From Ademola Adeyemo in Ibadan, 09.28.2005

Falae who contested against Obasanjo in the 1999 Presidential election yesterday at the lecture organized to mark the 3rd Hon Babatunde Oduyoye Annual Birthday Lecture said Nigeria waited for seven years for Obasanjo to correct the misrule foisted on the nation by the Military.

“But what we have on the ground today is worse than the military governments in insensitivity,” he said.

The chance given to the Yoruba people was wrongfully given to Obasanjo and we have to wait for seven years without any positive change except hardship, corruption and lack of focus.

“This is the chance of the Yoruba being wasted. The mistake has been made to choose Obasanjo and Nigerians are paying dearly for that. It will be long before Yoruba can get the chance again, nobody will trust us again. We have been rubbished,” Falae said.

He also scored Obasanjo’s administration very low in the area of poverty alleviation, provision of good roads, education etc while calling on Nigerians to reflect on the performance of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) government and vote for the progressives in future elections.

Falae also praised Oduyoye for being among the youths who are busied themselves critically analyzing and proffering perspectives and illuminating solutions to various problems militating against Nigeria.
The guest lecturer, Dr Abubakar Momoh of the department of political science, Lagos State University said there was need for Nigeria to move beyond "culture talk” and the indigenes/ settlers claims.
He said Nigeria have a common history of colonial exploitation and waged struggle of resistance.

“ For the past 105 years, there have been cultural mix, social interaction and political engagements. We need to pursue this positively,” he said.