BY DEMOLA AKINYEMI,ILORIN.
The Chairperson, Manufacturing Association of Nigeria(MAN) Kwara and Kogi states, Princess Omolola Grace Olobayo was angry that the present administration under the leadership of President Goodluck Jonathan has been paying lip service to the resuscitation of industries in Nigeria.
In her reaction to President Jonathan’s speech, Olobayo in an interview with Vanguard who cited in accessibility of loans and even high lending rates where available added that black oils exclusively used by industries for machines have been very scarce and expensive.
These and many more according to her are responsible for the deaths of many industries in Nigeria, while many are still going under unless the problems are addressed.
She challenged the president to consider all these factors and address them promptly because its only functional industries that could provide massive gainful employment’s to the Nigerian youths and that there is no other viable alternative.
Also, a renown social critic, Abdulkarim Olola Kasum in his reaction said that 52 years after independence the dream of founding fathers of the country who struggled for the independence was yet to come to realities because of the failure of the leaders including President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to govern well.
The social critic who said the dream was that we will, as masters of our destiny, control our economy to improve our living condition argued that the condition was yet to improve.
According to him, “On 1st October 1960; precisely 52 years ago, Nigeria assumed her pride of place among comity of Nations as an Independent Country, free from British colonial rule. This is after long struggle involving sacrifices of lives, properties and loss of opportunities.
“The lofty dream of our forefathers was to make us masters of our destiny and controller of our fate. What this entails was that we will make our laws and control our economy in order to improve our living conditions.
“The ultimate objective being to erase our abject condition as hewers of wood and drawers of water.
“52nd anniversary of Nigeria Independence is a mirage of this dream that inspired our forefathers to stake big sacrifices for independence.
“Today, Nigerians are still hewers of wood and drawers of water. Majority of Nigerians have no water traps, no electricity and sleep under bridges. We still remain raw material and crude oil exporters; our money still being stolen and laundered in British banks for the benefit of the colonialist we much to drive away.
“Our leaders have failed a woefully. How we wish the ousted British rulers came back to rule us again!”
