By Amina Abdullahi Girbo
A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Attahiru Jega has declared that Nigeria currently faces tremendous, wide-ranging and verified challenges, which if not urgently and successfully addressed in good time, would put its future as a country, as well as the future of its citizens, in jeopardy.
The University Don further declared that, “Anywhere in the continents of the world, in which a country of over 200 million is in jeopardy, the consequences would be wide-ranging and calamitous.”
He therefore said that, “Safeguarding Nigeria’s future, and by extension that of Africa, therefore, requires addressing these challenges and re-prioritizing the Nigerian state’s policies and strategies towards addressing the fundamental needs and aspirations of citizens, especially socioeconomic wellbeing and human security.”
The Professor of Political Science was speaking when he presented a paper titled: ‘Safeguarding Nigeria’s Future: Prioritizing Citizen’s Welfare and Security Amidst Challenges’ at pre-convocation lecture of Bauchi State owned Sa’adu Zungur University, Gadau over the weekend.
According to him, restructuring Nigeria before the next rounds of general elections in 2027 will be the best thing to have happened to the well-being of the country and its citizens.
Jega also called for the reduction of the Federal Government’s powers on resources though he disagreed that Nigeria is a failed State, but rather a failing State.
The paper had as theme: ”Safeguarding Nigeria’s Future, and Prioritizing Citizen’s Welfare and Security amidst Challenges.”
He strongly opined that restructuring Nigeria should be embarked upon through evidence-based constitutional reforms in which objectives should be to decentralize powers and resources from the Federal tier and to spread them to those of the states and Local Governments.
He further urged Nigeria’s leaders to learn from the best practices” model Federations of Countries like India, Canada, and the USA in the areas of revenue generation as well as sharing and adapted to our local context and circumstances.
Just like the structure of the Nigerian Economy has a Colonial origin, primarily designed to meet up with and satisfy the Economic interests of the Colonial powers.
According to him, long after the end of colonial rule, the structure has embedded and integrated the Nigerian economy into the global capitalist system such that it continues to promote primary commodity production and Export primarily to Europe and then import finished products from all parts of the world, rather than commodity production through Industrial production and manufacturing for both the home market and export.
He said that, “No additional States and Local Governments should be created.The additional resources current states would get from the deconcentration of power and resources as recommended above would make all the 36 states and FCT financially viable and facilitative of grassroots development.
Jega further said that, “The cost of governance at both the federal, state, and local tiers of governance need to be drastically cut, and measures introduced to entrench transparency and accountability and effective anti-corruption oversight.”
He stressed that, “With regards to the structure of the Nigerian economy, the following recommendations are offered: Serious reform measures need to be introduced to diversify Nigeria’s earnings from dependence on the export of crude oil, to expand investment in agricultural production and Agro-allied processing both for the home market and for export; and revive, expand and reposition our industries and manufacturing enterprises, for production, both for the home market and for export.”
The Professor of Political Science added that, the leadership should conceive of and pursue economic growth and people-oriented development strategies, independent of the influence of IMF and the World Bank, relying on implementable development plans, which are realistically implementable within delineated time-frames.
He however advised that the government should reform the country’s fiscal and monetary policies to strengthen our productive enterprises, human capital, and currency.
Also, to conceive of and implement employment generation as well as entrepreneurship development strategies to help constructively address the youth bulge in Nigeria.
“Nigeria should become more actively involved in south-south cooperation and development initiatives. “With regards to addressing systemic and governance challenges, it is recommended as follows: Amend the Electoral Act 2022, to remarkably improve upon the legal framework for future elections with integrity. In particular pay attention to reforming the role of political parties in the leadership recruitment and candidate selection processes,” he added.
He also wants the government to Pursue reforms to improve and protect the integrity of the judiciary, as well as find a way of insulating them from the corruptive politics of electoral dispute resolution through litigation.
He stressed that, “Improve the process of appointment into INEC to protect it from capture by crooked politicians and partisan pressures and influences. Strengthen and expand the scope of the work of anti-corruption agencies and institutions to mitigate the damaging impact of corruption in the Nigerian political economy.”
Jega also implored government to “Institute and initiate reform measures that would ensure not only a substantial reduction in the cost of governance at all levels but also effective and transparent preparation, monitoring and implementation of budgets, as well as policies and projects.”
The former INEC Chairman also said that the best way to safeguard Nigeria’s future is to have credible elections that are not hijacked by certain interests.
He added that credible elections would ensure that only quality persons were voted into public office saying that, “If the reckless people are capturing the political process, the electoral process, and government, and people just sit and watch, obviously they will destroy the future for everybody. So, constructive engagement is necessary; people have to get involved.
As for the citizens, he said that, “Citizens have an obligation in good or bad times. They have key roles to play to ensure their country survives and good things happen to ordinary citizens.
“Ultimately the best way to safeguard Nigeria’s future and secure the welfare of citizens devoid of massive security challenges is to have elections with integrity, through an electoral process that is not captured. Unfortunately, now we are seeing that it is captured by reckless politicians,” he added.
According to him, “An election that is not captured will bring out quality people, and as they become elected public officials and representatives who have positive value orientation in governance processes, the institutions will harness societal resources and deliver good quality services.”
He then said that, “Only in this way can the state have the requisite legitimacy, stability, competence, and capacity as well as resourcefulness to effectively address the needs of the people and safeguard the future of our country.”
Jega explained further that the state exists to, among other things, cater to the security, welfare, and basic needs of the citizens. He stressed that no nation could survive without institutions to promote security and the well-being of its people.”
He also said that ,“Any state that fails to do this in the modern context will be considered a failed state. Due to the resources ordinarily available to the state under normal circumstances, it should have the capacity and competence to address human security challenges and succeed decisively in doing so.”
Jega concluded that, “In this context, the Nigerian state needs to discharge these public obligations to its citizens because currently it is not discharging it. However, the citizens need to recognize that they have obligations of citizenship to their country and therefore have a significant role to play in shaping the present and safeguarding the future of Nigeria because the tendency we are seeing now when people are withdrawing and doing sit-down-look doesn’t help.”
