IF YOU LINE UP ALL THE WEALTHY PEOPLE IN NIGERIA, YOU CANNOT TRACE MOST OF THEM TO ANY PRODUCTIVE ACTIVITY - OBY EZEKWESILI

Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has criticised Nigeria’s political and economic system, arguing that questionable wealth is often rewarded while productive citizens struggle.

Speaking on News Central’s “60 Minutes with Mr. Kay,” Ezekwesili said Nigeria’s leadership recruitment process has been structured in ways that can make a lack of character an advantage.

She said, “the processes for leadership recruitment have in many ways been designed in the image of those who have held the levers of power.”

According to her, when people in power create barriers against individuals with character, “the political culture that then becomes one where a lack of character is actually an advantage.”

“When you have that kind of a distortion where bad behavior is what your political system rewards, there will be a market for bad behavior. And then good behavior is punished,” she said.

She also criticised the perception that government is a major pathway to becoming wealthy.

“Look at just bring line up all the people who are wealthy in our country today and try to trace their wealth to any productive activity. None. Maybe a few,” she said.

The former minister said many people become wealthy after entering government despite questions surrounding their wealth, while society often celebrates rather than scrutinises them.

“This is what grounded the Nigerian society,” she said, adding that the problem is “almost the same thing” across Africa.

Ezekwesili urged Africans to confront poor governance rather than remain apathetic and hope for sudden change.

“Nothing happens that is not made to happen,” she said. “To get good governance is a design. You have to design for you to then end up with good governance. If you don’t design for good governance, you will have the kind of governance that we have.”