Why Nigeria Is Backward — Okogie, Mark

By LOLA OLUKOYA

It was yet another  opportunity for eminent Nigerians to re-asses the extent to which the country has gone in terms of moral, spiritual and infrastructural development especially when compared with other  nations of the world.
Speaking at the Anthony Cardinal Okogie inaugural lecture in Lagos recently Senate President Senator David Mark who was represented by Senator Nicholas Ugbane said embezzlement and mismanagement of public funds have forced the country to be crawling instead of soaring. “Despite abundant natural and human resources, the country has remained a poor nation ranking among the poorest in the world development chart. It still remains incomprehensive how, with all the natural resources, political and military leaders have not strategically addressed the issue of development of Nigeria. The reasons cannot be far fetched: these leaders form the habit of diverting the huge earnings of oil into private pockets. Where is  transparency, accountability and good governance in Nigerian democracy when corruption has been a serious set back to our economic growth? Imagine records of congenial catalogue of billions of dollars lost to embezzlement, misappropriation and mismanagement in our country  Nigeria”
Senator Mark therefore called on elected leaders to have a change of attitude. “Elected leaders have  to do away with their deviant forms, tyranny, and manipulation of the sovereignty of purpose and transparency. Falsehood is like a candle wax; it cannot withstand the rays of truth without ultimately melting away.” He submitted.
On his part, Archbishop of the Metropolitan See of Lagos Anthony cardinal Okogie blamed the backwardness of the country on lack of  good leadership. “Leadership comes with charisma that is a powerful personal quality that draws other people to one with such a gift… this is the kind of leadership that a nation needs…leadership finds its intrinsic value in service. A person of good character with the zeal to serve, who is also humble, will readily influence those whom he is serving with humanity and transparency.” He said.
Okogie said bad leadership has landed the world in turmoil; “Our world is in turmoil. Chaos reigns everywhere… men have lost their dignity to lust to such an extent that many of them are beset with an infamous attachment to homosexuality. Women, for their part have spurned God's love in preference for a new found taste for lesbianism. The craving of our youths for pornography rather than knowledge and skill has risen to a stage that they could be portrayed as a lost generation”.
The cleric offered a way out; “If only our people would listen to words of wisdom, turn back to God and learn from the son of man; If only men, women and youths would overcome their pride, our children would learn better lessons from the good that they see around them, our world would be the better for it socially, politically economically” he said.