Stakeholders Identify Causes of Poor Governance, Economic Woes in Nigeria

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Stakeholders have attributed leadership recruitment process and poor harnessing of human resources, especially in the youths, as the major problems hindering the present poor governance and the economic woes facing the country.

The stakeholders who converged in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, yesterday, to find solutions to bad governance as well as offer solutions listed among others: the poor political arrangements and distorted system and unharnessed human and natural resources as reasons for the regrettable Nigeria situation.

The convener of the annual colloquium on democracy, Dr. Abdulmumin Ajia, described Nigeria as a distorted society, asking – “how did we get to the horrible situation.”

Addressing the gathering at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Secretariat in Ilorin, Ajia who counted and lamented the poor economic system disclosed that the solution to the raging situation is not in any political party but in the electorates and the youths who are yet to wake up from political slumber.

According to him: “There is no difference between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC). In fact, the APC has proven to be worse.

“This does not mean that we should go back to PDP because it is not ready to improve. Rather we should go spiritual for God to give us good leaders; we should stop hoping on the people because of their antecedents.

 “After all we called for Buhari; yet he came and worsened the economy. Afterwards, Tinubu dazzled all with Lagos. What do we have now? It’s been disappointments galore. He has made things worse.”

The Associate Lecturer, Lincoln University, United States of America (USA) lamented that: “We are poor because we’re not organized as a people, our human and natural resources are not harnessed fully for the betterment of the nation and the people.

“The present arrangement of North/South dichotomy is not beneficial in any manner as it only encourages plunder of the resources. It has made mockery of our democracy; it rather be called civilian rule not democracy.”

One of the guest speakers, Dr. Sanusi Lafiagi, of the Department of Islamic Studies at Al-Hikmah University, demanded if the youths were truly ready to seize the power from the elites who have dominated the political scene for over 60 years.

“This is in spite of the fact that they represent hope, resilience, power, ambition, dynamism and power. All these may remain a mirage if not harnessed,” he said.

He however suggested advocacy/education, awareness, structured organisation, social media and collaboration among the youths as ways of taking the country to desired level.

He also advised the youths to go for grassroots mobilisations during electoral processes and recruitment of leadership, urging then to shun sitting and be waiting for moneybag politicians who will at the end “dance around them” for their votes after which they leave them to their plights.

He further said: “Everything is not all about money as erroneously believed by you the youths; you should be ready to make time and resources sacrifices.

“We should always put Nigeria first in our thinking and actions. Those calling for revolution are shortsighted; no country will absorb our population of over 200 million. All our neighbouring countries are not up to our three states put together; we may criticize but not take up arms.”

Aligning with Lafiagi, another speaker, the state chairman, guild of public affairs analyst, Mr. Shola Muse, said: “The kind leadership we recruit is affecting our daily lives. Those who can change the narrative are not allowed into office; the process of recruiting our leaders is faulty and corrupt.”