Anyaoku: 2023 poll crucial to Nigeria attaining its dream

Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku has said the 2023 elections will be a watershed in history, noting that the outcome of the election will be crucial to the nation attaining its dream.

To this end, he urged the electorate too, in the 2023 elections, to vote for only those candidates who promise and they believe will prioritise the revamping of the Nigerian governance system.

Anyaoku who made his call at the 11th lecture series in his honour themed: “Imperative of Good Governance in Nigeria,” held in Ibadan, on Thursday, said a revamp of the present system is central to the development, political stability and achievement of true unity in the country.

Noting that the system is crucial to the production of good governance, he beckoned on Nigerians to carefully study the manifestoes of candidates and vote only those they believe will fulfil the promise to revamp the present governance system.

He enjoined candidates and political parties to desist from a spate of abuses and personal attacks and rather focus on presenting their manifestoes, policies and plans to make the nation better.

He said: “We have heard a thrilling lecture from Professor Ayo Olukotun who talked about the watershed elections of 2023. Indeed, I agree with you that the 2023 elections will be really a watershed because of their importance to attaining the Nigeria of our dream.

“I would urge all our electors, citizens who will be voting in the 2023 elections to vote for only those leaders who would promise to prioritise the revamping of the Nigerian governance system because that would be key to our development, political stability and achievement of true unity in the country.”

Speaking further, Anyaoku advocated for fewer and viable federating units and decentralization of the security system, noting that the present system of governance is incongruous with a multi-diverse country such as Nigeria.

He advocated that Nigeria look at the governing system of India, which despite its multi-diverse nature, allows its federating units to be largely autonomous and viable.

“We have a system of governance which does not suit a multi, diverse country like ours. We were then a more viable federating unit; there were four federating units as against the 36 plus the federal capital territory that we now have.

“In my view, the present system will not lead us anywhere near achieving the country of our dreams. We need fewer federating units which will be more viable than what we have now. What we have now as federating units makes it easier for us not to have a true federation which is a country of our diverse needs.

“The country that I will like Nigeria to look at, in terms of its governing system, is not the United States of America. The United States of America is essentially an immigrant population; Nigeria, on the other hand, is a country of units that have existed for centuries with their own culture, and manner of living.

“We need a system as the Indians have done so. India is a very diverse country and the diversity of India is being successfully managed because the states of India are largely autonomous in terms of those important aspects of development.

“Security is crucial for development. If you don’t have security, you will not be able to attract foreign investors. We need to decentralize the management of security too much more viable federating units,” Anyaoku said.

Noting that Nigeria was once at par with a country like South Korea, Anyaoku said the country may have missed out on progressing as a nation at the time the military intervened in governance.

Anyaoku added: “Again, picking up from what our lecturer said about our present governance because the system is crucial for the evolution and production of good governance. Nigeria, in the early years of our independence, before the entry of the military to our governance, if Nigeria had remained as it was then before the military stepped in, Nigeria would have been a different country by now.

“I remember those were the years when if you took the indices, Nigeria was slightly ahead of Malaysia in development terms. Nigeria was at par with South Korea in development terms but look at those countries today, Nigeria is more than one generation behind them.”

Guest lecturer, Professor Ayo Olukotun said the nation continues to be drawn back by institutional decay and the running of institutions without productivity benchmarks and integrity.

He said lack of inclusiveness, impunity, lack of respect for the rule of law are the bane of good governance in the country.

While stressing that 2023 is a watershed and important to determine the path for Nigeria, Olukotun bemoaned that several candidates campaigning were not talking about how they want to achieve the Nigeria dream.

He added that the nation needs a leader that is serious.

For the nation to achieve the desired turning point, Olukotun said that there is a need to decentralize the governance system, especially ensuring state police.

He noted that the President Muhammadu Buhari administration had fizzled out in attaining its three-point agenda regarding security, economy and fighting corruption.

Olukotun, therefore, said there is a need to relaunch the anti-corruption agenda, refocus on ensuring the security of Nigerians and that a serious leader must emerge to handle the nation’s economy.

Chairman of the occasion, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun said there was a need to rectify the lack of belief in government and abandonment of ethics in governance.

Odigie-Oyegun said: “I want answers to the general sadness in the country over time; it didn’t start yesterday; it didn’t start with this administration. There has been deterioration in the country. There has been an inability to distinguish between white and black. There is growing despair in this country. There is definitely a lack of belief in government in this country. We have taken leave of ethics, and knowledge of right or wrong. So, what is the problem? Where have we gone wrong? What has gone wrong? How can we rectify it?”

Host governor, Seyi Makinde said his government epitomizes good governance by running based on transparency and accountability.

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