One time Vice-President, Dr. Alex Ekwueme, has scored the country very low as far as development is concerned since the country got its independence over fifty years ago.
Dr Ekwueme was speaking with journalists during his 80th birthday reception organised in his honour by his Orumba kinsmen in Ikoyi, Lagos, under the auspices of Orumba Forum.
According to the elder statesman, “we have not realised our pre-independence dreams and aspirations… No one present when the Union Jack was lowered in 1960 would be happy with the present level of development in Nigeria,” he said as he urged leaders at all levels to accelerate efforts to check the rot and begin the onerous task of developing the country.
When he was asked where and when Nigerians started missing the mark, he said: “I don’t want to apportion blames but no one who saw the Union Jack lowered in Nigeria would be happy about the present state of things… expectation was high that Nigeria would be one of the greatest countries in Africa and the world, but the dreams and expectation have not been realised.”
However, Ekwueme prescribed “determination and commitment to serve” on the part of leaders as a major step to reverse the downward slide in Nigeria’s quest for sustainable development.
