Varsity Don Proffers Solutions to Building Prosperous Nigeria

From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

A Professor of Public Administration at the Federal University, Lokoja, Otinche Sunday, has called for collective responsibility of Nigerians in building prosperous nation that would meet with international standard. adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Professor Otinche Sunday who made the call while delivering the 42nd Inaugural Lecture Series of the University at its Felele Campus in Lokoja on Wednesday, declared that “Building Nigeria of our own is a collective task before every citizen in respect of what they should do to achieve the goal”

In his Presentation titled ‘The Looking Glass-self Perspective of How Never to Build A Nation in The New World Order: Reflections on Nation Building Experiments in Nigeria, Professor Otinche Sunday noted that the rising level of insecurity in Nigeria, Africa and the World shows that we are gradually losing our humanity.

According to him, “The higher the rate of insecurity, the higher the risks humanity is exposed to. I am of the opinion that Nigerians should not only rely on the strength in our diversity but reflect on the weaknesses in our diversity and incrementally remedy it to prevent disintegration.

“The allegory of unknown gunmen are signs that Nigerians are gradually losing the collective vision and commitment to promote national unity due to our declining sense of national consciousness and citizenship values.

“We should begin to think of building a Nigerian state where the legitimacy of ethnic power can no longer be relied on to confer state power on any individual or group but civil power exercised by the citizens.

“Equitable distribution of political appointments creates balance of power in the power hierarchy of a nation. The reactions by individuals and groups against government’s rationalization of political appointments reveals its importance to nation building.

“Religion and place of origin in Nigeria should be delisted from all policy instruments and platforms that requires identity recognition in order to promote the unity in diversity captured in the national anthem thus “though tribes and tongue may differ, in brotherhood we stand”

“The role of the elites in nation building cannot be sufficiently reduced to simple intellectual review and analysis. The elites play immeasurable role in promoting ethnic tolerance, national integration and unity, conflict escalation and its resolution and national development.

“The secular belief in brotherhood and unity of Nigeria must be upheld. Great nations fall due to incremental neglect of efforts to resolve its national crisis.

“What I have tried to do is to hold-up a mirror so that you can see your own reflection. If you do not like what you see, breaking the mirror will not change anything, neither will cutting my arms off; killing me will change even less. The truth of man cannot be dissolved in his blood”

He shunned the futility of revenge or using one’s privileged position to silence critical voices, especially voices that reflects the looking glass self-perspective of how never to build a nation called Nigeria, in the new world order shaped by the forces of globalization.

In his welcome address, the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Professor Gbenga Solomon Ibileye disclosed that since assumption of office the institution has recorded three successful inaugural lectures in close succession

“This is a clear demonstration of my administration’s spirit of sustaining the culture we met and are committed to strengthening the standards in: discipline of time, depth of content and clarity of contribution.

Professor Ibileye discribed the title of the lecture: The Looking Glass-Self Perspective of How Never to Build a Nation in the New World Order: Reflections on Nation Building Experiments in Nigeria, as a very striking in academic research.

“We look forward to your reflection; clearly framed, sharply delivered and well within the time allotted”