Nigeria’s Intellectuals, Middle Class Complicit in Country’s Woes, Says Prof Utomi

A Nigerian professor of political economy and management expert, Patrick Utomi, has attributed Nigeria’s economic woes to the failure and lack of foresight by the country’s leaders.

Utomi spoke on ARISE NEWS and was responding to questions on Nigeria’s 60th Independence Anniversary.

He said leaders in Nigeria carry out a transactional style of politics, and ask for the votes of Nigerians in exchange for building basic amenities.

He accused Nigerian leaders of not being able to look beyond their noses, but look to steal as much public funds as possible.

Professor Utomi traced the country’s problems to the era of military rule where officers got involved in politics of dominance and brute force while ignoring the politics of diplomacy.

On the bright side however, Utomi said Nigeria posseses extraordinary potential.

“The intellectuals have retreated and the middle class are becoming complicit,” he said, stating that there’s a need for the Nigerian middle to take back the country.

“We are constituting a group of intellectuals across the country to take up reports of the national conferences of former presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Olusegun Obasanjo and to provide us a draft constitution.

“We can go round this country and have town hall meetings around and present for a formal process, perhaps requiring the National Assembly to transmit into a constituted assembly with additional members to pass this document so that Nigeria can have a people’s constitution,” Utomi said.

The professor said he is also hosting a meeting of Nigeria Elders Forum that will critically look at the country and where it all went wrong for Nigeria.

“You don’t build a nation without patriots and this runs across board,” he stated.

By  Abel Ejikeme

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