Bearing out his heart on the agitation of the IPOB for the creation of Biafra nation, a Professor of African Studies at the University of Texas, Professor Toyin Falola said that people who were born before 1960’s are Nigeria’s older brother and by the virtue of this they will never support war because they have witness the aftermath of war as against the younger generations who do not have any idea what it is that war can do to humanity.
Speaking exclusively in an interview on CEOAfrica online television program “Community Today,” Professor Falola expatiates on how ideology functions as a superstructure of civilization. He said Nigeria has not invented an overriding ideology in the society which has led us to a stage of corruption. Hence, if Nigeria doesn’t kill corruption then corruption will kill the nation.
The professor further likened Nigeria to a man with many wives. He said “Nigeria is a pluralized nation and this has worsened the situation of the country by bringing it to a state of dilemma, adding that we cannot have the current crops of politicians and talk about development.” Politics in Nigeria is a lucrative business, a way to amass wealth and a corrupt country cannot thrive in the face of development.
Falola said in spite of government failures to provide basic structures for Nigerian to thrive; “Nigerians are smarter, far more dedicated and honorable than those who govern them. Nollywood which has become the third biggest film industry in the entire world following Hollywood and Bollywood, Nigerian music industries and the fashion world are all doing very well. These are industries that were championed by young talented enterprise which was not funded or shaped by the government. Their sense of creativity has promoted African culture and the only thing we need to know is how to market them”.
In his opinion, our leaders need to understand the essence of public service and it must retain its original meaning which is service to humanity. The erudite professor further said that Nigeria as a nation needs to add value, recapitalize the poor, give autonomy to states and regions and bring back the elements of culture which will stabilize the nation.
Colonialism, a curse to Nigerian history
On his view of how the problem of not studying history started, professor Falola traced it to the issue of colonialism in the 15th century in terms of how over 13million people were enslaved and forcefully taken out of the shores of Africa, this enslavement had a serious effect on us. The British Empire displaced our culture and replaced it with theirs. He said “some scholars like senghor realized that if we do not fight this empire our culture will be eroded permanently”
Reacting to the wrong choices made by Nigerians, professor Falola said out of the countries colonized by the British, Nigeria is the only colonial project that took their religion. The condemnation of Nigerian parent telling their children not to speak their mother tongue (vernacular) is also endangering our country.
He appealed to Nigerians and the government of the day to preserve our mother tongue because if a child’s indigenous language is not good even the English will be compromised.
A review of chieftaincy title in Ibadan
While comparing Ibadan of the 19th century and 21st century, professor Falola said cleanliness was the slogan of Ibadan in the 19th century, and it was a time when people had a better means of providing for themselves.
He explained that succession doesn’t generate complains and it is something that is worthy of preservation. However the problem is that the Olubadan’s age does not allow the palace to be part of the development project.
Professor Falola said that he believes that the review should be about how to add the Olubadan title to a developmental project of adding values and resources.
In his advice to the governor on the review process, he said “if there are massive oppositions, the governor should rethink the process of what he is doing, in order not to cause violence.” Because policies are to better the lots of the people you govern not to cause disaffection.
More to come…………….
