By Idris Salisu
Former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, has called on the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to switch to a citizen participatory mode of governance if it wishes to put an end to the myriad of problems the nation is presently confronted with.
Governor of Sokoto State and former House of Representatives Speaker, Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, had also made the same call last week.
Speaking at the Brandish Meeting of Minds Colloqiuim in Abuja, he also reiterated his earlier call for state policing to check rising insecurity, as well as exploring other revenue generating sources outside oil to boost the nation’s economy.
Speaking on the importance of the government building a consensus with Nigerians, he said successive governments have failed in listening to the yearnings of the people, choosing instead to rely on sources that are not in tune with the people.
He, therefore, advised that the government should change its mode of governance or not expect to achieve any progress.
“Democracies and societies are always evolving and we must continue to develop better and more efficient ways of ensuring that Nigerians take charge of conversations and initiatives that culminate in government policies and programmes as well as the search for a better Nigeria. We must work to build consensus on the issues confronting our nation today.
“Unfortunately, there are several areas, indeed burning issues, where successive governments have either not listened to the masses or shown interest in building consensus. The bad news is not just that the nation is paying dearly for such intransigence, but also that the country will sadly continue to pay heavier tolls for many years to come.”
On decentralised police for effective security if lives and properties of Nigerians, he posited, “Today, Nigeria is in the full grips of widespread insecurity- insurgency, banditry, abductions, armed robbery, and all manner of violent crimes. Nigerians have been offering solutions towards taming the rising waves of criminality. This includes calls for decentralised policing, which I am also a proponent and have a Bill to that effect that is currently before the Senate. Unfortunately, it appears the government is bent on doing the same thing over and over, but ironically hoping to get a different result.”
While stressing the urgency of diversifying the nation’s economy, Ekweremadu said, “Many Nigerians, including yours sincerely, have been shouting it on the rooftops long before the current economic downturn occasioned by drastic and protracted decline in oil revenues, that the days of high oil revenues were numbered. The West and other developed nations are setting targets to move away from oil. Yet we are not close to activating other abundant sources of income because our federalism is wired for wealth sharing rather than wealth creation. Even in the 7th National Assembly when we listened to the yearnings of Nigerians to amend the constitution to devolve aviation, power, railway, etc. from the Exclusive List to the Concurrent List, it was never assented by the Presidency. Now that the chicken has come home to roost, will the Federal Government listen to the voices of reason and devolve powers or will it continue with the micro management (some will say mismanagement) of the nation’s resources?”
The former deputy Senate President raised the alarm over growing distrust and disunity among Nigerians and called for action to be taken to stem the issues propelling the division.
“Nigeria is now divided as never before. The chasms are increasing by the day. Elder statesmen and women, writers, and other well meaning Nigerians have continued to raise the alarm that the nation is drifting apart. They have equally continued to proffer suggestions on how we can engender national cohesion, justice, and equity. We will continue to pray that the government heeds their patriotic calls and suggestions”, he lamented.