Olusegun Adeyemo
A lecturer in the Department of Political Science and International Relations and Chief Imam of Osun State University, Okuku Campus, Dr. Usamotu Basheer Olalere, has said that while Nigeria is making progress politically, the nation’s culture of lawlessness and selfish governance continues to undermine true democratic growth.
Speaking in an interview with The Journal Nigeria, Dr. Olalere noted that Nigeria’s challenges are not limited to politics alone but cut across religion, economy, and social life, all rooted in a culture of “not doing things the right way.”
He explained: “We have a culture of not obeying laws and regulations, of trying to circumvent due process. These problems are affecting our political activities. If not for these, at least Nigeria is moving in the right direction because democracy, despite its criticisms by philosophers like Aristotle and Plato, is still widely seen as the best system of government.”
According to him, Nigeria’s democracy in practice has deviated from its ideals and now mirrors an aristocracy, where a few individuals hold on to power and resources at the expense of the majority.
“Resources in Nigeria can take care of everybody, but what do we see? A single individual amassing hundreds of houses while millions suffer. That is the real problem with our democracy — it has become a tool for the few to perpetuate themselves in power and exploit resources meant for all,” he said.
Dr. Olalere stressed that the only way forward for Nigeria is through a collective change of mindset, which he has continued to advocate at academic conferences and public fora.
“We need reorientation — a change of mind that will bring a change of thought and of action. Unless Nigerians change their behavior, we cannot reflect true humanity. Human society is meant to thrive on communalism and mutual coexistence, not survival of the fittest like in the animal kingdom,” he concluded.