Kaduna — The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has spoken out forcefully on issues that affect the nation in the last 10 years with the clarity of thought and expression that leaves no one in doubt as to where it stands on issues of the day, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi, former minister of external affairs said yesterday.
Akinyemi who delivered a paper at the 10th anniversary of the ACF also said the forum's "definition of Arewa interests and national interests had shown a very high degree of positive convergence and compatibility. According to him, the ACF has shown a "determination to foster unity out of diversity, to seek inclusivity out of disparity and to prove that being a good northerner is not anti-thetical to being a good Nigerian."
Speaking on the theme, "Fighting corruption and social conflict to achieve development", the professor of political science revealed that an estimated 400 billion dollars had been stolen from Nigeria between 1960 and 1999. "The 2009 corruption perception index released by Transparency International also ranged Nigeria as 130 out of 180 countries surveyed", he added.
According to Akinyemi, countries like Mozambique, Mauritania, Libya, Tanzania, Eritrea, Togo, SaoTome and Principe and many others faired better than Nigeria in that survey. The lecturer said there is a correlation between the level of corruption in the country and Nigeria's under development. He pointed out that Nigeria ranks lower than many developing countries in human development index.
The professor revealed that in Nigeria, "as of 2005, the life expectancy at birth is 46.5 years compared to Gabon at 56 yeatrs, Sao Tome and Principe at 65 years, Namibia at 52 years, Ghana at 59 years, Mauritania at 63 years, Congo at 54 years, Bangladesh at 63 years, Madagascar at 58 years, Haiti at 60 years, Togo at 58 years, Gambia at 59 years."
With an adult literacy rate of 69%, Nigeria trails behind Gabon which has a literacy rate of 84%, Congo, Madagascar, Cameroun and Zimbabwe which have 85%, 51% , 68% and 89% respectively. "In the human poverty index, Nigeria is ranked at number 80 out of 177 below such countries as Eritrea, Tanzania, Rwanda, Malawi," he said, adding that 71% of Nigerians live on one dollar a day.
Quoting the "Failed States Index 2009 which was released by the "Fund for Peace", Akinyemi said that Nigeria ranked 15 out of the 177 nations that were surveyed, as states most likely to fail. He said that the 12 factors that determine the stability or failure status of a state, "Nigeria suffers a debilitating deficiency on all fronts."
Comments 1 to 2 of 2 Post a comment
"Nigeria suffers a debilitating deficiency on all fronts." True the most populated country in Africa is simply kwashiorkor trembling under its weight which she seemed to be carrying on a mosquito leg. As the learned professor opined, the land of the orgas and eguis has been in the learning process for far too long ad needed some rude civil awakening from its populace if not the elites.
However, Prof .Bolaji should kick himself in the mouth for failing to either initiate or propel any action that could have nipped the constitutional crisis Nigeria that hovering over the country as a result of Yarduas illness, and the subsequent back door political solutions being employed to deal with it- the inglorious law of necessity invoked by one of his countrys law learned jokers.
Most of us wish Akiyemi and his types of the learned class would have led in such an august moment by pressuring the powers that be to understand that development, economic growth, social justice and welfare are all intertwined and can only be realized in an atmosphere of stability.
For once a constitutional precedent by invoking the required sections of the federal constitution (sections 144 -147) should have set in motion a chain of events that could have strengthened democratic foundations being concretized in recent years. But the Prof and almost all his compatriots with very limited exceptions have played the African game not burning bridges for tomorrow shall come. Not even the lessons of the Pakistani lawyers in recent times could stir or inspire Nigerians to stand up once to be counted for something meaningful than empty, cowardly noises and oilgate.
In recent times, the only know known Nigerian revolutionary is dead- Ken Sharo-wiwa, may his struggle continue in the cause of the people.
Who is deceiving who. What has been going on since since 1978 and today all the damages done in the name of RELIGION want to be reverse for excellency. Really what ponders in my HEAD is this AREWA not SOKOTO, KANO, KATSINA and ZAMFARA with partially part of KADUNA state?