By DAPO FALADE
Dr Abiodun Raufu, a former Editor of the Nigerian Tribune, has called on Nigerians of strong and reputable character to rise up and save the country from going down into abyss.
The former Managing Director of the rested National Mirror, now an assistant professor at a university in the USA, said this, on Monday, while featuring on ‘Parrot Xtra Hour on Radio’, anchored by Olayinka Agboola and broadcast live on the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State’s Oluyole 98.5 FM, Ibadan.
Raufu also disclosed that he would seek to contest in the 2023 elections for a seat in the House of Representatives to represent Akinyele/Lagelu Federal Constituency on the ticket of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
He said reputable men must rise to salvage the country from total collapse, adding that his desire to contest was hinged on giving back to the society in order to facilitate more development to his constituency.
“I want to give back to the society, I could have stayed in my comfort zone and do nothing. But with the way Nigeria is going, all men of goodwill need to come out and do something.
“We must not allow this country to crash and I need to take a stand that is why I am coming out to contest under the umbrella of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to represent Akinyele/Lagelu constituency in the House of Representatives,” he said.
The journalist turned lecturer is of the opinion that Nigeria currently needs new set of leaders, who are honest and are not self-centered.
He said poverty has ravaged many parts of the country as many people live from hand to mouth, disclosing that the best way to help the people is to get involved in politics and ensure that resources are efficiently allocated to help the society.
He also submitted that the problem of Nigeria is beyond corruption, noting that many government agencies have engaged in white elephant projects that are not beneficial to the people at the grass roots level.
He said Nigerians need basic amenities such as water, electricity, good roads, adding that President Muhammadu Buhari can only reduce unemployment by making agriculture attractive to the youths.
“The government can make millionaires out of young farmers. But young Nigerians are afraid of venturing into agriculture because the basic amenities are not available to guarantee their success and survival in the venture,” he said.
He went down the memory lane to describe his unforgettable experiences when he ventured into farming around the Oke-Ogun area of the state, declaring that he recorded so much loss because of bad access roads.
“I had a farm around Oke-Ogun before I went to the US. Most of the roads were just meant for motorcycles. I bought N350,000 worth of cassava stems from the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Moniya, Ibadan.
“I was transporting them to our farm. I lost more than half of the stems and the distance between the farm and the main road was just about five kilometres,” he added.
He advised Governor Seyi Makinde “to concentrate on providing basic amenities for the people at the lowest level because that is their need at the moment.”
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