It is an indubitable fact that the Nigerian state is faced with hydra-headed problems threatening the very fabrics of its foundation and its essence as a sovereign country. These preponderances of problems have necessitated calls on every sector of the society to fashion out means of getting it right and forge a united one nation. Heeding the call, many academics across the country recently converged on the J. F. Ade-Ajayi Auditorium, University of Lagos, Lagos State.
The event was the 19th Convocation, Scientific Session and Investiture of New Fellows of the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), an autonomous, non-political body of scholars in the Humanities. The convocation, with the theme, “Patriotism”, had in attendance 116 professors from different Nigerian and overseas universities. The NAL President, Professor Olu Obafemi, presided over the convocation, while the vice president, Professor Francis Egbokhare, presided over the scientific session.
Sixty-one new members were inducted and four new regular fellows (Professors Unionmwan Edebiri,; Mabel Osakwe; Siyan Oyeweso; Abubakar Adamu Rasheed) and one Overseas Fellow (Professor Joseph Inikori) were admitted into NAL College of Fellows. Other key dignitaries in attendance were the deputy governor of Kano State, Professor Hafeez Abubakar; Vice Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Professor Rahamon Bello; Vice Chancellor of the University of Ilorin, Professor Abdul-Ganiyu Ambali; Vice Chancellor, Bayero University, Kano, Professor Muhammad Yahuza Bello; and Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Lokoja, Professor Angela Miri; and the custodian of culture and Yoruba history, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Lamidi Olayiwola Adeyemi III, the Alaafin of Oyo, who was accompanied by the Timi of Ede, His Royal Majesty Oba Munirudeen Adesola Lawal, Laminisa I, and many others.
The convocation lecture, titled “The Patriot and the Nationalist in an Emergent Democracy”, was delivered by Professor Dele Layiwola, a former Director, Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan. Two well-researched papers on the convocation theme were also presented at the scientific session by Professor Yakubu Aboki Ochefu, Vice Chancellor, Kwararafa University, Wukari, Taraba State; and Asabe Kabir Usman, professor of Oral and African Literatures, Department of Modern European Languages and Linguistics, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.
During the presentations, national issues that should engage the attention of the National Assembly, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) and the general public were discussed. These discussions formed the basis of some observations made and NAL, in a communiqué issue at the end of the event, and signed by its president, Professor Obafemi, made some recommendations to the Federal Government and the public.
At the end of the engaging and very stimulating Convocation Lecture and the Scientific Session, it was observed as follows: that “Nigeria inherited an unworkable and imbalanced state structure from our colonial masters at Independence, hence the consistent debate over restructuring has become the symbolic crystallization point of deeper conflicts of identity, distribution of resources and sovereignty. There is a growing interest and strong resolve to dismantle the existing state structure and construct a new one based on equity and justice. Our problem in Nigeria is not a lack of ideas, but the lack of political will to take decisive action. Our political leaders and representatives in government often betray our collective interest for personal gains; they show open obsession for federalism but bask in the practice of unitarism.
“There is lack of political will to deal with fundamental problems that hinder our developmental efforts; we fail to learn from history and our mistakes of the past become replicated in our national life. It is thus important to commend the Honourable Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, for restoring History as a subject in the curricula of our primary and secondary schools, this year after nearly a 30-year of its removal.
“There is a weak sense of national patriotism in Nigeria. This is because our well-being as a people is observably inadequately protected; citizens are unable to find security and a sense of belonging, patriotism suffers, and there is the resurgence of various degrees of nationalism; we appear to owe more allegiance to our ethnic and linguistic groupings than to the Nigerian nation;
“Literature, as a source of illumination and enlightenment, cannot, on its own, change society but can serve as catalytic tool of change when put to good use; and patriotism and nationalism cannot function without genuine education, especially in a knowledge society.
“Our oral and literary artists and their arts are a viable tool for creating awareness amongst the people if we inculcate in them the spirit of responsibility, nationalism, patriotism, nation-building and oneness. Government should implement the endowments of the arts as provided for by our constitution and the nation’s cultural policy to support and encourage the work of established and growing creative artists respectively.
“Our political leaders and representatives should demonstrate exemplary patriotism in the running of our nation, knowing that a patriot’s major motive is the love of his country, upholding and defending our common interest.”
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and then