Don’t abandon politics to scoundrels, professionals urge enlightened Nigerians

Ahead of the general election in 2019, a group of concerned experts in various fields of endeavour has called on enlightened Nigerians to get involved in partisan politics in order to halt the lingering culture of mis-governance and maladministration in the country.
The group, made up of experts in the oil and gas sector, telecom industry, banking, commerce, power, education, agric, among others, made the call in Lagos while speaking exclusively with BDSUNDAY.
The professionals expressed sadness over the continued plundering of the economy by career politicians who, they noted, have since the return of the country to civil rule, collectively been a nemesis to Nigeria.
“Another opportunity has come for us to make a good choice of the type of people we want as leaders of the country. So, we are calling on enlightened minds to show interest in partisanship. We must not allow those who have plundered and foisted poverty on the entire polity to again hijack power. The country belongs to us,” the group said.
They noted that when in 1999 General Abdulsalami Abubakar, the then head of the junta, blew the whistle for a return of the country to civil rule, most Nigerians did not show interest; “today we are all regretting it”.
“Ever since, the nation’s political space has continued to be populated by people who do not have the interest of the country at heart; they are at best scoundrels. Close to two decades after we returned to civil rule, the country is worse off”.
One of the professionals who recounted his personal experience, said: “Some years ago, some school dropouts in my town, who used to carry my bag, running around me for some favour, have all gone into politics. Today, they are local government chairmen, lawmakers and what have you. They had no basic training at all and these are the calibre of people that determine the fate of the elite. And you know the tragedy? They do not know the negative implication of delaying the passage of budget of a state or a country, and things are going from bad to worse because wrong people are in the saddle.”
The professionals, however noted that though it may not be easy in the immediate to dislodge the entrenched politicians who, over the years, have amassed so much wealth with which they influence outcome of elections in their favour, consistent involvement of the enlightened minds would pay off in the long run.
“We are not saying that it is going to be easy to dislodge those who have been entrenched in the system; all we are saying is that by the time they begin to see that some polished members of society are coming in and insisting that the right things must be done, it will send a message that it is not business as usual. We can’t stay outside and be complaining. We must begin to say no to those who go into politics to feather their own nests. The country belongs to all of us and we must take our destinies in our own hands,” they also said.
Some analysts who also spoke with our correspondents noted that the story of Nigeria has been that of “elitist hegemony” and depicts all that represent retrogression. They explained that the Nigerian state has not made a remarkable progress since the return of democracy almost two decades ago.
Uguru Owanta, a political science lecturer at Ebonyi State University, thinks that lack of interest by some Nigerians with proven leadership quality and integrity, especially from the private sector, has given political squirrels the opportunity to latch onto power for this long, and yet leaving the electorate worse than they met them.
“It is only in Nigeria that the young never grows. It is a fact that 21 former governors and former deputy governors are serving as senators in the present administration and they are all receiving pensions and salaries. That is over N1 billion every month and that will build 10 schools, or one university or 12 hospitals every month”, Owanta says.
One way to ensure that only those with achievable vision are elected in political offices, according to Owanta, is to make the offices less attractive in terms of financial benefits that come with the office.
“The day you enact a law that all political offices are now part-time and political office holders will now receive only sitting allowances, only then will credible people fill the senate. That is what is obtainable in most thriving democracies and reason for superlative performance,” Owanta concludes.
Patrick Utomi, a renowned professor of Political Economy who contested for political office in the past, notes that the selection process is faulty and it is only when a credible selection process is in place at all levels that those with integrity will make more attempts at politics.
While credible selection process is inevitable to attracting those with proven leadership qualities into politics, Oye Alimi, a politician and legal practitioner, notes that power still lies with the electorate.
“There is provision for ‘recall’ in the Nigerian constitution, but no constituency has ever recalled any of its elected members who are not representing its interest well. An attempt to do that will even make the elected member to sit up. I think the country deserves what it is experiencing today when the masses remain passive, when civil societies are compromised and protests now seem as anti-development, hence the unheard voices of the masses will never be heard,” the politician says.
There are indications that 2019 elections will not be business as usual, especially in terms of what has previously been the norm where unqualified, uneducated and uncivil individuals occupy top political positions because they are available and were ready to wade into the murky waters of Nigerian politics. For a long time, many qualified individuals have stayed away, paving the way for many crooks to govern the smart and the educated citizens, and also making policies which affect their businesses.
Analysts have expressed worries that the attitude of the younger generation of Nigerians to politics and governance generally is not positive. According to observers, while some are afraid because of the violence that always permeates the country’s politics, others shy away because they feel it is not their business. “But the truth is that these bad politics of the past has killed more people indirectly; through bad roads, lack of medical care, kidnapping, hunger and poverty, among others. And in the end you find out that we are all in it,” said an analyst who craved anonymity.
“Citizens can begin to take active part in politics by participating at ward level, attending meetings to be in the know and observe as things unfold. During this process, one can begin to gather people of like minds because politics is a game of numbers and this is what the North has always played and it has been working for them; this will avail one the opportunity to observe and understand the politics being played in that particular ward.
“Politics is a grassroots thing; it may not look appealing but even those in the top echelon reckon with the area boys/touts who run things at that level. This is the time for more youth to become engaged in the discussion of politics, as 2019 is around the corner. In most advanced countries, tracing the pedigree of most politicians, they started from the grassroots- their immediate communities. While social media is good and has its place in the scheme of things, participation in politics needs to be a physical one, with active participation in decision making,” the analyst further said.