- Says African Women Spend 40billion hours in Search for Water Annually
From Abdulazeez Kayode, Ilorin
Bad leadership not corruption is Nigeria’s and Africa’s critical problem, a senior lecturer in the department of Business Law, University of Ilorin, Dr. Mubarak Adekilekun has said.
According to the University Don, he said, “as a result of bad leadership more than 300 million Africans lacked access to basic social amenities with most women spending 40billion hours in search of water annually.”
Adekilekun spoke at the second Yusuf Ola-Olu Ali Media Roundtable Discussion organized by the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in collaboration with the Time Nigeria Magazine and African Media Congress News Magazines, held at NUJ press Center, Ilorin recently.
In a lecture titled, ‘‘Social Justice and Redemption of Africa’’, identified bad leadership as the major threat to the attainment of social justice and social rights in Nigeria.
He said that rights to water, medical services, good road, and other basic necessities of life are not negotiable but need to be provided for by the government.
The business lawyer said the ‘‘40billion hours being spent annually in search of water portable by Africans was equivalent to the total hours spent by the workforce in France ‘’.
The guest speaker blamed both political and religious leaders for the problem of Africa, and emphasized the need to strengthen institutions in Nigeria rather than strengthening individuals for the country to achieve the desire goals.
He stressed the need for good leaders that would make the continent become economic viable, guarantee Socio-cultural economic freedom and integrity.
Adekilekun also emphasized the need to strengthen institutions in Nigeria rather than strengthening individuals for the country to achieve the desire goals.
Also speaking, a discussant and former Head of Department of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin, Barrister Mahmud AbdulRaheem called for re-orientation of political leaders and followers to fashion out what is good for the generality of the people.
AbdulRaheem, who cautioned Nigerians against self-serving politicians, stressed the need to de-emphasize the distribution of commonwealth, and warned against undue influence for merit.
Another discussant, Dr Lukman Azeez of the department of Mass Communication, University of Ilorin, said most of the Nigerian leaders emerged ‘‘by chance ’’ as a result lacked the will to drive national development.
He however, called for a change of attitudes by followers lamenting that most of the ‘‘followers in Nigeria are absolutely passive’’.