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Akinyemi urges government to develop nuclear power

By Iyabo Lawal, Ibadan
18 November 2016   |   4:36 am
Former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi has urged the Federal Government to commence the development of nuclear power.
 Bolaji Akinyemi

Bolaji Akinyemi

Former Minister of External Affairs, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi has urged the Federal Government to commence the development of nuclear power.

The former minister who was the guest speaker at the 2016 convocation lecture of the University of Ibadan (UI) on Wednesday said Nigeria must possess such nuclear strength and pursue other diplomatic projects to improve her status among other nations.

He spoke on the topic, “Nigerian exceptionalism: Quest for world leadership.”

Akinyemi urged the Federal Government to celebrate the past successes achieved by the country and sustain her national space programme.

His words: “Nigeria has over 50 years experience in peace-keeping operations, but we don’t propagate this. We have been in all continents. We were even in Serbia in the former Yugoslavia. There was a time we were at the border between Pakistan and India, keeping peace. But we don’t publicise all this.

“Even if every Nigerian owns a Rolls Royce, even if all the streets in Nigeria are paved with gold, until you have that power which the world fears, they will continue to ignore you. Nobody disregards Pakistan the way they do us because the country is a nuclear power.”

The Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof. Idowu Olayinka, said the institution was happy to have Akinyemi back after leaving as a lecturer 41 years ago.

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