Political economist, Prof. Pat Utomi, has said that both past and present Nigerian leaders have painfully disappointed the country and its citizens.
Utomi made the remark on Wednesday during an interview on Arise Television.
According to him, the failure of leadership in Nigeria stems largely from excessive self-interest, which he said has overtaken genuine concern for the welfare of the people.
He stressed that public office should be about service and sacrifice for the common good, not personal gain.
“To be fair, I think it’s not just Nigeria; it’s Africa at large in many ways. But Nigeria is the worst-case example,” Utomi said.
“Nigeria has been painfully disappointing because of the quality of people who took public positions.”
He explained that many individuals who attained positions of authority allowed self-love to outweigh their responsibility to the people, abandoning the true purpose of public life.
“These people got to positions in public life in which self-love exceeded care for the people and the ultimate reason for public life, which is giving oneself sacrificially for the advancement of the common good,” he added.
Utomi noted that his disappointment was deeper because of his personal faith, which compels him to avoid harsh judgment even when he strongly disagrees with the actions of political leaders.
“From a faith perspective, I struggle not to judge people. I recognize actions that I think are wrong and harmful to society, but I try hard not to be judgmental,” he said.
He lamented that Nigeria’s political class has also inflicted long-term damage on the country by normalizing hatred in public discourse.
“The most terrible thing that the political class has done to Nigeria in recent history is making hate a part of our culture,” Utomi stated.
He concluded by calling for a return to values rooted in service, compassion, and commitment to the collective good of society.
