Lawyer Adekilekun
The persistent underdevelopment and backwardness Nigeria is currently experiencing will continue unabated until priority attention is placed on institutional development rather than building the individuals.
Equally, bad leadership has been identified as a major factor responsible for the country’s underdevelopment not corruption as people are made to believe.
Dr Mubarak Adekilekun of the Faculty of Law University of Ilorin made this known during the week in his lecture at the second Yusuf Olaolu Ali Media Roundtable organized by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), kwara state Council, held at the Press Center, Offa road, Ilorin.
Adekilekun said it is appalling that Nigeria places high premium on individuals who practically appear more powerful than the country, a situation he said has been the major clog in the wheel of the country’s progress and advancement.
According to him, some past leaders in Nigeria are more powerful than the entire nation as they still dictate and decide on the political directions and dimensions of the country at the detriment of the poor masses.
He said unless Nigeria is blessed with strengthened institutions to be administered by leaders with good political will, the country’s dreams of attaining greatness will be a mirage.
Adekilekun whose lecture was entitled ‘Social Justice and Redemption of Africa’, identified bad leadership, loss of focus by African leaders, and self centeredness as the major threats to the attainment of social justice and social rights in Nigeria.
He explained that rights to water, emergency medical services, good road, and other basic necessities of life are not negotiable but need to be provided for the masses by the responsible and responsive government.
Adekilekun expressed regret that Nigeria could not compete favourably with all the third world countries, saying that the political and economic statuses of Nigeria clearly confirm that Nigeria is no longer in the third world category but rather in the fourth or less world.
According to him, South African, Malaysia, Tunisia and some other third world countries have gone far ahead of Nigeria in terms of developments in all ramifications.
“What Nigeria needs is a leader that will be a link between our problems and solutions” he said
Adekikekun who specialises in Business Law, disclosed further that Nigerian women waste about 40 billion hours in search of potable water in a year, a period he said is equivalent to the total number of work force in France.
He said what Nigeria needs at this trying period to be able to wake up from her deep slumber is to have courageous leaders who dream Nigeria, think Nigeria and above all place masses interests above their personal interests.
Also in their separate contributions as part of discussants on the occasion, Dr Lukman Azeez and Barrister Mahamud Abdulraheem both of Mass communication Department of the University of Ilorin advised leaders and the led to re-engineer their values and goals so as to have a united, peaceful and prosperous Nigeria.
In his comment, the Celebrant, Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Ali (SAN) who was represented on the occasion by Lawyer Tajudeen Shogo thanked the Kwara NUJ for associating with Lawyer Ali and pledged that the recognition would spur him to intensify more efforts on service to God and humanity.
Earlie in his welcome address, the Chairman of the Kwara state council of NUJ, Comrade Abiodun Abdulkareem said the program was the second edition and is being organised principally in recognition of the celebrant’s invaluable contributions to humanity.
The event was attended by scores of media chiefs in the state among whom are the General Manager of NTA Ilorin, Hajia Hawa Abdullahi; General Managers of The Harald Newspaoers and Radio Kwara, Alhaji Abdulrasaq Adebayo and Alhaji Abdulateef Adebowale respectively; Managing Director of National Pilot Newspaper, Alhaji Biliaminu Adedamola; Operation Controller of DPR Kwara state branch, Mr Phillips Salvation among others.
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