Chief Bisi Akande warns, Nigeria may not celebrate 100 years of democracy together
Admin l Friday, September 20, 2019
LAGOS, Nigeria – Former Governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande on Thursday called on Nigerian leaders to work together, warning that if they do not work in unity, the country might never celebrate 100 years of democracy together.
Akande gave the warning during the public presentation of his book, “The Bisi Akande Phenomenon: Governance, Economy and Politics”. The book is co-edited by Dr Dhikrullah Yagboyaju and Pro. Lai Olurode.
Speaking at the event held at the University of Lagos, Akoka, Akande urged the Federal Government to deepen the tenets of democracy through an advanced educational curriculum, with less focus on religion and ethnic bias .
“The Federal Government has been charged on the need for technology advanced educational curriculum as a panacea for economic and political advancement. If leaders do not uphold the tenets of democracy, the country might not celebrate 100 years of democracy together as a nation, ” Akande said.
He urged leaders to make an effort in strengthening the image of the country by working together and also addressing the current challenges faced by its citizens.
In his remarks, Gov. Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State, who was also the chief host described Akande as a visionary and dynamic leader. He noted that Akande remained the architect of Osun, having laid a solid foundation which his successors have built on in all sectors .
Oyetola said that the book being launched was a service to the nation and humanity, noting that it was a collection of the illustrious contribution of Akande to the building of this political edifice called Nigeria.
The governor described the book as a compendium for the generations yet unborn because it would put them through the appropriate building blocks on the foundation that would take Nigeria to the promise land.
Also speaking, Prof. Dhikhrullah Yagboyaju, a Professor of Legal Science, University of Ibadan and Co-Editor of the book, said that the book identified some ethics of governance in Nigeria.
“We noticed to a very large extent that there is decay and since Akande laid a foundation for modern politics in Osun, we identified him as a template. This is a celebration of hope as we believe there is still hope for Nigeria. With this book, we sought to duplicate the ethics of governance in Nigeria. The general public across, scholars who are inspired to do scholarly works would greatly benefit from this book.
“l recommend the book for politicians, the electorates, students, undergraduates and secondary school students who want to learn about those who have done it well for the development of Nigeria,” he said
Chief Bisi Akande was a governor of Osun State, Nigeria from 1999–2003, he was also a member of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) party, and was the first interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress. (NAN)
