An elder statesman, and one time member of the ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN) and Political Adviser to late former, President Aliyu Shehu Shagari, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai has said that Nigeria had experienced positive developments from 1960 to date, contrary to the views of many Nigerians.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP in Kano at his Yankaba residence preparatory to Nigeria’s 60th Independence Anniversary, he said that there are tremendous achievements recorded between October 1, 1960 and October 1, 2020.
According to him, when Nigeria got her Independence there was no single university throughout the country, apart from the Ibadan University which was merely a branch of another University in England.
He said Nigerians, who graduated from the University then were only awarded their degrees from the parent University in England.
Alhaji Yakasai revealed that from 1960 to date Nigeria and Nigerians have established more than 171 universities across the land.
He further stated that apart from the Kaduna College of Education there was no other College of Education at Independence in the entire North and Nigeria as a whole while today the nation can boast of 152 Federal Colleges of Education, State and Private Colleges.
He also noted that today, “We have 110 polytechnics which were established between 1960 to date.
“There where no single Tertiary Hospitals during the Colonial period.”
Tanko Yakasai informed our reporter that there were no tarred roads throughout Nigeria from Kano to the then Federal Capital of Nigeria, Lagos and from Kano to Port Harcourt because the British Colonialists did not build roads during their reign.
He said there was no electricity to help boost local food production not until much later when indigenous industries sprang up in Kano, Lagos and Kaduna which are today declared moribund due to lack of adequate power supply to aide production.
He said for the country to get out of the present socio-economic quagmire, three things must have to be addressed and these include; having strong political parties with good manifestoes, credible elections and an impartial judiciary which will adjudicate between contentious parties without fear or favour.
