Utomi: Like Brazil, Nigeria’ll Rise Again

Segun James

A former presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Prof. Pat Utomi yesterday expressed optimism that if Brazil could survive its economic and political challenges, Nigeria would rise again.

Utomi, a professor of political economy and management expert, said although Nigeria is facing existential challenges, the country has enormous potential for greatness.

Utomi spoke yesterday at the town hall meeting of a group known as Big Tent — a coalition of political parties, civil society organisations, and social movements.

Apart from Utomi, Senior Pastor of the Trinity House Church, Ituah Ighodalo and the 2015 presidential candidate of KOWA Party, Prof. Remi Sonaiya, among others, spoke at the town hall meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Utomi said Nigeria must change its brand of politics to become issues-based for the country to move forward.

He said: “We need a political class that adopts the simple life. Our country must be ready for this change. It must be a time of healing and building. Our country must be healed from the damage of our recent history. We must build afresh.

“It is a time we look through the windshield and not looking at the rear blue mirror most of the time, because in focusing on yesterday, we are getting away from tomorrow.

“What matters is that this country still has the potential for greatness. Nigeria is a country of enormous potential, yet it is being crippled by the kind of politics that we have.”

Utomi said if a country like Brazil can come back to life, Nigeria would rise up again.

“To get Nigeria to rise up again, we must begin to remind ourselves that it is about what individuals can do to give to build a great new tomorrow for Nigeria not what about what can get,” he added.

“We have a duty of care to our country that we need to do something in response to this existential challenge that is facing us.”