A former Senate President, Dr. Ken Nnamani and a former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, on Wednesday, said that Nigeria was being destroyed by ethnic politics.
The duo, who spoke at the 13th convocation lecture of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, agreed that ethnic politics had greatly contributed to the destruction of the country.
Nnamani, delivering the Institution’s Convocation Lecture, titled: “National Integration, Peace and Development,” said the Nigerian politicians had failed to learn from past mistakes of ethnic politics which contributed to the destruction of the nation.
According to him, the first republic failed because of ethic politics.
“By 1948, there has been ethic violence in some parts of northern Nigeria. Ethnic violence escalated after independence as ethic leader hostler for control of new Nigerian Republic. Instead of pushing back against the ethic politics and violence it occasioned, the new Nigerian leaders manipulated ethnic sentiment for strategic personal political goals. This enthroned the politics of fear of marginalisation and mutual mistrust, “he said.
On his part, Jega, who was the chairman of the occasion, said Nigeria’s failure to get away from ethnic politics was a major problem to national unity and integration.
According to him, the Nigerian political scene had been taken over by people who were not patriotic to lead, adding that they were using tribal and ethnic sentiment to clinch to power.
“The biggest challenge in the system is that bad people are pervading our political terrain. Most people in politics are not patriotic, honest and lacking in vision even when they may claim educated,” he said.
He said it was time to begin to contribute to the political developments of the country and not leaving it in the hands of those who lacked vision and honour.
