‘Decline In Political Intellectualism Responsible For Failure In Governance’

By Kehinde Ayantunji

A chieftain of All Progressive Congress (APC) in the State of Osun, Prince Dotun Babayemi said, one of the major problems facing Nigeria political development is weak political institutions that accommodate “political jobbers who chose politics as a means of survival rather than science of public service.

He said, as a result of prevailing political opportunism in Nigeria, many people struggle to get power and loose direction because they lack intellectual depth and science of public service.

Babayemi, an industrialist, during a media chat with members of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Osun State Council in Osogbo said, the increasing motive of politicians to siphon public resources on getting to power is a culture that must be discourage and eliminated in Nigeria political system

He advocated that the political parties should return to the old method of the Unity Party of Nigeria (UPN) and develop system where intellectual depth of the public services, loyalty and commitment to the ideology of the party determines selection of leadership.

Introducing such conditions before taking the flag of any political party to hold any office, according to Babayemi , would eradicate political jobbers  and produce quality leaders that will drive the desire developments in Nigeria.

Speaking on the performance of the APC-led government in the state since 2010, Babayemi said, one of the best that has happen to Osun since its creation was the emergence of Governor Rauf Aregbesola whom, he said has redefined governance.

Babayemi described Aregbesola as an example of responsible leader any political party or society should be yearning for, if such society desires development.

“ Rauf Aregbesola is an example of leaders that our political system should be producing, it has never happen in the history of Nigeria that a government just came and declared that 20,000 unemployed youths should be taken-off the street, yes he may not be paying them fantastic salary but on daily basis, they go to work, come back home and get something at the end of the month,  it is a success story for the majority of the youths today”.

“What you will appreciate in his leadership as an industrialist is that all  his programmes and projects are  linked to the economic prosperity of the state.