- * Decries Dearth of Values In The Nation’s Democratic Space.
By David Okpashi (Nasarawa State Correspondent, in Lafia)
Former Director General, National Orientation Agency, Dr. Mike Omeri, has urged President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to review his administration's strategies if he is prepared to provide enduring governance for the good of Nigeria and Nigerians.
He told the President to face total disappointment and reversal of fortunes if he fails to do so.
Omeri while exchanging views with Journalists in Lafia, Nasarawa state capital, said the zeal and commitment of the president would remain a mirage unless Nigerians with goal driven ideas and passion for national development are brought on board to replace those he described as mediocres toying with the future of the country.
According to the former NOA DG, national growth has continued to suffer set back because competent Nigerians were being sacrifice for those who win elections or given opportunity to decide the fate of the country without anything to offer.
Omeri noted: "I know people are yearning for change, things that would make life better for them and the communities. When politicians come, we have those with ideas and those with promises. And most times, it’s the people with promises that win the election without ideas of what to put together for the good of the country and her people".
He explained further that the biggest bane of the nation's progress is that politicians come to govern without understanding the idea of what the institutions are all about. He added that what preoccupied their mind is what they will get and leave.
"When politicians win the election, they don't understand the institutions. They are just there to make it. Like someone said, politics has become an industry which people come to harvest, forgetting that after 4 years, they become ordinary citizens and they come to face the promises they made and never fulfilled.
"People believe they can make money that would last them for life time in the Nigerian system. The system has become weak with little capacity to check institutional lapses. oliticians have succeeded in weakening the stronger instructions that would have protected the system to work in Nigeria"
"All the institutions that appear to be strong to help protect the will of the people have been weakened by the politicians promises without understanding the institution they want to use for governance. So they use the regime protection mechanism, self-perpetuation strategy and power through our commonwealth to the detriment of growth, development and stability.
The former NOA DG while appealing to leaders at all levels to re-institutionalize the nation’s values and tradition, also urged them to de-emphasize appointment being made based on who you know if the nation must make progress.
Similarly, he added that our universities should be made more engaging in tasks and product development. They should be involved as partners not rivals. Their research outcomes must be put to the test to ensure backward integration, inward capacity to elicit competition, build confidence and display competences for the progress of self, nation, and rest of the world.
He said this will curb the Japa syndrome, create employment and steady the things we value including, our culture, heritage and the environment. NNL.
