27th November, 2017
Gbenro Adesina/Ibadan
Oba Rosheed Akanbi of Iwoland in Southwest Nigeria has traced lack of development in the African continent to corruption of her cultures and traditions.
The monarch, who was the royal father at the formal opening of the 2017 edition of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, week held at the Dapo Aderogba Hall of the union’s secretariat in Ibadan on Monday, called for cleansing of the traditional system to allow proper development to take place.
The monarch specifically spoke against the spread of cultism and cult societies, which, according to him, were responsible for shedding of innocent souls in people’s quest to acquire power and positions at all cost.
“Our tradition and culture have been corrupted. We must start fighting corruption in those areas if we crave meaningful development,” he added.
In order to effectively address the issue, the monarch called for the enactment of the Enlightenment Act, arguing that such step would help in addressing the superstitions and myth surrounding some of the cultural beliefs retarding growth and development across the continent.
He challenged Nigerian politicians to make fight against corruption their main focus as they prepare for the next general elections.
The NUJ president, Waheed Odusile, who was represented by the union’s B Zone Vice President, Mr. Cosmos Oni, urged journalists to key into the ongoing bio metric registration for members to rid the profession of quackery.
Earlier in his welcome address, the council chairman had sought collaboration from governments and corporate world in ensuring quality life for journalists across the country.
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State, who was represented by his Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Toye Arulogun declared the event opened and sought harmonious working relationship with the media.