Makinde, from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, made the observation at a lecture to mark the 17th Convocation and Investiture of New Fellows of the Nigerian Academy of Letters, at the University of Lagos.
The theme of the lecture is: The Humanities and Societal Change.
He said that the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government must strive to correct the ‘wrongs’ that successive administrations had left behind, adding that these wrongs were affecting national development.
“One way of bringing about the desired change that would soothe the pains of the masses, and pave way for the much desired growth and national transformation from successive administration, is to carry out thorough re-examination of functions.
“The ordinary men and women on the street have not been spared of bad leadership that have resulted to abject poverty, hunger, unemployment and corruption.
“It is in this light that I recommend that the new government of President Muhammadu Buhari and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo must see their era as a time for atonement, deliverance, restitution and change,” he said.
The don said that change for real growth in the Nigerian state was possible under the current political dispensation, if all the necessary indicators were re-examined and re-engineered.
He said that since independence, Nigeria had lacked good leaders who were neither worth following nor courting.
The professor said that the situation was not helped by the followers, who were incurably docile and had been noticed as suffering and smiling.
Makinde urged the government to also look into the issue of ethnic and religious discrimination, which had stood in the way of the country’s development and growth.
He said that the realisation and acceptance of this diversity would propel the country for economic and other sectors growth.
The don said, however, said that Nigeria’s challenges could also be surmounted through attitudinal change of the masses, and collective efforts from all stakeholders.
He said that scholars in the humanities had always been involved in the affairs of humans, with regard to their association with other humans and their thoughts, character, economic moral and political behaviours, as they affect the society.
“Even men and women in science and technology look up to people in the humanities for important services of dealing with social, cultural and moral problems in the society.
“Therefore, scholars in the humanities, as opposed to science, are concerned with the above aspects of man, for the improvement of the society; and so, should be involved in other facets of life endeavours,” he said.
Earlier, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Rahamon Bello, said that the lecture was timely, as it was coming at a period when Nigerians were yearning for positive change.
Bello said that even though attention was focused at technology as a major driver of the economy, it could not go solo, as it required the contributions of other areas of humanities to make it happen.
“Again, it is important that we appreciate history in our curriculum because if you do not know where you are coming from, you cannot know where you are going to,” he said.
The high point of the event was the admission of a total of three new Fellows into the Nigerian Academy of Letters (NAL), and notable among them was Mr Sam Omatseye.
Omatseye is the current Chairman, Editorial Board of The Nation Newspapers.
Responding on behalf of the new Fellows, Prof. Jacob Olupona said that they were humbled by the award, adding that the lecture and the event came at a point when the nation was striving to restore its dignity among comity of nations.
He said that there was no doubt that the country was faced with some challenges, saying that as fellows, they would put years together to proffer solutions to such challenges.
On his part, Omatseye told NAN that he was humbled by the development.
He said that it was always encouraging to discover that someone out there appreciated one’s effort, no matter how little.
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