They also said nothing has changed since the death of Chief Gani Fawehinmi, a frontline lawyer, who died in the struggle for the emancipation of the poor and the oppressed.
Various speakers noted that a National Conference should be convoked soon so that Nigeria can make progress.
They said it is at the round-table the people would decide on several issues to resolve the nation’s sundry challenges.
President Goodluck Jonathan, in his speech at the event, said the late Fawehinmi stood for the change that the nation enjoys today.
The President said the iconic crusader fought and died for his country.
Dr Jonathan described the late Fawehinmi as a defender of the poor and the rule of law, adding that he was a patriot and a statesman, whose love for Nigeria and the people’s well-being were unparalleled .
The President said his administration would keep the promises it made to Nigerians, including improvement in infrastructure, electricity, security, transportation and governance, which the late legal icon lived and died for.
In a lecture, titled: Nigeria Centenary: Does it Worth Celebration? with a sub-theme: The State of Nigeria After Gani, the guest lecturer Prof Omotoye Olorode said the characterisation of the Nigerian nation depends on who is doing the characterisation.
He noted that the characterisation has its beneficiaries and victims, those he called two contending forces.
Prof Olorode said the reasons to reduce macroeconomic volatility, corruption, inequality and other challenges, which the late Fawehinmi and others fought for, are still prevalent.
He said there must be a complete reversal of the present order.
Ekiti State Govenor Kayode Fayemi, who was represented by Mr Funminiyi Afuye, the commissioner for Information and Strategy, said the lecture was becoming an important platform for discussing pertinent issues on the state of the Nigeria.
Source: the Nation
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