Nigeria @ 60: Eminent Nigerian elders, leaders seek new constitution for unity, progress
All we need to do is to continue to eliminate avenues for rent seeking. When people understand that the way to make money is to produce real goods and services, build up Small and Medium Enterprises, build up manufacturing companies, they will provide the needed services.
In his presentation, Works and Housing Minister Babatunde Fashola urged Nigerians pay more attention to the governments at the local and state levels rather than focusing on the Federal Government.
The minister explained the governments at both levels take responsibility for provision of basic education, primary healthcare, water supply, among other necessities of Nigerians.
He said: “Government is not magic and we continue to project hope. But some Nigerians must realize that what we expect of the Nigerian federal government perhaps lies more with the state governors and the local government.
“Some of the most basic things are with them. So, looking for it from the federal government perhaps is why we seem to have been disappointed because we are looking for the result in the wrong place. Waste management, water supply, primary healthcare, basic education, those are all things with the local and state government.
“Federal government does not own a primary healthcare centre. In Nigeria, the federal government has roughly about 107 secondary schools. I will urge people to go and read the constitution. The powers the president has are about 25, many of them are circumscribed by the national assembly and judiciary.
“The government that can transform us and give us the things we want most quickly are the governments closest to us – state and local government. Security is a shared responsibility. Going forward in choosing leaders, we must make sure that we pay even greater attention to who is governor, who is a local government chairman than we pay to who is president.”
Restating government’s commitment to the expansion of infrastructure in spite of the drop in oil revenue, noting that 671 road and bridge construction were on going in the country, Fashola urged Nigerians to participate in the economic development of the country by ensuring payment of taxes, stressing that government alone could not do the job.
Fashola explained that things required to fix the country had to do with leadership, adding that one could lead without title.
He said: “There are many duties that we owe ourselves and the country and this is captioned in Section 24 of the Constitution and we should adopt them. At 60, Nigeria is still relatively young in the comity of nations.”
The trio of Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese Matthew Hassan Kukah, Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church Pastor Tunde Bakare and Stanbic IBTC Bank founder Atedo Peterside, also spoke at the conference.
Kukah, who believed the leadership positions across political positions were skewed against Christians, said President Muhammadu Buhari was making it difficult for Nigerians to celebrate diversity.
Bakare said no nation can make progress when mediocre is on the driver’s seat.
He said the arrangement where the president, those in charge of affairs at the senate and house of representatives, as well as the chief justice are from the same religion, hinders celebration of diversity and betrays the principle of federal character.
He said: “I think even the most optimistic Nigerian must conceive that we are nowhere near coming to define the real sense of democracy. Beyond just going through the process of cycles of election, we have a very serious problem with recruitment methods,” he said.
“Reflecting federal character should be like viewing ourselves in the mirror and celebrating our diversity because the table is big enough to occupy everyone.
“But when you don’t have that and you put all your apples in one basket, naturally you cannot make headway, because you’re violating the constitution and thinking that we are in a democracy.
“We need to very quickly reset the template if we are to take our place after 60 years of independence, . If we are unable to provide our people with water, food, light, security, then it is a tough call. I am not a happy Nigerian but I remain a hopeful Nigerian.”
Pastor Bakare said no nation can make progress when mediocre is on the driver’s seat.
The cleric stressed the need to ensure that the right people are in positions of authority to put the country on the right track.
Peterside said not should be spared to protect the nation’s hard-earned democracy.
He said: “In my generation, about the only thing we delivered through activism was democracy. That democracy is in danger because we decide if and where we have free and fair elections.”
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