The Presidential candidate of the KOWA Party in the 2015 election, Professor Remi Sonaiya, has called for the repositioning of Africa’s space in the global order.
The professor of French language and applied linguistics said this at the 7th L.L. Ali Annual/3rd Memorial Lecture, organised by the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Oyo State Branch, which was held at the Institution’s plaza in Ibadan on Wednesday.
In her address, the don traced the issue of underdevelopment in Africa to the colonial era, which she believes is being replicated and expanded by leaders in the political class of the African nation.
She said: “To consider some of the conditions that were imposed on the former colonies of France when they were given independence, for instance, they have to continue to deposit 60% of their wealth in the French central bank up to date.
Speaking truth to power, our former colonial powers are very much needed as Africa enters this period of renegotiating our space and our position in the global order, and one hopes the voices demanding a more just and equitable world order will only grow louder and louder.
“However, the story of Africa’s continued underdevelopment cannot be complete without an inward look and an honest consideration of what has been our own role as Africans in maintaining our own enviable position on the lowest rungs of the ladder in terms of global development.”
Speaking on the impact of the subsidy removal, she quizzed the integrity of the nation’s leadership on the decision in line with the cost of governance.
According to her, “There’s a level of cynicism about our leaders. They do not seem to care about everyone.
Nigerians should speak out and demand better governance and a reduction in the cost of governance at every opportunity or platform they find themselves on.
“We need a more enlightened citizenry, not people who cringe and beg elected people to perform duties that they were elected to perform and for which they are heavily paid. We need a system that will hold our leaders to account.”
The guest lecturer, Professor Ayobami Hammed, of the Department of Counselling and Human Development Studies at the University of Ibadan, spoke on the theme of the 2023 lecture, titled “Dynamics of Underdevelopment in Africa: Exit of Professionals To Advanced Nations”
He described the exit of Nigerian professionals to advanced nations as a disavowal of patriotism and a new cultural personality.
The don, who was represented by Professor Adebayo Oluwole, highlighted the causes for migration, which according to him can be classified as “economic migration, social migration, political migration, and environmental migration; and the factors for migration can be summed up or called summations of various “push” and “Pull reasons to move to the area”.
“While migration is a natural human experience, an array of circumstances illustrate reasons for relocation. In Nigeria, it’s a serious endeavour, often triggered by economic hardship. In recent years, the pursuit of a better quality of life overseas has taken on an anxious, nerve-tingling quality.
“The issue of brain drain is endemic in Nigeria’s ecosystem to such an extent that it has affected virtually all the facets of Nigeria’s work environment. It has enabled Nigerian youths to coin a peculiar word for the concept of brain drain these days, called the “JaaPaa” theory.
“This abnormal form of scientific exchange between nations considered a one-way flow in favour of the highly developed nations has not only caused harm to Nigeria’s educational institutions but also to the fabric of Nigeria as a whole,” he added.
Speaking with the Nigerian Tribune, the president of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors (NIS), Dr Matthew Ibitoye, advised young surveyors to prioritise integrity and ethics on the job over money, as exhibited by the late Pa Lasupo Ali during his lifetime and professional days.
He also enjoined surveyors in Oyo State to endeavour to shape the environment, ensure proper utilisation of land resources, and contribute to sustainable development in the country.
Oyo State chairman of the professional body, Alhaji Waheed Lamidi, warned members of the public against acquiring land without proper documentation.
“Any survey prepared without documentation at the office of the surveyor-general is not authentic, and I’ll enjoin people to always watch out for that,” he said.
The event had in attendance eminent Nigerians, friends, and wives of the surveying profession, as well as the children of the late Pa Lasisi Lasupo Ali, among whom are Chief Shina Ali and Dr Abiodun Ali.
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