Stakeholders in the academic circle have stressed the need for the Federal Government to examine its critical elements of nationhood to address problems and crises facing the nation.
They made the submission during a mini-conference and presentation of a book titled: “The National Question: Critical Reflections on the State and Society in Nigeria, A Festschrift in honour of Prof. Sylvester Odion Akhaine @ 60,” held at Lagos State University (LASU).
The 15-chapter book, with contributions from 10 writers and edited by Abdul-Gafar Tobi Oshodi and Abdul-Wasi Babatunde Moshood, is a diverse collection of chapters that focus on democracy, defence, gender, conflict, and international relations in a conversation about the national question in Nigeria.
In his presentation , professor of Political Science at Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Tunde Agara, said in Nigeria, the issue of the national question emanated from different sources, resulting into various dimensions, such as the question of citizenship leading to the call for secession, ethnicity, federalism and the call for restructuring, among others.
He said that any discussion on the national question in Nigeria must take cognisance of those different dimensions. Chairman of the event and former Editor of The Guardian on Sunday, Jahman Anikulapo, hailed the book as the kind of publication that the country needs now.
He said Nigeria needs more intellectuals to engage the system, participate in politics and write about their experiences. Anikulapo commended the book, saying that what most of the writers have done is to really look at the question of the national question and from a multidisciplinary approach, see how scholarship can help to contribute to nation-building.
Akhaine expressed happiness at the honour by his colleagues, noting that the book is essentially talking about all those problems and crises of nationhood that is besetting Nigeria.
He said that the book would provide a basis for realistic solutions to Nigeria’s problems. Other speakers at the event include the Dean of the Faculty of Social Science, LASU, Prof. Olufemi Lawal; Acting Head, Political Science Department, Dr Abdul-Wasi Moshood, among others.
