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From Okwe Obi, Abuja
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ghali Na’Abba, has said that the Federal Government must do more in the direction of expanding the economy so as to tackle the biting poverty and unemployment.
Na’Abba added that Nigeria as a country has never had a perfect constitution, stressing that it is always a work in progress which is important for Nigerians to conduct themselves nationally in an orderly manner.
He stated this at the Maitama Sule Leadership Lecture Series, with the theme: “Constitution, Constitutionalism and the future of Nigeria”, organized by the Student wing of Coalition of Northern Group (CNG), at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, yesterday.
According to him, Nigerian politics must be deregulated because “you cannot expand an economy without deregulating politics and this deregulation comes in the form of the control that political parties have been subjected to by the Governor in the States.”
He added, “the economy has not grown and social mobility has become impossible, therefore, we must expand the usage of our forces. We must deregulate politics because that will now release economic potentials for the benefit of Nigerians.
“I believe that what the National Assembly or what the legislature proposed that there must be direct primaries and the proposal must be upheld by the president. No matter the cost.
“I believe we need good leadership, the imperative of good leadership is much higher than the cost involved and this is not a sum that the federal government could not afford.
“If the federal government can afford to dish out what they call conditional cash transfers to individuals, I think, they can as well fund direct primaries election.”
He, however, urged President Muhammadu Buhari, to assent to the bill saying that “Nigerians have a pulse and I don’t think it will augur well for the country if Nigeria’s democracy continues to be held ransom by our governments and commended the CNG for mentoring youths.”
Another paper presenter, Barr Muzammil Yahaya, said the removal of oil subsidy has to be looked at from various dimensions, inasmuch as “I see it as a necessity but at the same time, it’s the wrong time and for policy, Nigerians can believe and trust the government.”
Speaking on democracy, he explained that everyone has to be involved in every decision that has to be considered so, I urged the federal government to consider more opinions and need to hear from Nigeria’s Federal issue here louder.
On his part, CNG Spokesperson, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said it was time for the younger generation to rise, struggle and walk to the place this leader who thinks power is their birthright. Mobilize young people during elections and leave us divided.
He said: “You cannot change a system unless you have to be in the system. Gone are the day when our students would be dictated to their actions and they would be decided by people who have dominated or prefer to use the word manipulate them.”
