‘Credible Muslims need to participate actively in politics’

MUSLIMS who inspire trust and confidence have been urged to participate actively Nigeria’s political life and help the country to catch up with its peers in terms of infrastructure and social justice.

An Associate Professor of Crop Ecophysiology at the Federal University of Agriculture,  Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Abideen Olaiya, stated this in a lecture at the 11th Federal University of Technology, Akure Muslims Alumni Conference (FUTAMGA) with the theme “Human Capital Development In a Heterogeneous Society: Nigeria as a Case Study.”

Olaiya noted that Nigeria had failed to march to greatness due to dearth of selfless leaders, noting that the country’s contemporaries like Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore have achieved considerable growth in virtually every sector.

He then called for renewed patriotism on the part of the leaders and warned the followers to desist from mortgaging their future for paltry sums of money during elections.

He charged the judiciary to tackle corruption in both public and private spheres with “unreserved commitment,” saying “the little gains in the petroleum sector during the oil boom which would have served as a veritable platform for massive industrialisation and job creation went down the drain due to graft.”

The scholar advised Nigerians youths against travelling abroad for greener pasture because of the economic hardship facing the country but urged them to remain focused and equip themselves with necessary skills, especially in the field of information and communication technology. He emphasised that the country’s greatest asset is its human resources.

He called on policy makers to prioritise the revival of the agricultural sector as this would go a long way to create opportunities for youths, apart from boosting food production.

Earlier, Professor Biliaminu Abdulkareem, who is the chairman of the FUTAMGA, organisers of the event, charged Nigerians to see the task of nation building as a collective responsibility.

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