Nigeria at 63: Still far from dreams, goals of founding fathers’

By Brown Chimezie

As Nigeria celebrates its 63rd Independence Anniversary, the Eze Ndi Igbo Ifako Ijaiye,  Lagos, Eze Michael Ezekwobi (Oyiomanatumba Ndigbo Gbaagburugburu) has declared  that the country  is still far from the lofty goals of  giant of Africa as envisioned by the founding fathers at independence.

In a statement, the Royal Father said at independence,  the country  was economically independent, and the three geopolitical regions were doing  well as they competed in a healthy atmosphere on which to outdo the other in basic infrastructure  and good governance.

He recalled  that when the Western  Region  established  University of Ibadan,  the Southeast quickly  followed suith with University of Nigeria,  Nsukka, while the North  came up with Ahmadu Bello University adding that this healthy    competition  was replicated in all sectors of the country’s socio-economic life resulting  in a robust development until the military interrupted with a Coup in 1966.  On the way forward, Ezekwobi called on Nigeria political class  to play politics  without bitterness and work on policies and ideologies that will unit Nigeria as a nation.

He also calls on political  leaders in the geopolitical  zones to come out with masterplan that would develop their region and pull their people out of poverty. “Before independence,  the North  were good in agriculture  and live stocks, same for the South East and West which alo produces economic  cash crops like cocoa,and palm oil. The nation  was not only food sufficient, but the economy was also buoyant. Farm settlement and cattle ranches were set up across different  parts of the nation.

“Unfortunately,  with the discovery  of crude oil, the country  gradually  slipped into mono economy as youths abandoned  the farms for petrol dollar. “Today, our country dropped  from the rank of Agro production  nation  to that of importer. It is sad that after 63rd independence,  our country still imported food stuff like rice and our exchange rate, which in the early 60s used to be stronger than  dollars and pounds now in forex market stands at one Thousand  Naira to a dollar.  This is not dream of our founding  fathers,” he concludes.

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

•