Bothered by a string of crises that Nigeria faces, scholars and other eminent Nigerians gathered in Ibadan at the weekend agreed that the only way to get the
country out of her economic, political and social problems was to get Nigerians to take the country seriously.
They came to this conclusion at a book reading held at the International Conference Centre of the University of Ibadan. The gathering was put together by the Readers’ Club of the Ibadan School of Government and Public Policy (ISGPP) to brainstorm on Nigeria through the reading of one of the recent books of poet and gubernatorial aspirant in Edo State, Odia Ofeimun.
In his opening speech, the Deputy Vice Chairman of the school and retired federal Permanent Secretary, Dr. Tunji Olaopa, said the Club was one of the school’s efforts at “contributing to the knowledge industry in Nigeria”, stating that authors whose books stimulate discourses on Nigeria would be a periodic affair of the Club.
Ofeimun, who kicked off the debate by reading from the 9-chapter book entitled Taking Nigeria Seriously, said that the bulk of the nation’s woes could be linked to the fact that Nigerians and their leaders do not take the country seriously in all their interaction with the nation. According to him, the book, which he said was a “concise image of Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s views of Nigeria” was a composite of all the articles he had ever written, his thoughts, beliefs and poetry, which he said seeks to look at the thoughts of Awolowo after he (Ofeimun) stopped being his Private Secretary.
He called for a holistic tackling of the Fulani herdsmen attacks issue by President Muhammadu Buhari, stating that if not well tackled, it was capable of destroying the country. “If we don’t deal with the issue of herdsmen, there may be no Nigeria tomorrow. Almost all Nigerian groups are brought up not to take Nigeria seriously; they fight against themselves and the future of their children by feigning to be fighting for the interest of their people… The Fulani must be made to move to where they have cultural empathy – dairy industries, corn-beef industries. Government must build a global industry around their cattle-rearing,” he said.
Ofeimun lamented that Nigerian leaders are what he called “hunter-gatherers” who move into a virgin environment which they graze to zero until it becomes a desert and then move to the next land, failing to plan for tomorrow in the process. “In the Niger Delta for instance, an average of 260 makeshift refineries, built by those stealing crude oil, are destroyed every year and these people end up rebuilding the ‘refineries’ in three days. If an individual can build a ‘refinery’ in three days, why not a nation? This is prevented by corporations and individuals who determine that scarcity continues. If we were in a war situation and the enemies destroy our refineries, would we surrender or ensure that we move on? It should take not more than ten days to build a refinery.
Even in Biafra, shortchanged by their leaders and Nigeria, they made makeshift refineries,” he said.
Renowned educationist, Professor Bolanle Awe, lauded what she called “extremely provocative” issues dealt with in the book, especially the issue of indigene/settlers, and education of children of tomorrow, concluding that the removal of history from the curriculum of schools was capable of making Nigerians not to take their country seriously.
“We should learn about our culture, tradition and be proud of them… If we do not know history, how can you get far in life? America won’t give you a degree unless you learn American history,” she said. Others present at the occasion were former Dean of Postgraduate School, University of Ibadan, Professor Olabode Lucas, Professor Remi Raji, Professor Bimpe Aboyade, Professor Ayo Olaleye, Mr. Kolade Mosuro, Dr. Doyin Ajuwon, among others.