Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has said no Nigerian president has been able to deliver a memorable speech with the same impact as the one given at her independence in 1960.
Kukah spoke while fielding questions on Arise Television’s Prime Time programme on Thursday, noting that Nigeria has failed to create a unifying national dream.
The fiery cleric noted that nation building thrives on mythologies and visions that stir collective imagination, citing the “American Dream” as an example.
Kukah added that Nigeria’s military leaders, by suppressing intellectual engagement in governance, prevented the growth of ideas that could have shaped a stronger nation.
He said: “Nation building is about mythology. It’s not about reality. The America today is a myth, the American Dream.
“But you see, Nigeria has not had the ability and the capacity to create a dream.
“I’ve always said, for example, close your eyes and ask yourself after the 1960 speech, whether there is a speech of any president of Nigeria that has made you feel wow, or whether there is a speech that, like JF Kennedy’s 1963 speech that is so memorable that you have to ask yourself, what was I doing when this speech was delivered?
“That speaks to another dimension, which is, what is the intellectual content of governance?
“Because once the soldiers found that they couldn’t win the intellectual argument, they are scaffolding.
“They didn’t allow intellect to become a dominant force. Therefore, as they said, people were teaching what they were not paid to teach.”
No Nigerian president delivered inspiring speech after 1960 – Kukah