Daily Independent Online.
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Wednesday, July 07, 2004.
Alayande, Jakande lament misery in Nigeria
By Sola Shittu
Reporter, Ibadan
More than any other time in the history of Nigeria,
there is more suffering among the generality of the people now.
This was the view expressed by the President of the
Yoruba Council of Elders(YCE), Pa Emmanuel Alayande, and former Minister of
Works, Alhaji Lateef Jakande in Ibadan at the weekend at the YCE Honours Day
held at the Premier Hotel.
According to Pa Alayande, misery and hunger are
ravaging the land while employment situation appears hopeless as young
graduates roam the streets in search of elusive jobs.
"There is an urgent need to develop agenda for our people. Government must
begin to collate necessary data for forward planning. Our people are looking up
to you our leaders for succour. I challenge all of you, our leaders here, to
put your thoughts together and give us agenda that will stand the test of time.
Ours is a noble heritage, we owe it a duty to posterity to preserve it,"
said Alayande.
He pleaded with government officials to join hands
with the YCE to bring about happiness, justice, development and revival of the
cultural heritage of the Yoruba race to the world. Delivering a keynote
address, Jakande admitted that Nigeria is passing through a difficult time,
saying corruption pervaded the nation's life and the security of lives and
property no longer assured.
"Indeed, the political killings that have
occurred since 1999 exceeded those of any other previous administrations in the
first, second and third republics in Nigeria.This is the state of our nation
today," he said.
Jakande, who is also the Lagos State governor in the Second Republic, advocated for a
zonal conference in each of the six geo-political zones of the country instead
of the sovereign national conference.
He added that each zone would deliberate and take
decisions on the state of the nation while decisions within the competence of
state and local governments should be implemented by them.
Also speaking, Oyo State Governor Rashidi Ladoja
supported zonal conference and urged others to join in the crusade. He warned
political appointees to be careful of the way they use their positions even as
he urged more Federal Government’s presence in the South West.
Six governors from the South West received awards at
the ceremony attended by the governors of Oyo, Osun, Lagos, Ogun and Ekiti
states.
