By Yusuf Adua
The out-gone President of the International Islamic University of Malaysia Alumni Association, Nigeria chapter, Professor Lateef Kayode Adeyemo has charged the federal government of Nigeria to tackle the myriads of challenges confronting the nation.
This call was contained in his address at the formal opening ceremony of the 2nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association which was done virtually from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 August, 2020.
To Professor Adeyemo, the outbreak of Coronavirus Global Pandemic is adversity that comes to rub salt into the wounds of a country like Nigeria which ordinarily has myriad problems to battle with.
“The challenges include but are not limited to insurgence, terrorism, kidnapping and abduction for ransom, ritual killings, armed robbery, brigandage, raiding and plundering, rape and homicide, corruption of different shades and magnitudes, inter-communal and tribal war, just to mention a few”.
He therefore prescribed that the only panacea to submerging all these predicaments is for government at all levels to wake up to their responsibilities and ensure justice.
The erudite scholar who expressed concern over the delay of justice and apprehension of criminals, encouraged constituted authorities to show a good example to their subjects.
“As noble citizens and professionals, we all have a stake in the nation and therefore roles to play in revamping the country’s economy. We should reflect on how to turn our waste to wealth, and brain drain to brain gain”.
This, he said is necessary in order to provide for an enabling environment that will impulse Nigerians in Diaspora to come back home to contribute their wealth and width of skill to the making of a better Nigeria.
He did hint that the bright side of COVID-19 is that it has come to solidify equity which should be in Nigeria’s advantage in consideration of the country’s quest to allow people enjoy their basic rights without let or hindrance.
Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Media and publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, the Emir of Keffi, Dr. Shehu Usman Yamusa, Messers Norfdlizan Abdur Rahman and Messers Lamin Manjag are few of the dignitaries that were present at the occasion.
Prof. Lateef Kayode Adeyemo is a Professor of Islamic Thoughts, Islamic Civilisation and Islamic Economics, Banking and Finanace in the Department of Religions, Faculty of Arts, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria.