Nigeria at 66: Our Problems Stem From Failure of Values, Principles, Says Dan Kanu

*Faults 3-day warning strike by civil servants

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Chairman of the New Deal Organization, Prince Daniel Kanu, has blamed Nigeria’s persistent challenges on the failure of good values and principles across society, saying the country’s problems cannot be solved through politics, strikes and constant finger-pointing.

Kanu said Nigerians must look beyond government for solutions and accept their own responsibility for rebuilding the country, especially by putting national interest above ethnic, religious and political considerations.

In an Independence Day message signed by him, Kanu described President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s 66th anniversary address as sincere and progressive, urging Nigerians to support legitimate institutions and leadership while playing their part in fixing the country.

“Nigeria is where it is today because Nigerians have failed themselves at virtually every level—both those in government and those outside government. We must learn to tell ourselves the truth and stop indulging in self-deception,” he said.

Kanu also questioned the three-day warning strike announced by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council, JNPSNC, over demands it said the government had failed to meet by September 30, 2026.

“It is rather ironic that some of the people who should be working within the system to help fix our systemic problems are going on strike to compel someone else to fix problems that are, in part, within their own areas of responsibility,” he said.

He said Nigeria’s development was being undermined by the absence of values, including integrity, honesty, competence, accountability, compassion and respect for rules.

“The solution to Nigeria’s problems therefore depends on the deliberate inculcation and practice of values and principles such as integrity, honesty, respect, competence, compassion, empathy, accountability, and customer service,” Kanu said.

While acknowledging the hardship facing Nigerians, particularly the less privileged, Kanu said the country’s problems did not begin with the present administration and would not be solved by politics or industrial action.

He urged Nigerians to take responsibility for building the country, quoting former United States President John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.”

Kanu said Nigeria’s abundant natural and human resources would remain insufficient without responsible citizens and institutions, urging Nigerians to put the country first and rally around the Constitution in the interest of present and future generations. ‎