Korede Abdullah
In the nostalgic haze of 1998, I chanced upon a poignant article written by the inimitable Chief Bola Ige (SAN) in the pages of the popular Tell magazine.
With prophetic fervor, he lamented the ravages of mismanagement and corruption perpetrated by the then military ruling junta, those khaki boys and brazen custodians of power. In his timeless wisdom and acerbic tongue, the Cicero of Esa-Oke lamented, “Our oil boom has become an oil doom!”
That haunting phrase continues to reverberate within me, a haunting refrain that echoes the despair of a nation betrayed. Nigeria, a land flowing with milk and honey and of promise, wallows in the quicksand of poverty, a paradoxical fate that befuddles the world. We are the poorest oil-producing nation on earth, a stark testament to the poverty of imagination afflicting our successive leaders.
Yet, I envision a radiant future, where Nigeria ascends to greatness. If only our leaders would focus on four cardinal pillars: cultivating human capital, fostering massive industrialization, and harnessing modern agriculture and solid minerals. By the grace of Providence, our nation would rise, like Phoenix from the ashes of despair.
Alas, the oil wealth has induced a creative paralysis, rendering our leaders uninspired and stagnant like a brook. While nations like UAE, Singapore, Taiwan, and Malaysia surge forward with unbridled pace, we remain mired in the quagmire of yesterday. Our journey ahead is long and arduous, but with visionary leadership, Nigeria’s latent potential shall blossom, illuminating the world.