BY: Mohammed Taoheed
Emeka Anyaoku, the former Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, on Thursday told Nigerians to vote for leaders capable of revamping the nation’s political structure and security system at the 2023 general elections.
He said at a lecture series tagged ‘Chief Emeka Anyaoku 11th Lecture Edition on Good Governance, held at the Initiative for Information and Culture Development in Nigeria, IACD, Library and Resource Centre, Jericho in Ibadan.
Anyaoku also cautioned politicians to refrain from abuse of persons counselled.
He said: “I will urge my compatriots to study the manifesto that they will produce careful and vote for those they believe will carry out their promises.
“I am old enough to say that Nigeria in the early years of our independence, Nigeria before the entry of the military to our government, Nigeria has remained as it was then before the military system came. Nigeria would have been a different country right now.
“Nigeria was slightly ahead of Malaysia in development. Nigeria was as far as South Korea in development but look at those countries where they are today and where Nigeria is today. Nigeria is more than one generation behind.
He continued: “Why has that come to be? I believe it has come to be because of the system of governance that we have; we have a system of government which does not suit multi-diverse countries like ours.
“In my view, the present system will not lead us anywhere. We need a federating system which will be more viable than what we have now. Because what we have now may be easier for us not to have a true federation of our diversity.
“The country that I would like to look at in terms of its system is not The United States of America, because it is centrally an immigrant population country. Nigeria, on the other hand, is a country of units that have existed for centuries of their own, with their own culture and manner of behaviour.
“We need a system as India has done. India is a diverse country although when you see them abroad, you think they are urban homogeneous, they are very diverse. I have travelled around and I can tell you that the diversity of India is successful because the state of India is largely autonomous in terms of those important aspects of dealing with security.
“In dealing with security, security is crucial in development. If you don’t have security, you will not be able to attract foreign investors and hardly any country; these days without security can attract foreign investors.”
In his remarks, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State reiterated his commitment to support and stay true to the course of good governance in Nigeria.
In his lecture themed ‘Nigeria’s Elusive Search for Good Governance,’ Professor Ayodele Olutokun, the Director, Oba Sikiru Adetona Institute of Governance Studies, Department of Political Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, said: “Our security institutions require re-formulation so that they can be more result-oriented, capable and savvy. For too long, they have yielded ground to bandits, terrorists, kidnappers and the like.
“Despite a new offensive by security institutions, the coast is not yet clear and much remains to be done. This cannot happen in the absence of decentralisation in the shape of state police.”
