A lecturer at the University of Ibadan, Oludayo Tade has said that Nigeria cannot progress until critical stakeholders drop sentiments and genuinely address issues affecting public governance.
Speaking at the 2022 Press Week of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, Tade identified the problems to include ethnic and violence-induced political campaigns, stranglehold of religious leaders on their followers and voter apathy, among others.
In his paper with the theme, ‘Rescuing Nigeria From Its Abductors’, he said Nigerians should be held responsible for the crises bedeviling the country.
Tade, who teaches sociology of crime and deviant behaviour, social problems, social control and crime, said: “For a particular problem to happen to a family, it must have the hands of an insider. If we are able to track the abductors, then we are on the path to rescuing the country.”
While saying that the pervading hardship and poverty across the land transcend ethnic and religious sentiments, he noted that for Nigeria to regain its freedom from its abductors, those who have permanent voters’ cards must come out on the day of elections to elect credible leaders.
The university don, who spoke on the need for Nigerians to exercise their voting franchise in 2023, also said: “God will not be available to solve the problems, it had solved for some other countries centuries ago.”
According to him, “Ethnic and religious political campaigns must be discouraged while religious groups and leaders, who had abducted the country, should stop holding the people to ransom, while religious groups have hijacked Nigeria. They have abducted the country. Poverty, unemployment and hunger do not know any religion. But, religious leaders are claiming that they own the country.
“There are five different people who abducted Nigeria. One of them are the endorsers who are endorsing all manner of candidates. And I always ask, do they have PVCs? But these are the people who will trade with the lives of other people.”
To rescue the country from its abductors, Tade stated that champions of ethnic and religious campaigns in the case of the APC Muslim/Muslim ticket should overlook such sentiments and seek to enhance progress in the country.
Not absolving the media of complicity in the rot in the political system, Tade admonished them to be careful of sensational political reports, especially those bordering on violence.
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While commending the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) came up with the Bimodal Voter Registration System (BVAS) for the conduct of the 2023 elections said “as good as BVAS introduced by INEC is, the final decision to have a smooth and meaningful election lies with the electorate.
The BVAS is a device which would allow for accreditation of voters through biometric capturing, uploading of results and other functions as regards the electoral process.
Speaking at the event, Teslim Kolawole Folarin, gubernatorial candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Oyo State, called for the amendment to the constitution, saying that it would be difficult for states to develop if exclusive list still remains.
Folarin, who represents Oyo Central senatorial district, insisted that most of the problems in the country emanated from the inclusion of exclusive list in the constitution.
Folarin, who is the Asaaju Olubadan of Ibadanland and was awarded the ‘Most Distinguished Personality (MDP) of the Year’ by the Oyo NUJ at the event, added that states may find it difficult if exclusive is not removed from the constitution. We have to loosen the constitution. If we discover crude oil at this press centre, it becomes the property of the federal government. How do you want states to develop in that way?
“By 2040, we will have cars that will not use petroleum. So, our crude oil will not be useful because, we will not have market again.
“A lot of things need to be done to move this country forward. We have to unbundle the constitution. We have to remove the exclusive list from the constitution,” he said.
Speaking further, Folarin said that it would be very difficult for a policeman from Akwa Ibom State to police Orita challenge area of Ibadan effectively because, he came from a different culture and speaks different language from the people of the area.
He said that “it will be difficult for his because, he do not know the terrain. The problem is the exclusive list. It is not possible for states to work on the same page.
“You brought a policeman from Akwa Ibom State to protect people at Orita challenge in Ibadan. It cannot work.”
He however, said that to have the country of our dream, leaders should be more responsible, sensitive and responsive to the needs and aspirations of the people.
“To me good governance requires leaders with adequate exposure, outstanding antecedents and experience,deep interaction with the grassroots and of course educational system that grows and nurtures entrepreneurship from the kindergarten.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that the prevalent poverty in Nigeria has been one single factor stalling our efforts in our bids to achieving a stable and thriving economy, as it affects our mental attitudes, our perception of what is right and desirable, so it does disturb attempts at national growth and development.”
“Corruption has permeated all fabrics of the national and private establishments, even at family level, the rot in public and private organisations struggle for survival and there is a major threat to the sustainability of the country itself.
“It has now dawned on us all that we need good governance steered by informed minds to redirect the paths to our nation’s growth and development.”
On what he would do differently if elected as the governor in 2023, Folarin said there was the need to go back to the history of the state in order to proffer solutions to its problems.
He said his administration, if he becomes the governor in 2023, would replicate what the late Premier of the defunct Western Region, late Obafemi Awolowo, did to transform the region, saying that the entire old region, witnessed the most impactful development when the late Awolowo was in power.
According to him, “if I become the governor, I want to make it clear that we don’t want power for the sake of power. We have looked into the history of the state to understand its problems. The last time we made most progress in Oyo State was during the era of Chief Obafemi Awolowo [as the Premier of the Western Region. Awolowo built the economy of the state around agriculture. We must go back into this and seek again to build the economy around agriculture.
“By 2040, we would not be using fossil fuel again as vehicles will no longer be powered with petroleum. We must set up a very sophisticated value chain system. We must create wealth.”
Folarin, who is the chairman, Senate Committee on Local Contents, said: “How do you create wealth? Our strength in Oyo State lies in agriculture. We have to go back to the basis. We must embrace agriculture. We must also look into and revamp our educational system and ICT.”
Also, APC candidate for Oyo South Senatorial District in the 2023 elections, Sarafadeen Abiodun Alli, frowned at defacing and pulling down of campaign posters of candidates of opposition parties in the 2023 election.
While accusing the present administration in the state, he said the dastardly acts should be stopped, warning that nobody has the monopoly of violence.
Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Adeolu Akande, was also conferred with the ‘Oyo NUJ Most Valuable Ambassador’ award for his contributions to journalism in Oyo State.
Other notable personalities at the event included, Niyan Adeyoju, former majority leader, Oyo State House of Assembly; Kehinde Subair and Kehinde Olaosebikan, former Chief Press Secretary to former Governor of the state, Lamidi Adesina, and Idris Abolaji Ajimobi.
