Social commentator and lawyer, Dele Farotimi, says those considered as members of the elite in Nigeria have not done anything to turn around the fortunes of the country for the overall benefit of the masses.
According to him, members of the “elite” in Nigeria are consumed with the “stupid acquisition” of the country’s commonwealth and sharing it among themselves and their family members.
Farotimi was a guest on Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme on Channels Television aired on Friday.
He said, “These are people consumed by consumption. They don’t think beyond what they will eat next, or what they will drink, that’s the only thing that ever comes to their mind.
“It’s just about existing, they don’t think beyond their lifetime. All they focus on is stupid acquisition of money, obscene display of debauchery of all sorts, and ever more debased acquisition of the commonwealth. Are those the ones you call elite?
“Mindless acquisition of money. They live stupidly, consumed by the pursuit of money, we don’t have an elite in Nigeria. If we are a country blessed with an elite, they would have demanded better both of themselves and the society.”
Farotimi said the peak of fulfilment for members of the “elite” in Nigeria is the acquisition of exotic houses in choice places around the world and the possession of second passports to guarantee protectionism in case they need to flee Nigeria for a haven.
He said, “The tragedy of the people called elite is that the pinnacle of their achievement in their eyes is their capacity to buy homes abroad and be able to take their children abroad.
“They build things that their children cannot even inherit. They are building a country that their children cannot survive in. Are those the ones called elite? Which elite?
“Nigeria is not blessed with an elite class however you look at it whether in the academia, whether in politics, whether in the economy itself.
“The only thing they compete about is that ‘my private jet is bigger than yours’. That’s all. Exactly what have they done in our society that is suggestive of them to be called elite?
“All of them are carrying second passports. Each and every one of those you may consider elite in Nigeria today has a second passport…Or they go buy one of the Mediterranean states passports including traditional rulers.”
