A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Chief Wole Olanipekun, has blamed failure in governance for the mass exodus of Nigerians to Libya and their subsequent sale as slaves.
He warned that the sale of Nigerians in Libya and other countries would continue if the government failed to create an enabling environment for job and wealth creation.
Olanipekun spoke in Ikere Ekiti on Saturday when the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, opened the newly built Hall of Fame at the Palace of Ogoga, Oba Adejimi Alagbado.
The hall is consists of a historical museum and royal court, showcasing the portraits of past kings of the town. It also exhibits men, including non-indigenes, who have contributed to Ikere, among others.
The museum, according to the Ooni and Ogoga, would preserve the historical heritage of the town and facilitate learning and research.
On the fate of Nigerians in Libya, Olanipekun lamented what he described as the wanton neglect of Nigerian youths.
He said, “When I was in the University of Lagos in the 70s, I had over six offers as a fresh graduate who had not attended the law school, but today, nobody sympathises or empathises with youths, they have been abandoned to their fates.
“After graduation, no employment, nobody attends to them and they have to take the tortuous, winding and dangerous routes to where the greener pasture is.
“And most of us who are successful are not helping matters: we are wicked. We don’t tell the government the truth. What is in Libya that our youths are going for? This is shame on all of us.”
He observed that Libya was just emerging from a major crisis and had no human rights protection mechanism, no freedom, having been under military dictatorship.
On bad leadership, he said. “The main reason why we are not faring better is that government is muzzling the private sector. They haven’t allowed it to grow. A private body can only plan based on budgetary provision and policies of the Federal Government; that is why it is difficult to classify our economic system, it is so narrow and monolithic in nature.
“But let me say this, if Nigeria fails to take care of its youths by creating a tomorrow for them, we are inadvertently planting a revolution and threat for the future,” he said.
Source: The Nation