The need for African leaders to de-emphasize the present practice of blaming colonial masters for the poor development trajectory of the continent formed the crux of suggestions by political analysts at a maiden international conference organized by the Department of Political Science, Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka.
The conference held at the main campus of the University in Awka, had as it its theme, “Africa at crossroads: Confronting Governance, Security and Development Challenges in the 21st Century”.
Speakers at the event observed that it is retrogressive to continue to blame the colonial masters for the development challenges of Africa several decades after independence.
They argued that with the right leadership, countries of the continent would have progressed beyond their present pitiable state.
The Lead paper presenter, Dr Ogban Ogban-Iyam decried Africa’s over-dependence on colonial masters decades after they have gone away.
He said, “I have not seen any country ruled by colonialists which is now regarded as a major industrial power. You can talk about India. That is so because it has enjoyed a sustained leadership, not democracy.
“In a party system, there are these periodic elections, and thus, the project started by one administration is rejected by its successor whereas the issues of development are common.”
The Lead paper presenter categorically stated that democracy in most parts of the world is plutocracy at its best, insisting that elective rulership is an advancement in dictatorship.
A former Publicity Secretary of Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Mr Olisa Metuh, had earlier advocated for a fair, equitable political zoning system in Nigeria, arguing that the zoning formular as currently implemented is a disservice to certain segments of the country.
“Every day, we hear about zoning. Is zoning as presently considered is what we desire in this country? I am one of the people that believe that when you zone, you zone to merit.
“For instance, the president in 1999 was from the Southwest. The immediate past president was from the northwest. Now, Southwest is ruling again. When the president completes his tenure, it then goes back to North most likely Northwest.
“If we are not going to go for merit, we have to zone properly where it will go round all the six geo-political zones of the country. We cannot continue with the North and South arrangement. I totally disagree with it.”
Metuh also made a strong case for the institutionalization of political parties in the country, noting that it will be the best for good governance, security, and development.
According to him, Nigeria’s multi-party system has been plagued by particularities, ideological vacuity, and weak institutional structures.
He regretted that party switching, lack of intra-party democracy, and lack of commitment to manifesto, are endemic in Nigeria, noting that building institutional parties is not merely desirable, but is the people’s only hope.
In a welcome address, the Vice Chancellor of UNIZIK, Professor Carol Arinze-Umobi, described the theme of the conference as apt and quite germane to the developmental challenges of African countries.
She expressed disappointment that decades after independence, most African countries are mired in the quagmire of underdevelopment, bogged down by a miasma of security challenges: armed conflicts within and between countries, among other challenges.
The Head of Department, Political Science, Professor Jude Okafor, sadly noted that things have since gone bad for the continent known as the cradle of civilization, despite the fact that it is blessed with human and material resources.
The Chairman of the occasion and former Chief Judge of Anambra State, Justice Peter Umeadi, appreciated the department for organizing the event, noting that Nigeria and Africa need the selflessness of Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe and other nationalists to see the actualization of its dream.
