* Nigeria Does Not Have Policy Problem But “A People’s Problem”—Frank Nweke Jr.
* Nigeria Runs One Cap It All Policy System –Leke Alder
* The Game Can Be Changed, By Changing The Voting System–Leke Alder
* Those Who Are Controlling Nigeria Are Unwilling To Let Go, Not Even For The Younger People — Prof Sonaiya
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Stakeholders have asked Nigerian youths to leverage their numbers to get people elected into governance. They have also said that there’s no politics without an economy as leadership and followership are sheer responsibilities and that sovereignty resides absolutely with the people.
These remarks were made on Wednesday, at the 15th AELEX Lecture, which was held virtually.
Speaking on the theme: “The Nigeria We Want: Economic, Political And Social Justice, former Minister of Youth,” Minister of Information and Communication Frank Nweke Jr. said the theme of the lecture is a thing of concern to every Nigerian and as for him, he wants a Nigeria that is secured, where governance is development driven. He said it is important to him because it is at the heart of everyone else.
He said regrettably today the country is still grappling with basic things that are essential for human existence.
He said he would like to have a country where everyone has a sense of inclusion and all citizens are treated equally. Nweke Jr. blamed the division engulfing the nation on the current administration that this was not the case in previous years.
“Where a Section of the people from a part of the country feels excluded, marginalized, you cannot build a united coercive nation that way.
“We have a situation where our young people are despondent, move across the Mediterranean in search of greener pastures, how can a nation sacrifice her young people
“The reason is simply because the government failed to make the right policies, incompetent leadership, intensive corrupt leadership. It makes no sense to me and no nation can make progress when things are done wrongly,” he said
Nweke Jr. went on to say that in other sane climes things were deliberately constructed to be the way they are today.
“None of these Nations developed by accident. They were not developed by mediocre, kleptomaniac but by patriotic, highly discrete, value-driven, conscience, humans, that’s how these Nations emerged.
He said, “These Nations are the outcome of visionary extremely disciplined leader who had the interest and welfare of their citizens at heart, which is concerned of their place of the country and their people.
“I don’t want a country, where citizens are attacked routinely. Nigerians out of the country, are attacked because we are not what we should be”.
He said all of these has to change in order for us to have a country of our own called Nigeria.
On Social, Justice Nweke said if women are good as mother, wives, sisters, then they should be given equal opportunity in government, in an organization, and in other forms of leadership.
He said: “Women who are mothers, sisters, wives, even Competitors deserve greater respect and therefore it is important to utilize the resources they offer.
“I resent the situation where we merely patronize our women. The emergence of female CEOs in Banks is welcoming and I believe it sends the right signal. It inspires young people. It will also be good when we deliberately create an opportunity for women in politics to emerge as parliamentarians, ministers.”
Speaking further he added that deliberate moves like the ones done during the Obasanjo’s regime should continue. He did it to empower women and it should be encouraged because it is sensible, wise and pragmatic.
Speaking on having policies on Papers and not implementing them Nweke Jr. said Nigeria does not have a policy problem but what it has is “A people’s problem”, He said there’s nothing under the sun that Nigeria does not have the right policy framework and documents for. But he asked despite the existence of these documents and Papers the country continue not to get things right
“It comes down to our politics. It is the structure and the nature that determines the quality of leaders that emerge. It is the quality of leaders that emerged that also determines the quality of the education, health sectors, and the outcomes.
“The technology policy, security, economic and every other policies are anchored on the politics. Change or improve the quality of politics and you can expect to see the changes on the quality of policies outcome across all sectors. That’s the main challenge”
He, therefore, urged everyone to register because we all have important roles to play in politics.
Another speaker who is the Founder & Principal of Alder Consulting, Nigeria’s leading creative intelligence, Leke Alder, said that the Nigeria we want is the Nigeria that we currently don’t have and the root cause of the problem must be dealt with and not the symptoms. He described Nigeria as a Federated Logicality
Alder who noted that Nigeria is staged by logicality highlighted 3 forms be Conceptual, Demographic, and Religious logicality.
He said Nigeria is a Federation, operating more like a neutral system that runs one cap it all policy system that does not take into cognizance the capability, nativism, demography, the inclination of the people from different regions.
“And because of that we can’t maximize our economic strength.
“Nigeria is not the richest Nation on earth despite having over 55 mineral resources. There is a problem in that a Nation that should be running full-on steam steel rods is running like a febron tortoise).”
Speaking on the Demographics Logicality Alder, said, over 231m Nigerians are underrepresented in government.
“How is it possible that over 31% are underrepresented in government.?” He asked why in 1966 people in the age bracket 24-36 were ruling the country but in 2020, the people who are ruling are over 70 years old.
He noted that with the later age bracket in governance there will be no fresh ideas and therefore there’s a need to address the challenges. On the Religious Logicality, he wondered why Nigerians pray to God for something that common sense can solve.
He said the reason there’s so much insecurity in the country is because of the high rate of poverty in the country.
Alder noted that what brought about poverty is because the country is running on the wrong logicality.
Speaking on what to do in order to get a governance structure that is development-centric, Alder, said that the system that is being run is not against the youth but because it is locked up.
“You need to change the rules of the competition before you can unlock the future.
“The rules of the game can be changed, by changing the voting system. Which means start voting by phone. What that does is that it frees people from the tyranny of the political party and makes the people to do the real election.
“The essence of this is that people will no longer be afraid of political Godfathers, groups, touts, no harassment of any kind and the result will not be changed”.
The first female presidential candidate Prof. Remi Sonaiya speaking on equal representation said the essence of airing grievances is for us to achieve the Nigeria that we want. She said Nigerians want a modern society that is politically restructured.
“Politically restructured Nation will be more inclusive. Going forward in 2023 I would not want anybody who has been a party in putting us in this present mess to remain in government anymore.
“I would like to see more vibrant young women, youths taking positions in leadership and responsibilities in the country.
“A modern society where people are educated. We have a state where 60% of young people have no schooling. I don’t want child marriages. I don’t want the lives of young children expended. I don’t want a country that expels her younger generation or swallow them up.”
Prof Remi on the issue of Social Injustice said those who are controlling Nigeria are unwilling to let go, not even for the younger people because the stakes are so high. She also Advocated that remuneration in politics should not be high, so that the country can begin to have people who have the mind and interest to serve.
She said in Nigeria’s political system the focus should be on merit, competence, capability, personal character, and so on but unfortunately none of these has been involved.
“When we achieve this you will see that women will be interested to serve. When it comes to competence women are well able to compete” she noted.
She said they are advocating for fundamental changes in the Constitution, for women to be given the right to a referendum in our constitution so that the women can have a say in the way their affairs are been run.
Adedapo Tunde-Olowu SAN, during his opening remark, said this 2021 lecture theme was carefully chosen following the ENDSAR protest, high cost of living and other factors the country is currently facing.
The co-founder Elect-her, Ibijoke Faborode, who served as the moderator, said policymaking in the duty of every citizen.
She also said governance, politics, economy and other issues must be structured rightly if we must remain here and be proud of the Nation.
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