A public analyst and chief strategy officer of Jamub Group, Mr. Olugbenga Ashiru, has said the problem with Nigeria's leaders is that they think bad governance is an achievement. He said despite the country's failure to end bloodshed and fix its infrastructures, it still believes it can attract investors.
He said, if the leaders were wise, they would have known that bIoodshed, kiIIings and lack of basic infrastructures like power, good road networks among others, will never attract investors into the country.
Ashiru made the charge while addressing newsmen in Abuja, as part of activities to commemorate the nation’s 60th independence anniversary.
Speaking on the challenges facing the nation and the way forward for Nigeria after 60 years, Ashiru said though Nigeria is loaded with huge economic potentials and a bright future lies ahead but we have to resolve the issue of insecurity and bloodshed in the country as no investor would want to invest where their lives and investment are not safe.
“The level of bloodshed, killings in the country must be sorted out, it must be put to rest, no investor will come to invest if there’s insecurity in the country. Also, we must be sincere and thorough with the fight against corruption.
“Poor power supply is another major impediment to industrial growth in the country. Presently, Nigeria is dependent on hydro-electricity, and we know that the discos are not doing well hence there is a lot of interrupted power supply.
"Most manufacturing companies in Nigeria have not been able to survive because of power failure, many textiles companies have folded up. The truth is, there is no way you can have an industrial breakthrough without steady electricity because power has a positive or negative impact on your overhead cost when you’re doing business,” Ashiru said.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has said while there has been nothing about Nigeria to be proud of in the past 60 years, President Muhammadu Buhari however, has made it even more difficult to be proud of being a Nigerian thanks to his absolute inability to manage the country's diversity.
Kukah who made the statement at The Platform, an annual conference organised by Covenant Christian Centre in Lagos, said that he is not a happy Nigerian but as always, will remained hopeful.
“This president in my view in the last few years has made it very difficult for us to celebrate diversity. And Nigerians will concede that a reward system that is so skewed, whether in favour of men, women, Christians or Muslims is unacceptable because when it was time to vote, all of us came out to vote.
“We need to very quickly reset the template if we are to take our place after 60 years of independence. If we are unable to provide our people with water, food, light, security, then it is a tough call. I am not a happy Nigerian but I remain a hopeful Nigerian.”