Nigeria @64: Imo monarch attributes nation’s woes to lack of patriotism, impunity
By Athan Agbakwuru, Owerri
As Nigerians continue to reflect on the 64th Independence anniversary from former British Colonialists , the traditional ruler of Isiama Autonomous Community in Isiala Mbano LGA of Imo State, HRH Eze (Dr) Oliver Ohanwe has attributed the country’s perennial socioeconomic and political woes to lack of patriotism on the part of the leaders and the citizenry.
Eze Ohanwe who is also the Chairman of Okigwe Elders’ Council, identified inept leadership, poor managerial skill, chronic avarice, unbridled quest for material wealth, bribery and corruption as the major factors responsible for Nigeria’s declining fortunes.
The royal father who spoke to newsmen in Owerri Wednesday maintained that the country’s march to greatness has continued to suffer avoidable setbacks as a result of lack of patriotism and impunity.
His words, “At 64, we have undoubtedly made progress in some areas but our greatest obstacle as a nation is sheer lack of patriotism, greed, bribery and corruption being perpetrated by many of us without qualms and untill we begin to place interest of the nation above all other considerations, we will continue to stagnate.”
He posited that the nation urgently needs visionary, selfless and prudent leaders to assert herself in the comity of nations as the acclaimed giant of Africa given her status as the most populous black nation on earth.
“As a nation endowed with bountiful human and natural resources, effective and judicious management of the resources, renewed nationalistic zeal and patriotism remain the only panacea to salvage the nation from her current economic doldrum,” the monarch added.
He noted that such nagging issues as hunger, inflation, unstable power supply, insecurity would have been things of the past had the citizens placed patriotism on the front burner, in all spheres.
He said: “for the past 64 years that Britain left the shores of this country,every angle is supposed to be productive but our economy had been mortgaged to foreign borrowing and our refineries are no longer functioning despite huge funds being invested in them for reactivation and maintenance”.
Eze Ohanwe who is also the Vice Chairman of Eastern Traditional Rulers Council also faulted the nation’s rail way system that had been left to rotten away, skewed admission policies for candidates into the nation’s tertiary institutions.
However, the monarch expressed hope that Nigeria will overcome her myriads of challenges if there is a paradign shift in the leadership style and harped on the need to reposition the nation to enable her take her pride of place among other nations.
