A Professor of political science at the federal university Lokoja , Professor Ebenezer Ejalonibu Lawal has said the country continue to grow without much progress because the nation's development process is constituted by inherent contradictions .
Professor Lawal disclosed this at the 41st Inaugural lecture series of the Federal University yesterday at its Felele -Lokoja permanent site with the theme : " Paradox and Problems of Development: The Pedestal and Pragmatic of Political Scientists".
He averred that development in its most essential sense is not just about accumulating riches or expanding infrastructure , but about making conditions that allow people to reach their greatest potential , empowering citizens and changing social connections .
According to him, the Nigeria's development paradox is neigther theoretical nor abstract, but evident in the international , social, governance and economic spheres, with specific incosistences that exacerbated the problem of national development .
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He said Nigeria exhibits an unusual development that runs the risk of becoming a purely technological endeavour devoid of moral substances and social significance in the absence of a normative frame work that gives priority to goals .
The professor of political science observed that the cornerstone of development rhetoric: "good governance, Democratic accountability, the ruie of law, transparency, social justice , equity , participation inclusion and human dignity" are not being respected by evolving leadership.
Consequently, he said , that accounts why the country's policy direction is frequently altered by leadership transitions, resulting in discontinuities that jeopardises long term development plan .
Professor Lawal said : "Leadership class that lacks moral qualities hinders rather than promotes development, it undermine public trust , subverts institutions , manipulates procedures and misallocates resources .
"Although changes are frequently conceptually good , the frequently fall short of, because of institutional weakness and inadequate accountability system, political turn over and unstable government, including lack of contuinity of goals by succeeding governments".
He added that Nigeria exhibits an unusual condition where policy reforms proliferate, but development outcomes stagnate, citing monetisation, SERVICOM, Privatisation and commercialization policies , ant corrupt agencies as well as Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) and host of others as unending Paradox of development.
He said: "Privatisation aimed at efficiency instead produced new inefficiencies.
Anti-corruption agencies created to fight graft but become entrapped in the same political dynamics they were meant to police.
"Monetisation designed to reduce waste instead reinforced patronage networks. Global integration promised growth but exposed Nigeria to new vulnerabilities.
"The legitimacy of the political system depends critically on the integrity of the electoral procedures , including fairness, transparency, inclusiveness and trustworthiness.
"The Privatisation process itself turned into an avenue for elite negotiation whereby state owned businesses were sold at a discount to politically connected people and organisations.
"These contradictions form the empirical basis of the unending Paradox.The basic paradox of development in the country is therefore the ongoing conflict between what should be and what is", he said .
Meanwhile, the professor of political science maintained that for the logic of development to replace logic of patronage, institutions need to be recalibrated in both forms and functions .
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"Accountability , openness and respect for rule of law are necessary to strengthen governance to ensure that policy decisions are driven by imperatives of common welfares rather than sectional interest.
"Developmental strategies must be realigned with national priorities", he said
The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Gbenga Solomon Ibileye commended professor Lawal for x- raying the country's development via the lens of a political scientist.
He said inaugural lecture as ordinary life of an institution remains an avenue where University speaks to a community on various issues of humanity .
"It speaks to a community that is producing scholarship, accounting for it, and submitting it for public examination - which is, in the end, what a University is meant to do", he said .
