A Nigerian poet, Odia Ofeimum has said President Bola Tinubu “will face the wrath of the people” if he fails to deliver good governance as promised during campaigns.
Ofeimun stated this at the January Reading and Writers Dialogue, an event organised by the Abuja Chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), where he was the guest speaker.
He alleged that several forces, especially from the West, were trying to undermine Tinubu’s efforts to improve the country’s situation.
“If today, Tinubu tries to do it right, they will fight him, but if because they will fight him, he refuses to do it right; it is our turn to fight him,” Ofeimun declared.
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Urging the Nigerian government to ensure that education is made free, Ofeinum cited China, which he said has surpassed the United States in development and innovation, because of its commitment to providing free education to its citizens.
“Because in my study of human development, whether in economics or political science classes, I have come to agree that the societies who give free education are more likely to be developed societies than others,” he said.
He argued that free education enables every child to contribute to society’s progress, without depending on the state’s support or intervention.
He lamented that Nigeria’s leaders had failed to give education the priority and resources it deserves, thereby impoverishing the masses and hindering the country’s potential.
“Think of the population of 250 million people, each of them is producing as they should, Nigeria will take care of the whole of Africa.”
Ofeimun, known for his activism and outspokenness on socio-political issues, also spoke on the role of the poet as the conscience of society.
He praised the young poets, especially those who practise the spoken word, for carrying on the tradition of activist poetry.
Sharing his perspective on artificial intelligence, Ofeimum said he sees it as both a challenge and an opportunity that can spur human creativity.
“No! AI will not destroy us.”
