the fifth edition of the Prof Niyi Osundare International Poetry Festival. The first three editions took place at the University of Ibadan while the fourth in 2018 held at the Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State. The Professor of English at the University of Orleans, Lakefront, New Orleans, USA, who was honoured with the title “Obong Uto” by the institution, expressed gratitude for being celebrated.
Nigeria is a great country with very little rulers. Ours is a great country with a lot of abundance but with scarcity of thoughtful, visionary and tolerant leaders. Nigeria at the federal level has really never had a leader. What we have been having have been rulers. That is why our country is like this. In a short interview last week, I told someone that the Nigerian civil war has not ended. Many people say “Oh the war is over, no victor no vanquished.” No lie could have been greater.
Things have changed. It is we people in Nigeria that have to take our destiny in our own hands. Our rulers take us for granted because we don’t rise. When you don’t rise and you are ruled anyhow by leaders, you give the leaders the power of immunity and immunity usually leads to impunity. There are enough resources in this country to make all of us comfortable. We have to unite. But unity would not fall on our hands. It begins from the individual.