Economic recession was caused by past government

Renouned political economist and Chairman, Centre for Value and Leadership, Prof. Pat Utomi has
attributed the present economic recession to the “bad behaviour” of previous governments, adding that Nigerian leaders are lazy.

Noting that many are in the position of authority but are not leaders, he stated that every government appears to be worse than the one before it and that there is the dearth of leadership values among political elites.

Utomi spoke yesterday at the Emerging Leaders Conference organised by Guardian of The Nation International held at Civil Centre in Lagos, with the theme: Self-Reinvention; The Trigger for Economic Boom.

“Nigeria inflicted recession on itself through the bad behaviour of previous governments. It was the result of an elite that is too lazy to restructure the economy. Our leaders are lazy and they always want the oil price to rise,” he said.

The former presidential candidate challenged the youth not to emulate the present crop of “mentally lazy elite that are not ready to build their country.”

“You must not be like them. If we continue to act the way they acted, in my view that is irresponsibility”.

“We are in dire need of leaders with a sense of service towards others and contribution to the Society. Nigeria is a paradox of progressive degeneration.

Every government is worse that the one before it because we have not refused to learn,” he said.

Lamenting that we are all Biafrans now, he said, “Everyone is feeling marginalised. It is the tragedy of 1966, they took Nigeria in 1966 and are still running Nigeria now.”

While noting that Nigerian leaders rule by the hunter mentality and are being driven by entitlement and rewards, he said, “Nations are not built by hunters.

The people who build are farmers’. You sow; you water. Our people need farmers, not hunters”.

“We are in dire need of leaders with a sense of service towards others and contribution to the Society. Nigeria is a paradox of progressive degeneration. Every government is worse that the one before it because we have not refused to learn,” he said.