by Isi Esene

Former governor of the Old Anambra state, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife declared on Friday that there are indices to show that Nigeria has derailed from its destiny of being the leading black nation in the world.

He reportedly said this in response to a statement attributed to the Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Public Affairs, Dr. Doyin Okupe who said there are no indices to show that the country is a failed state.

Okupe said, “A failed or failing state is where there is an erosion of legitimate authority, where there is instability and the country cannot afford to provide public services like the provision of light, good roads, water and security services.”

Okupe saw the need to clear the air on this matter when a group of eminent Nigerians such as Prof. Ben Nwabueze (SAN); Lt.-Gen. Alani Akinrinade (retd.), Ezeife and Chief Solomon Asemota (SAN), on February 16, 2013, insisted on a constitutional conference for Nigeria  before 2015 general elections.

While following the same line of argument as Okupe, the Special Adviser on Governors and Governance to the National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Osaro Onaiwuit described the elders’ call as unpatriotic saying it is unfortunate that some Nigerian have chosen to run down their own country.

Ezeife, however, replied saying, “Some people are ignorant, Nigeria has derailed.

“After one hundred years — induced nationhood, we should own up by giving the opportunity for a Nigerian- made constitution by sovereign Nigerian people,” he argued.

We shall to see how this pans out between bothy parties.