58 years of independence: Why Nigeria has failed to grow —Agada

 Professor Jerry Agada, former president of Association of Nigerian Author, ANA and one-time minister of State for Education speaks on the progress Nigeria has made since independence and the problems facing it as a nation with JOHNSON BABAJIDE.

NIGERIA is 58 how would you rate Nigeria’s political process and do you think Nigeria can rub shoulders with other countries of the world?

The way things are moving, with violence and [people] quarrelling everywhere, the political atmosphere is not suitable or conducive at all. I know that in other climes, there are problems too, but that of Nigeria is far from what other countries have or practise. The latest election [in Osun State] has finally taken the country backward.

What about the economy, what is your assessment of that?

The nation economy has nosedived there is no difference between politics and economy of Nigeria. Since the political environment is not suitable, the economy will have problem.

• We’ll restore National Theatre’s lost glory under my watch —Oyedepo

At a certain time, Nigeria emerged one of the fastest growing economies in the world. We ought to have built on that, but what we experienced was recession. Now when we were thinking that we are out of recession completely, the CBN governor just a few days ago warned that if we are not careful the country may slip back into recession. Even with that, things have not been the way one would have loved it to be.

How do you think Nigeria can regain its lost glory?

Nigeria can still regain its lost glory by making sure that the right things are done. What we have now is self-actualisation by individuals and to the detriment of the entire country and this is very bad. But for me, things can be done in a better way than is being done now.

With the present situation of Nigeria now, do you think that Nigeria’s founding fathers who fought to win the country’s independence will be happy with the situation of Nigeria wherever they are now?

How can they be happy? If you look at the way the nationalists: the like of [Dr NnamdiA zikiwe] Zik, Tafawa Balewa and [Chief Obafemi]  Awolowo lived and compare it with the way the leaders live now, is it the quantum of money people are packing now and yet they are claiming to be fighting corruption? There is no day you will not hear billions of naira being looted here and there and all these are being done for their selfish interest.

But the nationalists did not think of themselves, but for the overall interest of the people they were serving. That is why you hear that person like AbubakarBalewa did not have a personal house even though he served as a prime minister until he was killed in a military coup. So also, we did not hear that other nationalists looted the treasury like what we have now. As for the present crop of politicians seeking elective offices, the first thing that gets to their mind is how to accumulate wealth. Definitely, those forefathers who fought for the independence will not be happy with us the way we are going now.