Bad governance can pull economically viable nation down – Obasanjo 

CITIZENS COMPASS —Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo has said that a bad governance and wrong system of administration can bring down an economically viable nation.

He also said that the country’s historical experiences at constitution making and political reform, indicated that we might have structural defects that needed adjustments in order to widen and consolidate the nation’s democratic values and practices.

The former President said this at the Public Presentation Of the Book: “In Brotherhood We Stand: A Roadmap for the Rebirth of a Fragmented Nation” written by Chris Okoye at a ceremony held in Enugu, Enugu State on Saturday. 

Obasanjo in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, stated also that the book was of interest to him “because it is a direct fallout from the National Political Reform Conference which my administration organised in 2005. The 22 chapter book can be described as prescriptively interesting and exciting”.

According to him: “The clarion call in Nigeria today is one for restructuring and a reassessment of the terms of our union as a nation. No matter how economically viable a nation is, bad governance and a wrong system of administration can bring it down.

“Indeed, there is a direct correlation between economic and political reforms. As a nation, our history reveals clearly that we have been through some difficult times and have missed great opportunities. 

“Our historical experiences at constitution making and political reform, show that we may have some structural defects that require adjustment so as not to continue to constrain the deepening, widening and consolidation of democratic values and practices. 

“Indeed, some of the contradictions and challenges bequeathed by the colonial administration have continued to pose problems for us to this day. One of such bequest is Western Liberal Democracy.

As things stand therefore, our constitution making efforts must go down to the grassroots to deal with the issues of inclusion, popular participation, equity ownership, legitimacy, rights and obligations with adequate compensation of African communalism; caring and sharing.”

To the Chairman of the occasion, “this book, In Brotherhood We Stand: A Roadmap for the rebirth of a Fragmented Nation may not be the total solution to Nigeria’s problems and challenges, but it will certainly be one of the sure guides for the Nigeria of our dreams, where democracy and good governance are sustained and where our diversity become the strongest fusion of our unity. 

Obasanjo also remarked on the second book: Platinum Plaudits saying it was another very incisive book collecting accolades of a great Nigerian, Engr, Chris Okoye. 

“In fact, the book is a collection of the voices of the who-is-who in Nigeria, especially in this region – the southeast.

“And one question I want to ask is why we, as a nation, have kept this quintessential gentleman per excellence, away from mainstream administration, at the federal level. 

“His is the kind of iconic mind and personality that Nigeria has always needed! At 72, he is still young enough to be thrown into the ring and this is a task I leave for everyone present here today.”