{
  "id": 11466529,
  "title": "Nigeria at 66: Our Problems Stem From Failure of Values, Principles, Says Dan Kanu",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/02/nigeria-at-66-our-problems-stem-from-failure-of-values-principles",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-02T15:09:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "This Day",
    "slug": "this-day",
    "url": "https://www.thisdaylive.com/2026/10/02/nigeria-at-66-our-problems-stem-from-failure-of-values-principles-says-dan-kanu/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Prince Daniel Kanu has attributed Nigeria's ongoing struggles to the absence of good values and principles within society, asserting that the nation's woes cannot be resolved through politics, strikes, or blame games. In a message commemorating Nigeria's 66th Independence Day, Kanu urged Nigerians to transcend government interference and accept their role in reviving the country, emphasizing the need to prioritize national interests over ethnic, religious, and political divisions.\n\nKanu praised President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's address, describing it as sincere and progressive, while urging citizens to back legitimate institutions and leadership, and to shoulder their part in fixing the nation. He highlighted that both governmental and non-governmental entities have collectively failed themselves at various levels, urging Nigerians to confront the truth and abandon self-deception.\n\nThe New Deal Organization chairman raised eyebrows over a recent three-day warning strike announced by the Joint National Public Service Negotiating Council (JNPSNC) over demands the government was reportedly failing to meet by September 30, 2026. Kanu questioned why individuals responsible for addressing systemic issues would resort to strikes to compel others to fix problems they are partly responsible for.\n\nHe criticized Nigeria's underdevelopment due to the lack of essential virtues such as integrity, honesty, competence, accountability, compassion, and adherence to rules. Kanu insisted that the solution lies in the deliberate adoption and practice of these values and principles, including integrity, honesty, respect, competence, compassion, empathy, accountability, and customer service.\n\nWhile acknowledging the hardships faced by Nigerians, especially the marginalized, Kanu stressed that these issues predate the current administration and cannot be solved through politics or industrial action. He encouraged Nigerians to embrace their responsibility in nation-building, quoting John F. Kennedy: \"Ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country.\"\n\nKanu emphasized that Nigeria's immense natural and human resources would remain underutilized without responsible citizens and institutions, urging Nigerians to put the country first and unite around the Constitution for the sake of present and future generations.",
  "summary": "*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",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}