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Only Restructuring Can Solve Nigeria’s Problems, Not Presidential Candidates, Says Ozekhome

Published

6 months ago

September 30, 2022

Eric

A human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mike Ozekhome, has declared that none of the three major presidential candidates in the forthcoming general elections can fix Nigeria’s problems.

Ozekhome said the problems of insecurity, bad economy, poverty and hopelessness, which he said, have overwhelmed the country and can only be solved by restructuring.

He explained that a change in the system of government can save Nigeria from doom.

The senior lawyer made this assertion while delivering his speech at the 2022 Independence Day Anniversary Lecture with the theme: “Nigeria in search for an enduring political structure; imperative of structural reforms”, organised by the Ogun State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress held in Abeokuta, the State capital.

He said, “Virtually everything that can possibly go wrong, is wrong with our country: insecurity, collapsed infrastructure, failure of the public school system, an economy in shambles (epitomized by the free-fall of the value of the Naira and spiraling inflation), an unremitting insurgency, etc. The list is endless

“Reforms at the meta-level would entail either embracing our discarded Prime Minister system of government or dismantling and recoupling several of the institutions that help or hinder us, including a serious re-examination of the 36 state structure as federating units vis-à-vis their fiscal/economic viability or their consolidation into six or more regions with economies of scale and higher investment rates; multiple vice-presidencies representing respective regions other than the region of the president, each with supervising powers over certain ministries to ensure equitable representation at the federal cabinet.

“The greatest challenge is how to get some of the elite whose privileges are provided by the existing system to support its dismantling into a system that is potentially beneficial to ‘society’ but perhaps disproportionately harmful to their interests in the short term.

“In other words, we are faced with the same kind of conundrum as some western countries with their welfare system. Having designed and implemented it for generations, it has grown into an unsustainable octopus of inefficiency but reforming it is not easy”.

In his address, the Chairman of NLC, Bankole Emmanuel, charged the members of the union to direct their strength at positively changing the narrative and trajectory of governance in the country.

Emmanuel said, “Blame-game shall not take us nowhere as a people, if the nation must be better we must not only be interested in how our country is governed but also the antecedents of the people governing us.

“It is on this strong conviction that labour movement is not about wage increase and the strike action alone but also about good governance, equity, and justice.”

The Punch

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Peter Obi Playing ‘Wicked, Dangerous Politics’, Nnamani Laments Loss of Senatorial Seat

Published

4 mins ago

March 20, 2023

Eric

The senator representing Enugu East in the National Assembly, Chimaroke Nnamani, on Monday said the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, had “set the Igbo political trajectory 24 years back”.

The senator who lost his senatorial return bid to the Labour Party’s candidate, Kelvin Chukwu, the sibling of the slain candidate, Oyibo Chukwu, on Sunday evening, also accused Obi of playing wicked and dangerous politics.

Nnamani made this known via his official Twitter account (@ChimarokeNnamani) on Monday.

He said, “Peter “Gringory” Obi has set the Igbo political trajectory 24 years back. He has become a twin Blight & Scourge on the Land. His devious Opium served to Christians within sections of Nigeria and to Igbo domiciled in different sections of Nigeria is wicked and dangerous.”

The PUNCH reports that the LP candidate had polled 69,136 votes to defeat Nnamani of the Peoples Democratic Party who scored 48,701 votes.

The former governor of Enugu State had been caught in a web of controversy by endorsing the candidacy of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress who later emerged as the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, against the candidacy of the PDP’s Atiku Abubakar.

Though Nnamani was suspended by the leadership of the PDP, the former governor insisted that he was still a member of the party and dragged the PDP, national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu and other officials of the party to court.

Featured

Festus Keyamo, Others Condemn Bayo Onanuga for Toxic Anti-Igbo Slur

Published

8 hours ago

March 20, 2023

Eric

Spokesperson of the Bola Tinubu presidential campaign council, Festus Keyamo has knocked Bayo Onanuga for making vile remarks against Nigerians of Igbo descent.

“No one should ever rile a whole tribe & this applies to all sides – North/South/East/West in Nigeria’s politics,” the lawyer tweeted to school Mr Onanuga to be respectful of other ethnic groups.

Popular political pundit Kayode Ogundamisi, in a similar manner, excoriated the president-elect’s aide for stooping low to make the toxic anti-Igbo comment that could further fan the embers of ethnic strife already bedevilling the nation and push it to the verge of a civil war.

“Egbon this tweet is beneath you o! Considering you may also likely be holding a position in the incoming government of BAT,” Mr Ogundamisi wrote on Twitter. “When the other side of your political divide are going low, you shouldn’t be going lower. O wrong o,” he said to correct Mr Onanuga.

On Saturday evening, Mr Onanuga tweeted: “Let 2023 be the last time of Igbo interference in Lagos politics. Let there be no repeat in 2027. Lagos is like Anambra, Imo, any Nigerian state. It is not No Man’s Land, not Federal Capital Territory. It is Yoruba land. Mind your business.”

Mr Onanuga’s bigoted tweet and the brazenness to pin it to his profile have renewed worries among Nigerians who believe the president-elect, an advocate of national coherence after his election victory last month, should not be surrounded by persons who are intolerant of other ethnic groups.

Source: Peoples Gazette

Featured

Guber Polls: INEC Declares Sanwo-Olu, Makinde, Abiodun, AbdulRazaq, Buni, Others Winners

Published

9 hours ago

March 20, 2023

Eric

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday declared Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Muhammadu Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe) and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara) the winners of Saturday’s governorship election.

Also, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno; Dr Dikko Radda of the Katsina State All Progressives Congress and his counterpart in Jigawa State, Namadi Dammodi, emerged as the governors-elect.

The APC candidate in the Sokoto State governorship election, Ahmad Sokoto, similarly emerged as the governor-elect in the state, while Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum was set for victory having won the 22 local government areas declared so far in the state on Sunday.

There were also strong indications that the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, would be re-elected as he emerged victorious in 14 out of the 19 LGAs results declared as of 10.21 pm on Sunday, while his closest rival, Sadique Abubakar of the APC won five local government areas.

Similarly, the APC candidate in Benue, Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia, is currently leading his opponents in the results so far declared by the electoral commission.

Makinde of the PDP was declared the winner of the governorship poll in Oyo State after scoring 563,756 votes to beat his closest rival, Teslim Folarin of the All Progressive Congress scored 256,685 votes.

Adebayo Adelabu of the Accord Party scored 38,357 votes. Makinde, in an interview with newsmen, shortly after he won re-election said he was overwhelmed by the show of love showered on him by the people of the state.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, said the governor was joined by his wife, Tamunominimin and flanked by family members, friends and associates while celebrating the victory at his residence located in the Ikolaba area of Ibadan.

He thanked the good people of the state for the the confidence reposed in his administration and his ability to lead them.

Makinde speaks Makinde said, “The incoming administration which is tagged Omituntun 2.0, is a film that will be a lot better, sweeter and more effective when compared to Omituntun 1.0.

“Right now, I am just overwhelmed. I want to thank the good people of the state for the confidence they have reposed in this administration and my ability to lead them.’’

Governor Abiodun secured a second term in office after polling 276,298 votes to defeat his PDP opponent, Oladipupo Adebutu, who scored 262,383 votes and 12 other candidates.

The returning officer of the governorship election in Ogun State, Prof. Kayode Adebowale declared Abiodun at the collation centre of the commission in the state.

According to him, the total number of registered voters 2,688,305, while accredited voters were 666,406.

Adebowale said a total of 645,133 votes were valid while 18,835 votes were rejected out of the 663,968 total votes cast.

Sanwo-Olu was re-elected as he has polled the highest number of votes in the governorship election held on Saturday. The results were announced on Sunday at INEC’s collation centre in Yaba, Lagos.

The governor was declared winner with 762,134 votes while his closest rival, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party, polled 312,329 votes. The candidate of the PDP, Olajide Adediran, came third with 62,449 votes.

The Punch