62nd independence: How Nigeria can rise again —Yusuf Ali, Kokori, Adeniran, Afenifere, OPC

STRONG institutions, among them the judiciary; devolution of power, transparent elections, creation of state police, fairness and equity were on Thursday listed as values Nigeria should focus on to restore the nation’s lost glory. 

This was the summation of the views expressed by eminent persons and groups as the country marks its 62nd independence anniversary today, with the Federal Government declaring next Monday as a public holiday to commemorate the event. 

Taking a retrospective look at the country since it freed itself from British colonial rule on October 1, 1960, they believed the country has the opportunity to make positive change from the era of inept leadership and impunity in the last six decades. 

We must make Nigeria a project for all Nigerians —Yusuf Ali, SAN 

A senior Advocate of Nige- ria (SAN), Mallam Yusuf Alli, identified some steps that should be taken if the country hopes to regain the era of boom and progress. “Number one, we must promote justice with equity. 

Two, we must make Nigeria a project for all Nigerians. We must get the buy-in of all the constituent parts of the country into the Nigeria project. 

“And one of the ways to do that is to ensure that what is due to each federating unit is given without regard to race or colour, religion or tribe. 

“Then, we must promote patriotism. And the only way people can be patriotic is when they know the country cares for them. 

“All the things that hold us down include corruption, money politics, tribalism, winner- takes-all-attitude of the political class. 

“Those are the things that hold us down, we must tackle them. And our leaders must think big. They must have bigger vision for the country. It is the big vision of the founders that turned Nigeria into what it is today.” 

The legal luminary insisted on devolution or power so that the country could get out of its socio-economic quagmire. 

He said: “We must go back to the basics in terms of ensuring that there’s proper devolution of power. The Federal Government should be concerned with serious matters of security, monetary policies and things like that. It should not overburden itself with issue of salary and wages. 

“It should just concern itself with setting the benchmark for minimum wages. It should not get itself involved in day-to-day fixing of salary for workers in states, local governments. No! The precious time should be used for doing salary of its own workers. 

“The Federal Government should concern itself with serious matters of external affairs. Even something as simple as correctional centres, otherwise called prisons; the federal government has no business monopolising correctional centres. 

“They should just set benchmark of minimum standard for some of these things. These should be ceded to states or local governments. 

“Local government is the nearest to the people, but most pauperised. Let’s go back to obey and observe proper tenets of constitution. 

“Every Nigerian must have a sense of belonging of Nigeria project. And our economy must work for us if we want to make progress. 

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“We must tackle all the problems assaillng our coun- try presently; the problems of insecurity, kidnapping. We must also fix our public utilities, road network and find an alternative means for road transportation, like water transportation, railway. 

“We must attend to our economy to create a number of jobs for our best brains to stay in the country and make them contribute to development of the country. And of course, workers must be paid living wages with realities of the economy. We need pan-Nigeria leaders and not those for some enclaves or areas. 

“Our problem is that we don’t have a rallying point. It may be in a person or institution. In US, it’s the constitution. We must also get to that point.” 

We must stop living in denial; accept some things are wrong with us — Tunde Adeniran 

A former Minister of Education and ambassador, Professor Tunde Adeniran, also identified a number of ways that could place the country on the path of glory as it celebrates its independence anniversary. 

But, he warned that, “Regaining control of our destiny by retrieving lost opportunities and reclaiming past glory is a matter of choice. 

“If we continue with the present policies and style of governance, the rock and a crash would be the consequence. 

“To avoid such a fate, rise and fly, we need to do a number of things. Firstly, we must stop living in denial; we must accept that some things are wrong with us and the way the processes of governance are handled in Nigeria. 

“Beginning with the Constitution, its defective nature implies a serious need for corrections. The present constitution lacks the ingredients of a people’s constitution. “It cannot promote justice and equity, and the actualisation of the people’s potential in a pluralistic society with its multiethnic, multicultural and diverse religious contestations. 

“The constitution also gives room for the rise of petty tyrants and executive recklessness. 

“It also has no safety net against criminals of all categories who have invaded the political space and the national economic terrain. 

“While a new, people-oriented constitution would provide a good basis for a new value system, political structure and social and economic framework, Nigerians would need to brace up and seize the opportunity of the current national awareness and begin to right the wrong before everything collapses on our heads. 

“The country is presently going through a period of widespread insecurity, scandalous process of leadership recruitment, free-for-all looting and loss of faith in common humanity and the unity of Nigeria. 

“The message of October 1, 2022 is for a new beginning, a rededication to the ideals of nationhood and faith in the great hope of tomorrow. 

“All divisive and retrogres- sive philosophies tying Nigeria down must be jettisoned and the people freed to work toward their destiny, the glorious tomorrow of a great Nigeria.” 

We must do something different to achieve our collective dreams of a great nation —Kokori 

A former general secretary of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Chief Frank Kokori, said Nigeria could attain glory again if the right leadership is in place. 

According to the elder statesman and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, the bane of the country is bad leadership in all strata and levels of government. 

He said the country had been retrogressive over the years due to lack of leadership with integrity and vision. 

“Nigeria can only rise to glory again if Nigerians vote for the right person and have the right person as a leader. 

“Nigeria’s problem is leadership. We need a man with integrity, principle and purpose to rule this country. 

“Bad leadership, at all levels has been our bane in this country as a people. 

“We have been going backward for the past 62 years, so what we need now is prayers and right choice of a good leader,” the Ovu-born veteran labour leader noted. 

We can rise again if we do the needful — Balogun

A member of the current National Assembly, Senator Kola Balogun, remarked that the 2023 general election provides a veritable opportunity for the country to rediscover itself. 

“We can rise again if we do the needful by taking advantage of the opportunity presented by the 2023 general elections. 

“We have no other choice than to elect credible and patriotic individuals who will use their mandate to restructure this nation. 

“To rise again and to rise to glory, we need fiscal federalism, local government autonomy, Independence of the judiciary, State Police, independent candidature and devolution of power to the federating units. We must do something different to achieve our collective dreams of a great nation.” 

We should return to Nigeria of our founding fathers — Afenifere 

Pan- Yoruba group, Afenifere, advocated a return to the political structure bequeathed to the country by the founding fathers at independence on October 1, 1960. 

The organisation lamented that the country had become an epitome of unfulfilled dreams, with the act of terrorism almost becoming the order of the day, while development had apparently been on the reverse gear. 

Afenifere recalled that everyone had hoped that 20 years after Nigeria obtained its independence in 1960, the country would be among the first 10 most livable countries in the world. 

“At Independence and during the period leading to it, everybody had the hope that in 20 years’ time, Nigeria would be among the first 10 most livable countries in the world. 

“Unfortunately, 62 years down the line, Nigeria is in the league of countries like Iraq and Afghanistan, where terrorism has more or less become the order of the day. Not only that, development appears to be on the reverse gear in such a way that life in 2022 is worse than it was in the 1960s through 1970s and even 1980s,” the group added. 

Afenifere reiterated that restructuring to true federalism which the country’s founding fathers worked for, remained imperative to enable it serve the purpose it was designed for. 

“As to what Nigeria can do to serve the purpose that a country should serve, it must be properly structured. The political structure of the country was defiled in 1966. And since then, things have not been the same. 

“Our fathers say that when a baggage falls down and its contents scatter, the luggage needs to be repackaged. That is what Nigeria should do now. That is what Afenifere is advocating; it is what we call restructuring; that is having true federalism which our founding fathers worked for in the first place. The earlier this is done, the better.” 

Tribalism, corruption, religious intolerance bane of Nigeria —OPC 

The Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) decried the state of affairs in the country over the year, owing to primordial issues. 

The organisation, through its publicity secretary Mr Yinka Oguntimehin, said it was sad that at 62, Nigeria was exhibiting traits of a failed state, due to tribalism, corruption, terrorism, religious intolerance, among other vices. 

“Nigeria at 62 has indeed come a long way, but it is dangerously tilting towards the precipice; the country is exhibiting all the traits of a failed state,” it claimed. 

The OPC, however, said Nigeria must tackle tribalism, corruption, terrorism and religious intolerance to become great again, stressing the need to place premium on human lives, provide employment, while the citizens continue to live in peace. The body restated the call for restructuring of the country, saying it was time constitutional steps were taken to achieve that. 

“For Nigeria to be great again, we must urgently kill the virus of tribalism, corruption, terrorism, kidnapping, religious intolerance, prebendalism and mediocrity. “We must value human lives, continue to live in peace, provide employment and timeously take constitutional steps to restructure the country,” the OPC said.