Nigeria will Sink If It Doesn’t Substantially Change Leadership in 2023, Baba-Ahmed Warns

•Says her survival depends on quality persons elected  

• National unity government is way to go, Afenifere advises

James Sowole in Abeokuta and John Shiklam in Kaduna 

The Director of Publicity and Advocacy of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has warned that Nigeria might sink if she did not substantially change leadership in 2023.

He, however, said the quality of leaders that would emerged from the 2023 elections would determine her survival.

At the same time, a pan-Yoruba Socio-Political Organisation, Afenifere, yesterday, advocated for a Government of National Unity to midwife a new democratic government.

Speaking at the 2022 Pre-May Day Symposium organised by the Kaduna State chapter of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), with the theme: “Labour, Politics and the Quest for Good Governance and Development in Nigeria”, Baba-Ahmed urged Nigerian workers to rise up to determine the right leaders for the country.

He also called on President Muhammadu Buhari to talk to the relations of those kidnapped in the Abuja-Kaduna train attack to let them know about government’s efforts in trying rescuing their love ones. 

Baba-Ahmed said, “The 2023 elections is not an ordinary election, if we don’t substantially change the leadership of this country in 2023, this country is sunk. The politicians would use religion, party lines to divide us but in the end, what will be left is a broken country of divided people.”

According to him, “Nigeria has to go through a major reform and part of the process has to start now. We need to improve the quality of our leadership. In the last 10 years, we have elected poor leaders. 

“We need to elect good leaders, who will care about the poor, about the children of the poor, about the education of the poor, about security of everybody. We need to elect good leaders in 2023 or this country is finished.”

The NEF spokesman said, Nigeria needed organisation, stressing that organised bodies like the NLC, needed to raise their voices to demand good governance. 

His words: “Why is labour quiet about issues affecting the country? Why is labour not talking in the face of the challenges facing the country? Advise President Buhari to invite the families of those kidnapped Abuja-Kaduna passengers train to tell them what government is doing and give them words of encouragement. 

“Whatever government is doing, it should be improved upon. We cannot demand to know every detail of the negotiations with the bandits. But one of the things they should demand is that President Buhari should sit down with the relations of these people and talk to them about what government is doing so that they can be relieved. 

“Where is the President’s empathy? The wife of the president recently hosted politicians in the Villa, why can’t the President host the relations of the abducted train passengers in the Villa? We are about to get new government, labour needs to get involved as a participant not as a bystander. 

“NLC should determine, who becomes President, who becomes governor, so that we won’t have leaders, who don’t care about teachers and who treat teachers as they want. Everybody is moving away and leaving government to deal with people the way they want. Get involved, participate in the change of leadership. If you get a government, who will commit in writing not to send their children to private schools, no teacher will send their children to private school.

“Demand that teachers are the highest paid public servants, demand that anybody, who wants to hold public office must send their children to public schools and not private schools,” Baba-Ahmed said. 

Further on the challenges in the education sector, he said, “millions of Nigerian children of the poor are not being taught and those being taught are poorly taught by poorly trained and poorly motivated teachers.

“The class gap is widening. Children of the poor, who are not educated will end up making life difficult for children of the rich, who are well-educated. No rich or powerful person is sending their children to LEA schools, even teachers, who teach in public schools are sending their children to private schools. 

“Issue that affect teachers is a national issue, not an issue between ASUU and federal government. This administration won’t solve problems of Nigerian education.”

Kaduna State Chairman of the NLC, Comrade Ayuba Suleiman, who was represented by Comrade Galadima, said the symposium was part of activities to mark the 2022 May Day. 

He said, over the years, the NLC in the state had ensured, purposeful and organised labour movement to drive labour agitations, saying, “This year’s symposium aimed to further sensitise and galvanise Nigerians for the much needed change as per governance and politics in the country.”

Meanwhile, Afenifere, in a communique and signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, after a meeting held at Isanya-Ogbo, the country home of its Acting National Leader, Pa. Ayo Adebanjo, said a government of national unity would salvage the country from the issue of insecurity among others.

Afenifere noted that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, has lost in its entirety, the capacity to address the precarious situation of the country and insisted that the country must be restructured before the 2023 general election for it to progress.

The communique read in part: “The meeting deliberated extensively on various issues pertaining to the Nigeria nation especially, in the way they affect the Yorubas.

“The meeting reviewed the various challenges that Nigeria is facing particularly, the chocking insecurity that is threatening the country very seriously. The situation is now so precarious that no part of the country is safe at any time.

“The meeting also discussed the general elections slated for next year, 2023. An issue that Afenifere has been advocating, Restructuring, was also discussed once again. After extensive deliberations, Afenifere resolved as follow: The situation in the country is in a more decisive manner. 

“In view of the seriousness of the situation and considering the fact that the present administration under President Muhammadu Buhari, has shown that it is incapable and unwilling to tackle the identified problems, Afenifere hereby strongly advocates for a Government of National Unity.

“That such a Government of National Unity is to tackle the insecurity problems and midwife a new Democratic Government. Once again, Afenifere is reiterating its position that Restructuring of the Nigerian State must take place before the much vaunted Elections.

“We also recommend that  States that are ready must be allowed to establish their own Police Forces.  The performance of Amotekun Security Network in the South West in conjunction with the Nigerian Police has shown clearly that all the criticisms against State Police are unfounded and self serving.”

Among those in attendance were the former Deputy Governor of Lagos State, Senator Kofo Bucknor-Akerele, Chief Supo Sonibare as well as chairmen and members from the States.