Marwa blames nation's woes on bad leadership
By Bayo Ohu, Asst, News Editor
BAD leadership devoid of patriotism, already identified as the bane of Nigerian state, has also been blamed for the quagmire the country sank into before the evolution of the current republic.
Making the submission over the weekend at Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, was a former Lagos State Military Administrator, Brig-Gen Mohammed Buba Marwa.
Marwa said the situation had led to the total socio-economic collapse suffered by the country before the coming to being of the Fourth Republic.
Marwa, who is also chairman, Albarka airlines, attributed the non-realisation of Nigerian's dreams in the years that preceded the Fourth Republic to the past misdeeds of both the nation and the people, while the failure to formulate enduring policies was equally responsible for the decay.
Speaking while receiving conferment of the chieftaincy title of "Soludero" of Egbaland from the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Oyebade Lipede, Marwa said: "It has always being my belief that we should strive to promote, encourage and accentuate those values that engender greater good for the greater number of our people."
To him, as citizens of a country blessed with abundant human and material resources, Nigerians owe it a duty to God and themselves to ensure that the people, irrespective of origin, tribe, religion or social background, subscribe to an acceptable minimum standard of living beyond which they should not regress.
He, however, regretted that this lofty objective had still not been realised. "We also had the misfortune of having a leadership lacking in patriotism, focus and political will to recognise decay through corruption and lack of transparency in our public life, which further led us to the morass which we found ourselves by 1999 when the fourth attempt at democracy effectively commenced."
But Marwa stated that all hopes were not lost, especially with the present administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo, which he said was committed to rescuing the nation from the abyss in which she found herself and placing her in her rightful place in the comity of nations.
The peace, tranquillity, respect for democratic tenets and the rule of law, he pointed out, testified eloquently to the positive spirit and disposition of the Obasanjo government at the federal level and in many states of the federation.
While urging Nigerians to co-operate with and support the efforts of the government, he said that elimination of poverty, creation of wealth, economic and political transformation should be seen as a collective responsibility which should not be left in the hands of the government alone.
Marwa promised to continue contributing his quota to the efforts at raising the living standards of Nigerians, stressing that: "It is in the light of this that I consider the title "Soludero" as a fresh reminder and renewal of what I consider to be my calling and commitment to making life more comfortable to my fellow men to the best of my abilities."
The Seriki of Egbaland, Dr. Lateef Adegbite, who spoke for the Alake of Egbaland at the ceremony, at which Marwa's wife, Munirat, was also conferred with the title of "Erelu Soludero", described the occasion as unique and historic. This he said, was because the beneficiaries were notable Nigerians of many parts and talents with a chain of achievements in public service.
At the occasion were Chief Richard Akinjide, former Justice Minister in the Second Republic, Chief Oluwole Adeosun; Professor Israel Adu; Vice-Chancellor, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (UNAB); and former Ogun State military administrator, Col. Akintonde.
Others were Senators Abubakar Gires, Bala Adamu, Usuolor Vincent, and Mohammed Ali, representatives of the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Ibrahim Maccido; High Chief Salihu Adetunji, the Ekerin Balogun of Ibadanland and Alhaji Yusuf Ibrahim Darma of Bauchi.
Various groups and youth organisations campaigning for the actualisation of Marwa's Presidential ambition in 2007, including Friends of Marwa Organisation (FOMO), National Council of Yoruba Youths, Marwa Solidarity Group and Buba Marwa Support Group were also added glamour to the ceremony.
