Governor Ifeanyi Okowa of Delta State has reiterated the need for national dialogue and fiscal federalism if the country must make a headway, just as the Centre for Human Rights and Anti-corruption Crusade (CHURAC) has identified corruption as a bane.
Okowa, who urged Nigerians to remain steadfast in prayers for the country as it continues to grapple with security and economic challenges, made the call on Thursday in Asaba, in his goodwill message to Nigerians on the 61st anniversary of the nation’s independence.
In the message contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Olisa Ifeajika, the governor reiterated his call for a national dialogue and a new constitution for the country.
He said that both issues were veritable windows for resolving all developmental, economic and political challenges facing the nation, noting that Nigeria could become peaceful and progressive if leaders resolved to be patriotic and honest, and the citizenry obedient in their actions.
The governor insisted that now was auspicious to address the nagging issues of restructuring and true federalism in the polity, pointing out that many voices were becoming louder on the imperativeness of both matters for the desired unity in the country.
”These challenges are not insurmountable as we continue to hope that Nigerians will live together to build a great and perfect nation as envisioned by our founding fathers,” he said.
According to him, we cannot have a good country if our people don’t resolve to live together peacefully as no meaningful development can take place in a country bugged down by varying crises.
“On our part as leaders, we must continue to ensure that we make decisions in the best interest of our people and the country.
“We must strive to encourage everything that will help to unite and develop our country and not those things that tend to divide us,’’ Okowa said.
Speaking in the same vein, Chairman Board of Trustees, CHURAC, Cleric Alaowei, Esq., said one of the ways forward for Nigeria was to entrench corruption as a capital offence.
“We are still far behind 61 years of age as an independent Country. We have nothing to celebrate the gains of sovereignty and the 21 years of uninterrupted democratic sojourn.
“I don’t know if there is any hope for the future as the ruling class from time immemorial have destroyed the fabrics of our very existence.
“Corruption has become our way of life. Every sector of our national life is embedded in corrupt practices.
“In the same vein, corruption has crept into our thinking faculties to the extent that Nigerians now see it as a way of life.
“You can see that this present government came with a mantra of fighting corruption but ended up having the most corrupt personnel in the government.
“We can only do one thing to assuage the situation and that is to make corruption a capital offence in the Country.
“I believe that this will curb the incessant corrupt practices associated with the public offices,” the group opined.
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