John Odigie-Oyegun, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC has described the present situation in Nigeria as a country at war with itself as violence, insecurity, and other social vices are predominant in the country.
Speaking on Friday evening as the guest lecturer at the 2014 annual lecture organised by the University of Ibadan Alumni Association, UIAA, Oyegun bemoaned the fact that perpetrators of such unwarranted acts are those who ordinarily ought to know better and strive for national development.
Tagged “Nigeria, a Trajectory of Failed Expectation: Looking into the future with Hope”, the lecture was held at the Trenchard hall of the University of Ibadan.
Oyegun described the $9.3 million and $5 million cash-for-arms deal seized in South Africa as a clear case of money laundering on the part of the Federal Government, which makes mockery of Nigeria as a nation.
The guest lecturer also said Nigeria is fast becoming a failed state while condemning the failure of the government to rescue over 200 schoolgirls abducted from Chibok, Borno State in April.
He noted that 54 years after independence, Nigeria is perceived and still behaves like a toddler.
“There is no doubt that the country has suffered stunted growth as a result of gross leadership failure,” Oyegun said, adding that this is exemplified by the failure of Nigerians to use the nation’s substantial human and material resources to galvanise development.
Oyegun, who is the first executive governor of Edo State, expressed worry over what he described as rampant and endemic presence of corruption in Nigeria. He then called on Nigerians to avoid leadership that would not serve their collective interest and urged them to support those will improve the lives of the people.
Other special guests at the event include governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State, Aminu Tambuwal, Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives, Lai Muhammed, APC national Publicity Secretary, Isiaka Adeleke, former governor of Osun State, some members of Oyo State House of Assembly and a host of other public office holders.
Each of the guests donated different amounts of money during the fund raising organised at the end of the lecture, to facilitate the building of the Post Graduate Hostel in the premises of the University.
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