By Chidera Eke, News/Comments
Speaking with our Editor-in-Chief, Mark Orgu, on a telephone interview at the weekend is Prof. Gabriel Godini Darah, one of Nigerian foremost professors of Literature in English at Delta State University and, who also is an expert in African literature and Folklore.
The Academic guru who has never hidden his views on the failure of leadership in Nigeria, continued to lament, and this time, he said, he is not worrying about a country he once cherished for morals and good ethics.
The Professor, who commented on the statement of former President Olusegun Obasanjo last week, that democracy is failing in Africa, corroborated by Mr. Peter Obi, 2023 Labour party presidential candidate, who also said, democracy is collapsing.
Darah who frown at the Ex president’s outburst, said, Obasanjo is one of the architects of democratic failure, as he asked: when he was there, did he practice democracy. Darah maintained that, there was never a democracy in Nigeria: “Was there ever democracy or did Obasanjo practiced it.”
He stressed that the problem with Nigeria is the belief of using election as a yardstick to describe democracy. ‘Don’t armed robbers have election among themselves’ he questioned.
Asked what he thinks Nigeria is practicing, the professor said, ‘I don’t know’ but he has stopped worrying about Nigeria and hinted.
“We proposed a constitutional change for the government ten years ago, let them go ahead to implement it. I don’t have anything to add” he lamented.
Prof. Darah wonder why after eleven years, the 2014 national conference which he participated is left in the archive of the federal government, advising Nigerians to ask former president Goodluck Jonathan why he didn’t implement it before leaving office in 2015. He also blamed former President Muhammadu Buhari for not supporting the idea. “Was Buhari in support of the conference?
The elder statesman however questioned the credibility of the electoral process that brings about leadership, and expressed regret on how politicians get power and become drunk with it.
“How do they get into power, do they win election, do citizens have any power to defend their votes, do you have any power to defend your vote in Lagos ? He reiterated that democracy is not favouring Nigeria because of the kind of leaders it produce.
Asked where Nigeria should go from here, he said: “I don’t know” but advised young people to live their lives and find a way of survival.
On Delta state government.
Commenting on the administration of Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, the renowned academia said, that within the context of the Nigerian politics, the governor is doing his best, stressing, “workers are paid their salaries, public institutions are working, so what else should the governor be doing” he asked.
