The Apena of Egbaland and Oluwo of Iporo-Ake, Chief Alani Bankole, has declared that only lazy people suffer hunger in Nigeria, insisting the country is rich with opportunities for those willing to work.
Speaking during a media interaction on Wednesday, the 85-year-old traditional ruler blamed parents and the broader system for fostering laziness among young people, saying many have abandoned the culture of hard work.
He cited the biblical principle that those who refuse to work should not eat, and maintained that Nigeria still provides enough legitimate avenues for anyone ready to put in effort to escape poverty.
“There are too many opportunities in Nigeria for us not to be hungry. Most people who are hungry today are lazy people,” Bankole said.
He urged that children be introduced early to productive work and taught the dignity of labour, noting that youths of his generation routinely combined schooling with practical skills.
The Egba chief, who is the father of former House of Representatives Speaker Dimeji Bankole, criticised many parents for pampering their children instead of teaching them how to create wealth, while expecting government to provide everything.
“Teach people how to make money, don’t give them money. Salary jobs are only meant to eat. When you learn how to create wealth, you become rich,” he stated.
Bankole acknowledged that the system itself bears much of the blame for the country’s daily challenges. He argued that the British left behind a flawed structure which Nigerians have continued to operate in ways that oppress others.
“The system has encouraged a lot of nonsense. The system is responsible for our everyday calamity. Is it Tinubu that will go and farm for you?” he asked.
He linked governance failures to a system that forces leaders to appoint aides from every state or constituency regardless of competence, making it difficult to assemble the best team.
A former National Chairman of the defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Bankole called for deeper reflection on the country’s governing structures. He stressed that simply changing administrations would not deliver real progress if the underlying system remains unchanged.
“You can only give what you have,” he said, emphasising the need to develop institutions and human capacity alongside political leadership.When asked for advice to politicians ahead of the 2027 elections, the octogenarian declined, saying he had retired from the current style of politics.
“No, I can’t advise them because I’m not used to this type of politics. When we were in politics, you couldn’t find me in any township at this time. I would take my campaign to rural and border areas.
“But today, you don’t see politicians go to anybody. I don’t know how they do it. They are practising a type of politics which I’m not used to, which I don’t know about. So that’s why I cannot, because when I was growing up, I didn’t go through this nonsense,” he concluded.
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