National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Jimoh Iyanda | Ilorin
The former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Mahmud Jega, OFR, has expressed concern over the current state of the country.
Speaking during the Inaugural Lecture organised by Kwara Visioners Network For Rural Development on Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021 in Ilorin, Prof. Jega said Nigerians are currently suffering abject poverty as a result of reckless governance by the leadership.
He said, “self enrichment, delusion of citizens, mismanagement of public funds, lack of proper implementation of party manifesto and lack of discernable ideology between ruling parties have contributed immensely to Nigeria becoming a failing state.
“The lack of integrity by political actors will continue to undermine the electoral processes in Nigeria and likewise the removal of some technological hindrance in the Constitution which rendered electronic voting impotent and manual voting cost effective than expected.”
Speaking further, Jega said dominancy of the political participants who are devoid of substance vis-a-vis abuse of power has resulted to under performance and self enrichment, delusion of citizens and mismanagement of public funds, among others.
“As a Political Scientist, I have never seen a country being recklessly controlled like ours,” he added.
According to him, leadership recruitment and selection in Nigeria have to be guided by passion, valuable manifesto, good character traits and competency which have been equally jettisoned by past political actors adding that what we need is not “Money Bank” and God fatherism that is adding more challenges invariably to the existing ones.
“We must remind ourselves at this juncture that, this is the right time for each and everyone of us to do all what it takes to return Nigeria back to its original state as giant of Africa.”
Also speaking at the event, Mr. Babajide Kolade Otitoju, a Public Affairs Analyst and journalist at TVC, said with the current situation of the country “it is very difficult for the leadership of this country to convince the young ones of a better Nigeria.
“The political situation in Nigeria has reached a stage where you don’t need to be popular in order to win an election,” he lamented.
“While in office, Prof. Attahiru Mahmud Jega invented the card readers to respond to the high level of electoral fraud and make the right of ordinary Nigerians count during elections, but we later recorded 13% usage as against the 54% usage when it was firstly introduced in Nigeria.”
Otitoju stressed that there is the need for the youths as the only hope for this country to rise to their responsibility and participate fully in the political process judging from the fact that, youths make up 70 per cent of the nation’s population.
Meanwhile the Executive Governor of Kwara State, Mall. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq has commended the organisers of the event for “championing a noble cause focusing rural development.”
Assuring the organisers of his support, the Governor who was represented by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Arch. Sifudeen Aliyu Muhammed, reinstated his administration’s commitment to intellectual development as shown by the Kwara Visioners Network.
Among dignitaries at the event are: Chief Femi Falana SAN ably represented by Mr. Olarewaju Osho, Honorable Minister for Information and Culture, Hon. Chief Lai Mohammad ably represented by the Director, National Orientation Agency of Nigeria, Kwara State, Mr. Olusegun Adeyemi, Mr. Tope Kolade Fasua, Mall. Tajudeen Audu, Makama of Kaiama and Chief Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo among others.
