The three major contenders to Nigeria’s no. 1 job have reeled out their roadmaps which could facilitate the transition of the country into greatness. They affirmed that if elected president come 2023, they will assiduously pursue their plans. The assertions were made at the ongoing Nigeria Bar Association Annual General Conference themed ‘Bold Transitions’.
Trek Africa Newspaper can report that the 62nd Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) conference was physically attended by two presidential gladiators, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi and APC’s vice presidential candidate, Kashim Shettima. They spoke on the panel session with the theme ‘Democratic Transitions in 21st Century Nigeria: 2023 & Beyond’.
Speaking on behalf of his principal, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the APC running mate, Sen. Kashim Shettima said that Nigerians can count on their capacity having both delivered in Lagos and Borno states. ‘Nigerians should follow the man wey know the road. From day one, we will hit the ground running. We’ll promptly address the issue of the economy, ecology, and security.’
And we have the antecedents. I built some of the best schools in Nigeria. Go to Borno and see wonders; you will never believe that it is a state in a state of war. So, we are going to replicate our achievements in Lagos, in Borno and some of the frontline states so that our nation will be a better place. The fundamental issue is pure leadership’, Trek Africa Newspaper gathered from the former Governor of Borno State.
It should be noted that Borno has been a hotbed of terrorist attacks since 2009 but the state government has been making efforts to resettle thousands of internally displaced persons.
On his part, the People’s Democratic Party candidate, Atiku Abubakar said that he will hand over Federal Government-owned universities to state governments. ‘The only way is to make sure that you make conducive environment available to both foreign and local investors to participate in our country, whether it is infrastructure, whether it is education, whether it is power’.
Chimamanda Adichie
The former Vice President added: ‘I had an argument with a university professor from Federal University, Lokoja. He said he read in my policy document that I intended to devolve, in other words, to return education to the states. How dare do I do that? I said, ‘Mr Professor, do you realise that the first set of our universities belong to the regional governments?’ He said, ‘Yes’. I said who are the successors of the regional government? He said the states’
‘I said the children you send to America, to England, who own those universities? Mostly the private sector. So, why is it that you think we cannot do it here? We don’t have the money’,
The candidate for the Labour Party, Peter Obi said that he will invest in intangible assets such as education and power are critical for economic renaissance. ‘What we need to do is the two most intangible assets: security; and law and order, provide conducive environment to attract investors, then education and power. The economy is driven by these intangible assets.’
Cross section of dignitaries at the ongoing NBAAGC2022
In her keynote speech, the award-winning novelist, Chimamanda Adichie said that self-awareness and self-criticism required for justice is dead in Nigerians. She also noted that young ones lack people to look up to for mentoring.
Speaking, ‘We are starved of heroes. Our young people do not find people to look up to anymore. Federal and state security dragging journalists to prison is tyranny. A journalist ill-treating his domestic staff is tyranny. The rape of young boys and girls is also tyranny. It is tyranny when state governments do not pay pensioners until they slump and die as broken people. The physical harassment of lawyers and some some judges is tyranny. The use of the law by some people to oppress the poor people is tyranny.’
‘As long as we refuse to untangle the knot of injustice, peace cannot thrive. If we don’t talk about it, we fail to hold leaders accountable and we turn what should be transparent systems into ugly opaque cults.’
L-R: President, NBA, Olumide Akpata in a handshake with Sen. Kashim Shettima (right)
My experience made me think there’s something dead in us, in our society; a death of self-awareness and ability for self-criticism. We cannot avoid self-criticism but criticise the government. We cannot hide our own institutional failure while demanding transparency from the government. A bold transition must embrace audacity and innovation’,
About her outspoken role in global affairs, Adichie said: ‘They have called me troublesome. Although, it is never enjoyable to be called troublesome. I never set out to provoke for it’s sake. But I refuse to silence myself for the fear of what I might inadvertently provoke. It has always been important to me to say what I believe, to call out injustice.’
L-R: Barr. Obinna Ubani and Dr. Monday Ubani
