Activist, ‘Lakin Akintola Links Nigeria’s Woes To Crave For Materialism, Corruption

Posted by African Examiner Latest Headlines, News Sunday, January 4th, 2015

By Tajudeen Balogun, Head African Examiner, Nigeria Bureau

An academia and human right activist, Professor Ishaq Lakin Akintola, has attributed persistent social, economic and political misfortunes of Nigeria to unbridled love for materialism and widespread corruption.

(L-R) Prof Ishaq Akintola, Executive Director MURIC, the Lagos Companion AMIR (president) Nojeem Jimoh at a public lecture Sunday, January 04, 2015

The Director of a non Governmental organization (NGO) – The Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), made the lamentation Sunday at a public lecture organized by The Companion – an association of Muslim men in Businesses and Professions, in Ikeja, Lagos.

Professor Akintola who declared that every Nigerian was a “prisoner” as well as “corrupt”, established that government had the lion share of the blame on Nigerians’ crazy love for materialism, just as corruption was rampant, committed with impunity and renamed by the present government top functionaries.

Speaking on the lecture titled: “Post Independence Nigeria: A Muslim Assessment”, Prof Akintola who is a senior lecturer at the Lagos State university (LASU) Ojo, condemned corruption in the high places in the country and blamed the members of the public for encouraging its spread, as he reasoned most of the gratifications (gifts) to the political office holders were in most of the times meant given with intents to seek undue favours from the politicians.

He regretted that the excessive crave for materialism by most Nigerians, has given little or no credence to knowledge, whereas, he added the the latter could “save life” while the former (materialism) could not, but rather corrupt the mind more.

He berated bogus budget to the housekeep of the political office holders, citing and describing as ridiculous, the sum of N70 Million once budgeted by Head of service for generator services. He also observed that without wasteful spending by the political leaders, amidst surplus and estimated N12. 8 trillion annual oil revenue, the country had no business in being so economically and socially strangulated.

In an exclusive interview with the AFRICAN EXAMINER, Prof. Akintola, an Islamic activist, said there was nothing wrong in religion leaders declaring support or withdrawal for a particular political candidate, especially, if such was made base on poor previous poor performance and assurance of good delivery from the candidate being supported.

He however supported issues – based electioneering campaigns and abhorred religion sentiment in the same. According to him, the political messages and support should revelove round, performances, merit and integrity.

Prof. Akintola in his lecture called on the religion leaders to join in the advocacy against corrupt politicians as well as remain in the vanguard of promoting knowledge. He also urged the parents to ensure their children value education as well as expose them to its complete version – western and religion education.