Nigeria of today is far better than pre-independence era — Tanko Yakasai
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By Bayo Wahab
Elder statesman, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, has maintained that Nigeria is in a far better state today than it was before independence, insisting that the country has made “tremendous progress” over the decades.
Speaking in an interview on Arise Television’s The Morning Show on Wednesday, the 99-year-old politician said his support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration is informed by the government’s commitment to its reform agenda.
“In my opinion, so far so good, I believe that by and large, people will agree with me that he has achieved quite a lot with the period that he has been controlling the country,” Yakasai said.
When asked why Nigerians still look back at yesteryears with nostalgia if the situation of the country is now better, as he claimed, Yakasai said only those who witnessed colonial administration can better appreciate Nigeria’s progress.
“The Nigeria of today is far better than the Nigeria of the pre-independence era. If anybody says we have not done well, maybe he has not known what was happening before or now,” he said.
“Those of us who knew what was happening before know that we are making tremendous progress.”
He cited Nigeria’s self-rule as a key achievement since independence, stressing that the affairs of the country are no longer under the control of the British.
“Before independence, the entire administration of Nigeria was in the hands of the British. Today, no single responsible position of government in Nigeria is in the hands of the British or any foreigner. Everything is in the hands of Nigerians, and the Nigerians are doing their best,” he said.
He also noted that Nigeria’s electoral process, though imperfect, has provided avenues for accountability.
“We have been having election after election. Parties who performed during the election, after the election, they are now performing better. Those who are not prepared were replaced because they are not performing. So I think we are making progress tremendously,” Yakasai stated.
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