The National Director of Publicity and Advocacy of the Northern Elders Forum, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, shares with GODFREY GEORGE his thoughts on Nigeria at 62, insecurity in the country and other national issues
Nigeria clocked 62 on Saturday, (October 1, 2022). From your assessment, is the country where it ought to be?
Of course not! At 62, this country is supposed to be run as one of the best countries in the world. We lost our way somewhere around the 1960s and now. Unfortunately, we lost a lot of opportunities and made wrong turns. As a result, the country has faced incredible damage that a lot of other countries may not have survived. We should be grateful to God that we have survived it, and we should be grateful to those patriots, who still believe in the need to work for Nigeria’s survival as one nation and its unity and economy. We must find a way to create hope among our young people. This is the most important task for any leader who wants to take over from the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.). We must have a leader who can inspire hope and confidence and a nation to work harder. We need one who can exploit our economic resources and build our values of honesty, hard work and tolerance. These things are very critical. Nigeria has not had it too badly either; we have survived for over 100 years since amalgamation in 1914. So, we have done well, but we can do a lot better.
What do you think may be responsible for the underdevelopment in the country?
I think the prolonged stay of the military stunted the growth and development of the democratic process that should have allowed the full expression of Nigeria’s potential. The military not just stunted the economy, it also allowed corruption…
What do you think the country should do differently now?
In 2023, I hope that we will elect a leader who genuinely has the capacity to turn this country’s fortunes around, not just because he said so. We need someone who has the understanding and personal quality and mental and physical capacity, integrity to inspire Nigerians to work harder and follow. Nigerians need to see all these qualities in him so they can trust him. We need to produce good leaders who will serve as examples and produce good citizens. This country should produce good citizens. We are devoutly religious people. Ninety-five per cent of Nigerians believe in God and they know what is right and wrong in doing things. They know that cheating, stealing and embezzlement are bad, yet they go ahead and do them. These ills have become a part of us. Something has gone wrong.
We need to rediscover our values as a nation…
Do you think age should be a factor when considering who to vote for?
Age is a double-edged sword. There is an advantage in wisdom and also an advantage in usefulness and youthfulness. We are not putting a premium on health alone. We are putting a premium on other things. One can be young and do nothing, and one can be old and still not understand what change is. Take a look at the President. He has never changed anything in this country from 2015 to date. So, we don’t want to put too much emphasis on age, although it has its values.
Insecurity used to be a regional thing six or seven years ago. Now, it has become widespread and has become a major part of the nation’s recent history. Where exactly did Nigeria get it?
Every problem has roots; they don’t just spring up overnight. When they do, we find out that there are remote causes. We need to genuinely ask ourselves questions about why we have widespread violence…
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