Dearth of public conversations, greatest threat to economic recovery —Utomi

A professor of political economy and management expert, Professor Pat Utomi, has stressed the need for Nigerians to engage in genuine public discourse on the nation’s economy, while attributing the nation’s worsening economy to lack of such act in the past.

Utomi, who made this call at the second edition of the Tunji Braithwaite Foundation Symposium, themed: Nigeria in Crisis: The Imperative of A New Socio-Economic Order, held recently in Lagos, explained that to ensure recovery of the nation’s battered economy, Nigerians must be ready to engage in national conversation, designed to pour out the truth.

“Our country is faring badly, just because of some men and women, who are simply not ready to speak the truth to power, especially at this time of economic crises.

“Only few people are engaging their voices on the present challenges facing the country. But we need to wake up and speak truth to power from across the length and breadth of this land,” he stated.

According to him, the country had been divided in the last one year than ever, noting that it had become imperative on Nigerians to begin to think of how to restructure the economy for the benefits of the younger generation.

Also speaking at the occasion, the Director-General, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Abubakar Momoh, noted that without massive investment on education, Nigerian government is not yet prepared for the political and economic crises of the 21st century.

Momoh, who was the keynote speaker, said that for the Federal Government to actualise the change mantra, it must centre on human development and set up a technocratic system of government.

“Unless we go back to investing in knowledge, and knowledge conversation in education, we are  not yet prepared for the battle and the journey of the 21 century,” he stated.