The Apena of Egbaland and Oluwo of Iporo-Ake, Chief Alani Bankole, has said that hunger in Nigeria is largely a result of laziness, arguing that the country offers enough opportunities for hardworking people to make a living.
Bankole stated this on Wednesday, September 17, during a media interaction, where he blamed both parents and the wider system for what he described as the declining culture of hard work among Nigerian youths.
The 85-year-old traditional chief cited the Bible’s teaching on work and said Nigerians willing to take advantage of legitimate opportunities should not remain poor.
“There are too many opportunities in Nigeria for us not to be hungry. Most people who are hungry today are lazy people,” he said.
Bankole also called on parents to expose their children to productive activities from an early age, recalling that young people of his generation often combined formal education with practical work.
He argued that many parents now pamper their children instead of teaching them how to create wealth, while expecting the government to provide everything for them.
“Teach people how to make money, don’t give them money. Salary jobs are only meant to eat. When you learn how to create wealth, you become rich,” he said.
However, Bankole acknowledged that Nigeria’s system of governance and administration also contributes significantly to the country’s problems.
According to him, the system inherited from the British has remained defective and has been used by successive Nigerians in positions of authority to oppress and suppress others.
“The system has encouraged a lot of nonsense. The system is responsible for our everyday calamity. Is it Tinubu that will go and farm for you?” he queried.
The former National Chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, ANPP, further criticised the structure of political appointments in the country.
He said the practice of requiring presidents and governors to select aides from different states and constituencies, rather than strictly on merit, often prevents leaders from assembling the most capable teams.
Bankole, who is the father of former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, called for a broader conversation about Nigeria’s political and institutional structures.
He argued that simply replacing one administration with another would not necessarily bring fundamental change if the underlying system remained unchanged.
The octogenarian also maintained that the quality of leadership is influenced by the structures and resources available to those entrusted with governance.
“You can only give what you have,” he said, stressing the importance of institutional development and human capacity alongside political leadership.
Asked for his advice to politicians ahead of the 2027 general elections, Bankole declined, saying he had retired from the type of politics being practised today.
“No, I can’t advise them because I’m not used to this type of politics. When we were in politics, you couldn’t find me in any township at this time. I would take my campaign to rural and border areas.
“But today, you don’t see politicians go to anybody. I don’t know how they do it. They are practising a type of politics which I’m not used to, which I don’t know about. So that’s why I cannot, because when I was growing up, I didn’t go through this nonsense,” he stated.
