By Sunday Ehigiator
The Chief of Staff to the Osun State Governor, Dr. Charles Akinola, has described as disturbing the lack of interest in politics and public sector among the elites in the country, despite the rising cases of insecurity and unemployment in Nigeria.
He made the remark while delivering a speech at the investiture ceremony of the 37th President of Rotary Club of Ikoyi, Uche Obienu, held recently in Ikoyi, Lagos.
Akinola, who centred the thesis of his discussion from a cynicism that exists among many elites, who consider a venture into the public sector as anathema, noted that: “Our brightest minds are apathetic about governance.”
“My friends often say to me that ‘it is not worth their time or that it is an outright waste of time’, for obvious reasons. I have always found this sort of response very disturbing.
“I say this because, it does appear that many of us do not seem to have an idea of what really is at stake if our bright minds are apathetic about governance.
“As we speak today, not less than 13.2 million children in Nigeria are out of school and have become a major threat to our collective safety. Of course, we do not need a prophet to tell us that this is a time bomb waiting to explode. “Right now, the unemployment rate is at least 33.3 per cent, that is half of the labour force is unemployed or underemployed.
“Consider the rising insecurity in the land, spate of kidnapping and the havoc being wrecked by bandits and terrorists on a daily basis. Many of us in this hall are afraid to travel to our hometowns because of the state of insecurity in the country.
“Even when our children who we have invested heavily abroad return home, we would still need to hire security operatives to watch over them because we are simply afraid of their safety.”
Akinola lamented that despite the seemingly impenetrable walls some elites have built around their homes, many of them still cannot sleep with their two eyes closed on account of the litany of threats around the country.
He, therefore, charged the elites in the country to join the political train, engage in strategic political investment, and innovative social intervention, as these are the “assets required to turn our country around.”
Speaking to THISDAY on what to expect from the club in this rotary year, the newly decorated President, Obienu, said: “We have already donated a blood donor centre to the police hospital at Falomo.
“We also intend to do basic education and literacy, maternal and child health disease prevention and control. These are laudable projects earmarked for this year and we intend to achieve them as soon as possible.
“We have the resources and manpower that can give in their time, treasure, and talent towards ensuring that things are done.”
