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• Nigeria should be seen as a multinational state, not a nation-state – Oshuntokun
Former President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday noted that Nigeria’s poor leadership recruitment process, especially using religion, language and ethnicity to recruit potential leaders was hindering the country’s progress and development.
He, therefore, called for far-reaching reforms in the country’s democracy, noting that such poor leadership recruitment process might ensure the failure of the dreams of Nigeria’s founding fathers.
Jonathan spoke yesterday at the maiden Herbert Macaulay Colloquium, organised by the Macaulay Heritage Foundation in partnership with the Lagos State Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos. He was chairman of the event.
With the theme, “Nationalism and Nation Building,” the event was held to celebrate the 162nd birthday of Nigerian nationalist, Herbert Macaulay.
Jonathan noted that Nigeria’s founding fathers had dreamt and worked to have a united country where every citizen, irrespective of ethnic, religious or social background, would enjoy equal rights, dignity and opportunities, a nation where citizens would determine their destiny, control their resources and deploy them for national development and the welfare of the people.
He regretted that Nigeria had yet to meet up with those expectations 66 years after independence. He noted: “Although the country had recorded progress in some areas, challenges such as poor leadership, institutional weaknesses, corruption, policy inconsistency, inadequate infrastructure, insecurity and dependence on raw material exports had continued to undermine national development.”
He commended the descendants of Macaulay, especially Chief Bode George, for organising the colloquium.
While welcoming guests to the event, George said the event was organised to examine the strategies and methods through which Macaulay challenged British colonial rule and championed the interests of Nigerians.
He described the late nationalist as a rare gift to the country, noting that his contributions to the country’s political development deserved greater recognition.
George appealed to President Bola Tinubu and the Federal Government to return Macaulay’s former residence to his descendants to enable them to establish a permanent heritage hall where younger generations could learn about his contributions to Nigeria.
The keynote speaker, Prof Jide Oshuntokun noted that Nigeria should be understood as a multinational state rather than a nation-state, averring that it has diverse ethnic, linguistic and cultural identities.
He said the country should develop a shared sense of belonging that would enable its different nationalities to coexist peacefully under one government.
He explained that nationalism should be understood as the willingness of people with common historical, linguistic and territorial connections to live together under a united government.
