'Mentorship in Nigeria broke down after 1966 coup'

~TheGuardian, Nigeria.

NIGERIAN diplomat, bureaucrat and former Minister of Petroleum, Philip Asiodu, yesterday said that Nigerians under the age of 10 at the time of Major Chukwuma Kaduna Nzeogwu-led coup in 1966 and those born thereafter may never know what it takes to be true patriots because the prevailing realities do not support such a disposition.

In a telephone interview with The Guardian yesterday, Asiodu noted that the old system of leadership, which had inspired patriotism and provided opportunities for mentorship, broke down after the 1966 coup, and with it the basis for which Nigeria was regarded as a promising, indomitable country.

He said: "The old system of leadership of inspiring the country broke down. So there was very little of mentoring. In fact, anybody under 10 has never seen this country in order; we stumbled from one crisis to another and great discontinuity since the coup of 50 years ago. What have we been seeing?"

According to him, the Nigerian psyche has been so bastardised that almost everyone that goes into public service is suspected of having an agenda to fleece the system, adding, "We have been denigrating the psyche of the state and the black man. Public officers are considered to bethieves; we really have a big task ahead to re-order the psyche of Nigerians and play the role we should play in Africa, which is what people like Zik dreamt of."

Noting that Nigeria has lost numerous opportunities in the past to right her wrongs, he said there might still be hope in the current dispensation.

We saw little; but we can't blame those who were under 10 in 1966 because they didn't have the environmental background to think of patriotism and what it takes. And all you hear from the scandals is about thieves and looters, as if life is all about that; it's a great shame. We need to educate ourselves on core values, without which this nation cannot grow to become great. We lost a few opportunities. 1999 was an opportunity, but it was blown. This is another opportunity. Things are difficult, but there are still possibilities. We are 50 years behind where we should be," he said.