Professor of Political Economy and management expert, Pat Utomi, has warned that some Nigerian politicians are largely responsible for the deep divisions currently plaguing the country, accusing them of weaponising ethnic and religious differences for political gain.
Utomi spoke on Saturday at the “1st Tony Uranta Memorial Lecture” held in Lagos State in honour of the late civil rights activist, Prince Tony Ipriye Uranta. The lecture, organised by the Tony Uranta Foundation (TIU), carried the theme “Unity in Diversity: Building a National Identity Beyond Ethno-Religious Fault Lines.”
According to Utomi, much of Nigeria’s present disunity stems from politicians deliberately deepening societal cleavages in order to manipulate emotions and secure votes.
“Sadly, you will find that many of today’s divisions come from politicians weaponising differences. They deepen cleavages so they can pull the wool of emotions over reason to get votes they should not,” he said.
He added that Nigeria’s political class had failed to pursue the vision intended for the nation.
“Nigeria’s political class has traded away a vision that God cut out for us. We need new thinking if this phase is to pass Nigeria by,” Utomi stated.
Earlier, the chairman of the event, Ambassador Godknows Ighali, reminded participants that Nigeria was an intentional creation of its founding fathers.
“When India and Pakistan were to have independence in 1948, they told the British, ‘We do not want to be one country; separate us’.
“But in the case of Nigeria, our fathers said, ‘We want to be one,’ and they agreed on the terms of being one from 1950 up to the Independence Constitution of 1963,” Ighali explained.
He stressed that the founding vision of Nigeria was a nation where all citizens are treated equally and where democratic principles, such as fair voting, are respected.
In her remarks, Mrs. Baarong Uranta, widow of the late Uranta and founder of the TIU Foundation, described her husband as a committed patriot and tireless nationalist who devoted his life to promoting political and social reforms in both the Niger Delta and Nigeria at large.
“Tony Uranta was a civil rights activist who stood for Nigerian unity based on fairness, equity and justice for all citizens. The TIU Foundation was created to continue the ideals and legacies he worked for all his life,” she said.
A panel discussion which centred on how Nigeria can achieve unity and progress despite its diversity also brought to light the essence the Lecture with a no holds barred and striking approach. Panellists, including Dr. Kola Adesina represented by Dr. Olumuyiwa Adebayo; Dr. George Etomi; Dr. Bisi Akin-Alabi, Dr. Sina Fagbenro-Byron and Zakka Bala, agreed that the nation must promote equity, peace and mutual sensitivity.
They also called for strict adherence to the rule of law across all regions, tribes and religions, as well as the recalibration of national strategies to serve the collective interest of the country.
Uranta Life of Activism and Defiance
The source of TIU’s life of pursuit of valour, truth and honour is therefore self-evident. As the saying goes “the blood that was in his veins foretells the story of his heroic past even without language”. From both his Efik and Ijaw ends, he was born into royalty, wealth and affluence, but was also formed from combined DNA of social and ideological militancy. As a campaigner, reformer and social zealot, TIU battled to create more awareness for political and social reforms in Nigeria. He fought for good governance, transparency and accountability without caring whose ox was gored.
Another of his main preoccupations was how to build a Nigerian state that is truly egalitarian, welfarist and inclusive. He therefore championed the building of coalitions across ethnic, creeds and linguistic lines to canvass one Nigeria out of the motley, atimes, atomistically proclived ethnic groups. He advocated for political reform and worked with the likes of Chief Gani Fayehinmi, Prof. Wole Soyinka, Chief Olisa Agbakoba, Sir Olawale Okunnu, Prof. Pat Utomi, Yinka Odumakin, Dr. Beko Ransome Kuti and Joei Okei-Odumakin, amongst others to contrive models for free, credible and acceptable elections.
It was in this respect that he joined these and other leading civil society activists to form such groups as the Nigeria National Summit Group (NNSG) in 2012. Few years afterward, in November, 2017, he erected a Social Media platform for intensive dialogue and debate which was bynamed TIU’s People. Again, in 2020, he also created another forum, the Justice and Equity for Peace and Unity Initiative in Nigeria (JEPUIN) as a pan-Nigerian construct for all who believe in a fairer and forward looking country. JEPUIN itself came about as a result of a national dialogue which brought together at Sheraton Hotel in Lagos, a broad spectrum of political leaders from around the country.
Aims And Objectives Of TIU Foundation
To promote educational development for the poor and needy in the society, through the establishment of libraries, scholarship programs, and learning resources accessible to the public.
To support underprivileged communities by providing access to educational resources, skill development programs, and social welfare initiatives.
To organize regular symposiums, workshops, and cultural events that encourages public discourse on leadership, governance, and national development for easy access to the poor.
To advocate for good governance and responsible citizenship through public awareness campaigns and civic education, focused on reaching underserved communities.
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