Professor of Criminology/Deviance Studies, University of Ibadan, Prof. Adeyinka Aderinto, has urged the government at all levels to rise to their responsibilities in order to save the land from total collapse.

Aderinto stated that except urgent steps were taken, social vices, which continue to fester like a debilitating virus, might eventually consume the nation.

The social scientists made the submission on Thursday while delivering his inaugural lecture titled, ‘On the fringe of the society’ at the Trenchards Hall, University of Ibadan.

Noting that present initiatives by policy makers in addressing the deplorable state of the nation had not yielded desired results, he called for urgent intervention by all stakeholders.

Aderinto said, “I have called the attention of government at all levels to the state of things in Nigeria as a result of which many, especially youths, have taken to crime. Those are the people that I see as being on the fringe of the society; it is sad that they are now engaging in what they should not be doing in the first place. 

 

“Those that I described as wretched are people that I say are victims of the society. Look at the status of our women and the girl child. Consider also domestic violence. I am saying that those acts that are harmful to the health of women should be done away with. 

 

“I am calling the attention of government to the plight of those who are living on the fringe of the society, because if we don’t pay attention to them, we would continue to have all the problems that we are facing now.”

According to him, if things were alright in Nigeria, people would not engage in criminality and what is debasing.

“Many that are engaging in robbery today would not engage in it if the situation is right. 

“Many years back, when Nigeria was good, how many people involved in armed robbery? How many kidnappings did we see? But, this is the situation now but we need to do something about it. Things are already at the worst stage but we can still do something about it,” he said.

In attendance on the occasion were the Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, Prof. Idowu Olayinka; deans of faculties; heads of departments and other principal officials of the university.