By Ehichioya Steve Odion
A Professor of Political Science from Clark Atlanta University, United States of America, Prof. Omoh Ojior has advised Nigerians to ensure vibrant young aspirants who can redirect the focus of the nation are elected to serve in 2023 to replace the old politicians who have brought suffering to Nigerians through bad leadership.
Prof. Omoh Ojior gave this advice in an interview with the GROOVE WATCH MAGAZINE, in Benin City, Edo State.
Prof. Omoh Ojior who hails from Etsako, Edo State, is also a renowned author with many books in his bookshop.
He said there are intelletuals among the young ones who have not been able to get to power because they are not allowed by the older politicians to do so, adding that over time the leaders has continue to misdirect the people in governance.
"Because the people do not know what to do to them, the elected leaders continue to do things in their own way and misdirecting the people. As for me, we lack governmental responsibility. Presently, we have leaders who are ruling us and not leading us".
Prof. Omoh Ojior, a trained journalist said as a media person he cannot see something that is not conducive to the society and keep quiet, hence he quit his civil service job and left for University of Benin for lecturing.
He further said that the Centre For Democratic Studies came up as a result of the paper he presented at the Nigeria Political Science Association, in Lagos, in 1985. He said from there he left for his PHD programme at the University of Mary Land and to Clark Atlanta University, both in United States of America and completed the programme in the year 2000.
"Since then I have been doing research with numerous articles in Nigeria Newspapers. With a joint effort I had a publication with Prof. Otoide and Prof. Atimen on Presidentialism which was querried by the authority in power then. Rather, they said they prefer Parliamentary system. I was also the founder of Nigeria Association Alumna of American University. It was under this auspices we did research and published African and Africa in the Diaspora as first publication".
He said from his research, the Independent African nation started from the Diaspora, while others said Colonialism led to the publication of the book.
Prof. Omoh Ojior who now have a standard bookshop in Benin City, described it as a warehouse for books. He said his motivation is because his effort on research has been on Africa, Nigeria and Etsako being his home town. He further said he has been doing research on these places mentioned.
Continuing, Prof. Ojior said he realised that being in US that his knowledge was not being utilised. He also said that his people may not know that the books he is putting together can be of help to them.
"Look at all the topics of my books. It has to do with fifteen ethnic groups, sampling of names in Nigeria. I felt I should come home so that people could read my books and it will help them to regain themselves back. That is my motivation. These are the reasons why I wrote these books and I decided to come home with them to set up a bookshop where it can be circulated to Universities and other higher institutions and the general public".
He disclosed that he has made contact with Uniben and their library has acquired some of the books. He said he has also reach out to Benson Idahosa University, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, with the books.
He said the first volume of Africa Name And The Reason for a Name was published in 2012 and launched in Etsako, as that is the only way the community can be recognized as a centre. He disclosed that plans was on the way for Etsako Club 81 to launch African Women and Development, a case study of Etsako. He also said he has an institute whose vision is to promote, develop and preserved the culture.
Prof. Omoh Ojior said he was happy that people were responding to the purchase of the books. Some of his books include, Africa and Africans in the Diaspora, Africa Names and the Reason for a Name and African Women and Political Development.
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