A professor of political economy cum politician, Patrick Utomi, on Tuesday, in Lagos, said corruption had remained the biggest problem ever slowing down the progress of Nigeria.
He said Nigeria must stamp out corruption or reduce it to the barest minimum if it must make any meaningful progress, especially in the comity of nations.
Utomi gave this view as a keynote speaker at a Book Roundtable discourse and award 2020 organised by the Flannel Business School (FBS), Lagos, on Tuesday.
Speaking on the theme of the event, “The book as an agent of change in a rapidly changing world,’ Utomi said it was distasteful that many Nigerians particularly in political governance are using their offices to amass public wealth to themselves and cronies.
He blamed the situation also on a lack of knowledge and understanding about somebody being entrusted with public responsibility.
He said that was why he would consider it shameful that the Federal Government could allow public university teachers in the country at this time of knowledge-based economy to be on strike for up to six months and still counting.
He said the situation was totally unacceptable if we are to move forward as a country.
Utomi said Nigeria as a country actually needs structural reform in the educational sector in a way that emphasis will be placed on primary education more than other tiers of education just because it is the foundation.
According to him, it is at the primary education level that most people learn and form the base of what they grow with in life and even in the future.
“So, good reading culture can only take better root at primary education level than at the other levels.
“And that is why as a country, we need to focus more on primary education than tertiary education.
“If we do that, we will get quality products that will transit to both secondary and tertiary levels. But our situation now in the country is what we can describe as garbage in, garbage out.”
Utomi also said primary education should be truly run by the local government where parents could have better input.
He said those who make decisions for university education in Nigeria for example are far from the people at the grassroots, adding that to worsen the situation is that most of them don’t send their children to Nigerian universities.
He said that was why they could give a series of excuses why the government could not afford to fund education as it should.
Explaining further, the scholar said it was more disturbing that what only one public office holder in government in Abuja stole and run into billions on Naira could fix the country’s education system and wonder why the government could not meet ASUU demands.
He said people in government should understand that shutting down public universities for this long is tantamount to toiling with the country’s future.
“So, we need the commitment to fund the system properly and that will also encourage reasonable support from the private sector,” he stressed.
Utomi said enough of individuals in the corridors of power stealing public funds so that the country would be able to progress appreciably.
In his remark at the event, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, eulogised the event organiser’s virtues, the Director General of FBS, Lawrence Omidiora, saying he is very dedicated and resilience in pursuing courses that gear toward the good of the society.
He said the importance of books to self-development, life events and history such as the ones being promoted by the school is commendable.
He promised he would continue to give his support in any way possible to FBS.
Oba Ogunwusi, who also eulogised the virtues of Osile Oke-Ona Egba, Oba Adedapo Tejuosho, said he had watched him closely long before he became the Ooni of Ife.
He said Oba Tejuosho was part of the people who played active roles in his achievements in the business world and also on his current throne as the Ooni of Ife.
He added that the story of his life would never be complete without mentioning Oba Tejuosho, thanking him for all his support.
Oba Adeyeye, however, urged all participants at the event including the Lagos State Commissioner for Education, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo and other Nigerians by extension never to underrate anyone in life.
According to him, everybody in this world has a role to play and that is why I encourage this gathering that no matter the position we may occupy in life, we should not look down on, or underrate anybody.
“Just as your driver is important so likewise your cook and the gateman and any other person you come across in life as it is only God who knows tomorrow,” Oba Adeyeye said.
He also asked participants not only to talk about the issue for discussion but also to put the discussion into practice back home.
In his welcome address, the Chairman of Governing Council, FBS, Dr Gbenga Olowo, said the sole objective of the book roundtable was for stakeholders to chart the path towards revamping the dying reading culture in Nigeria.
He said evidence has shown that reading culture among Nigerians across age brackets has gone down drastically and that the situation has continued to slow down the impacts of the books industry, acquisition of right knowledge and the economy as a whole.
He said he was optimistic that the forum would be of tremendous benefit to participants and Nigerians in general.
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Corruption remains… Corruption remains… Corruption remains…