces because we are fighting for the unity of the Country regardless of where we come from or where we are.
“If you look at the few people that do not belong to IPOB, differ with their struggle and are condemning it but trying to drag to entire South East out of the Country and by so doing IPOB is balkanising the Country. So for that reason I appeal to both IPOB and the federal government to see reason and trend softly for peace to reign.
On restructuring he noted “What are we restructuring? I have read a lot about restructuring. We should not restructure ourselves out of the system; restructuring per se is not the problem of Nigeria. If the government has good leadership and they are alive to their responsibility, if there is light, good road and other basic amenities all these agitation will not be there.
“In America, nobody talk about restructuring, because the common man gets what they want. Do people in the market know what restructuring all about?
“As a Christian, we also have to consider our weak neighbour who cannot support themselves, and I believe that there is a need to share with others. But I still believe that restructuring wouldn’t have come if things are done right, the economic situation is also a contribution to the restructuring and I want you to also know that four years ago nobody was really talking about restructuring. I do know that Jonathan put up a conference in 2014 but then it was not implemented.
Titus Akhigbe, Benin
