The Imo State Chairman of All Progressives Congress, Marcellinus Nlemigbo, who steered the affairs of the Peoples Democratic Party for seven years under Achike Udenwa’s administration has said the problem in Nigeria today is a followership problem and not leadership.
He was of the opinion that Nigerians need to change their orientation about governance.
In this interview with DAILY POST, Nlemigbo assessed Nigeria’s progress in the last 61 years.
DP: How would you assess Nigeria 61 years after independence?
Nlemigbo: We have every reason to thank Almighty God for sparing our lives this long, from whatever angle you look at it, we have recorded some laudable strides. We are definitely better than where we were in 1960.
This celebration reminds us of the solemn sacrifice of our founding fathers, who laid the foundation of this great nation as well as the contributions of the gallant members of the Armed Forces, many of whom have paid the supreme price to keep our country safe and united. As we reflect on the journey so far, we are pleased to appreciate Nigerians for upholding the sacred values that bind us together as one people in the face of our diversities.
It is worthy of note that regardless of daunting challenges and various cogs on our wheel of national progress, we recognize and appreciate that as a nation, Nigeria has recorded tremendous achievements in economic and political evolution in the last sixty-one years.
DP: What would you say is responsible for our challenges and backwardness in Nigeria?
Nlemigbo: Our problem in Nigeria today is more of a followership problem. Nigerians need to change their orientation about governance.
As citizens, we must force our leaders to do what is right if we must get it right because the leaders emerge from the followers.
I urge everyone to get involved in the administration of the country.‘We must agree that while we complain that we have a leadership problem in Nigeria, we also have a followership problem.
We consider it expedient, to use this auspicious occasion to felicitate with Ndi Imo, and Nigerians in general, for their resilience, faith as well as individual and collective sacrifices, commitment, and contribution to the oneness, peace and progress of our country, irrespective of our different political and religious inclinations.
Through shared faith and trust in the indivisibility of Nigeria, Nigerians have continued to overcome and triumph over ethnoreligious and political intolerance, insecurity and other threats to building a peaceful, harmonious and prosperous black nation, the pride of Africa.
DP: Are you optimistic about the future of Nigeria?
Nlemigbo: Yes and I urge every Nigeria to be of great expectation. I commend the commitment of President Muhammadu Buhari led administration in pulling back Nigeria from the precipice of economic collapse and infrastructural decay occasioned by endemic institutional corruption that pervaded our national landscape before the coming on board of the APC led government. We are glad that Nigeria has regained its pride of place in the comity of nations through the anti-corruption stands of President Muhammadu Buhari.
We are grateful to God that in spite of the permutations of pessimists and the mechanizations of unscrupulous political mercantile against our collective achievements, Nigerian under President Buhari has continued to break new grounds, both on local and international scenes; restoring our pride and dignity as the most resilient, resourceful and enterprising people of the black race of the world.
In Imo State, we cannot but continue to appreciate our ebullient and phenomenal governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, a man whose sense of urgency to fulfil his vision and mission as encapsulated under the “3R’’mantra of this administration (Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Recovery) is on a supersonic speed with unmitigated precision and clinical finishing. Today, we are proud governor Uzodimma has finally restored our people’s confidence in the business of governance.
It is important we use this very symbolic moment to once again congratulate our dear governor for rising to the demands of his office and overcoming the challenge of insecurity in our state. Today, economic activities have returned to their fullness. Worthy of note was the governor’s calm disposition in the face of those challenging times.
DAILY POST: What do you propose as the solution to Nigeria’s problems?
Nlemigbo: Peace. We wish to reiterate our call for unity as well as political and religious tolerance amongst Nigerians. It is our common faith that our strength as a nation lies in our diversity. We must continue to respect our plurality and ethnoreligious and political differences to achieve a peaceful and prosperous nation on the sacred foundation of justice, equity and fairness. God bless you all.
DAILY POST: What can you say about the security situation in Imo State?
Nlemigbo: There is nothing like security change in the state because the celebration has started on Sunday. There is movement tomorrow and I enjoin our people to come all out and celebrate. The governor said people will be protected.
We felicitate with Imolites and Nigerians in general on this occasion of Nigeria at 61, we wish to reiterate our call for unity as well as political and religious tolerance amongst Nigerians. “
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