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kayjatta
2978 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Sep 2009 : 08:40:32
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I once asked a political science scholar what his thoughts were about progress and development in Africa. He summed it up this way: "if Africa were to become anything, it was Nigeria...".
Since independence in the 1960s, Nigeria, like many countries in Africa,has lost many chances to redeem itself and get on the track to good governance,progress, development, and self-sufficiency for all of its citizens.
Nigeria is not the only case of governance and economic failure in Africa; but Nigeria's case is especially heart-breaking because of her unique size and resources. For every four Africans, one was a Nigerian. I think the actual ratio now is 9:1.
Nigeria's failure over the past decades is illustrated by Prof. Wole Soyinka's famous reference to his own generation-a generation of highly educated and skilled Nigerians-as a wasted generation, partly because of Nigeria's decades of socio-political stagnation and economic inefficiency and waste brought by and perpetuated by successions of military regimes that blatantly failed to utilize this fertile human resource.
Recently, some Nigerian scholars are urging the classification or categorization of Nigeria under failed states alongside Somalia, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Pakistan and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
One man who fought tooth and nail against Nigeria's governance and economic excesses and crisis under various military dictatorships was Gani Fawehinmi, a human rights attorney and politician.
Fawehinmi has been jailed in Nigeria over thirty two times in various Nigerian jails because of his unflinching criticisms of the military regimes, that prof. Soyinka also refered to as "the bane of Africa"...
Fawehinmi died on September 5, 2009 of lung cancer linked to the gas chambers in Nigerian jails.
Today those who tormented him and stiffled his efforts for a greater Nigeria and Africa are showering beautiful eulogies over his dead body. That is the paradox of Nigeria and Africa...
Rest in perfect peace Gani Fawehinmi.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gani_Fawehinmi
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Edited by - kayjatta on 17 Sep 2009 09:07:32 |
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