Gov. Otti reawakens the spirit of national consciousness among Nigerian professionals
By Ogbonnaya Ikokwu
Beyond fulfilling his campaign promises to the residents of Abia, Gov. Alex Otti consistently uses various platforms to address both international and local audiences, advocating for the advancement of democratic culture and good governance in Nigeria and Africa.
These calls have become necessary considering the economic upheaval in the country occasioned by poor policies by the political leaders which are not in the interest of the common man.
Whereas the power to vote political leaders into office resides with the people in a democratic setting, electoral violence, manipulation of the election results and judiciary system that is always ready to deliver judgment in favour of politicans has further reduced the interest of the electorate in the electoral process.
The above scenario has given rise to the loss of interest by many professional and decent individuals from participating in politics in Nigeria.
The general belief that politics is a dirty game also accounts for the voter apathy often recorded in recent elections in the country.
However, Gov. Otti believes that the much anticipated change Nigerians are yearning for can only come to fruition if the citizens are resolved to take back their country through active participation in the electoral process.
That was the focus of a lead paper delivered by the governor at the 54th Annual Accountants Conference Organised by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja on
October 8, 2024.
Gov. Otti admitted that the theme of the conferenc “Governance Reimagined: Mapping the Future”, was very apt as it invites Nigerians to reflect on where they are and then imagine where they could be if a few foundational changes are made in the political trajectory of the country.
The governor pointed out that Nigerians must never be ashamed to admit that they have failed to live up to the expectations of millions of people around the world who had imagined in the 1950s and early 1960s that the country will attain superpower status, or something very close, by the dawn of the new millennium.
He reiterated that the only way out of the present leadership quagmire requires a new paradigm, while quoting Albert Einstein, who once said that “solving a problem calls for a different level of thinking from the one that created the challenge in the first place.”
The governor urged his audience to see participation in politics as an act of patriotic obligations and duties as citizens. He insisted that the time to apply the knowledge of a good citizen in nation building is now.
Gov. Otti maintained that the time for blame games amongst Nigerians concerning those responsible for our lack of development was over, adding that the only way forward is for all hands to be on deck to accertain what the average person wants and work harmoniously to provide them.
“We know of course that for many politicians and many public commentators, our worst setback was the incursion of the military in national politics.
“The military on their part had often cited ‘patriotic zeal’ and failure of the ‘political class’ for their unsolicited interventions. For the masses, however, there is no distinction between the military rulers and the political elite, both are simply lumped together as “leaders” and blamed for the seemingly unending woes of the country.
“These leaders include bureaucrats in the civil service, university administrators, judicial officers, community leaders and everyone else who exercises some form of authority in different jurisdictions.
“In a continuing cycle of blames, the ‘leaders’ often point to the ‘system,’ for its failure and this is always supported by claims of coming to power with ‘very good intentions’.
“Unfortunately, there is no clarity on the ‘system’ construct and how to interrogate its involvement in our national woes.
“The truth is that the people are tired of hearing the regurgitation of excuses by those with access to public microphones. They just want things to work – their children to attend schools where they are taught in a conducive environment by properly trained and motivated teachers. They want access to basic amenities including electricity, pipe-borne water and good roads.
“Our people want a community where the institutions of state are effective and responsive; they want the emergency services to respond as soon as they are contacted, without hindrances or excuses, they want to go to the courts and get justice in good time, they want to go to bed each night with both eyes closed, certain that they will not be jolted awake by masked gunmen, or find themselves in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by kidnappers for whom the sacredness of human life is an abstract idea that can only be scorned.
“For our young ones, all that they ask is an opportunity to make a living and pursue their dreams without structural limitations. It is unfortunate that many of us are yet to fully appreciate the haemorrhage of human talent from our country fuelled by the ‘japa’ phenomenon. Our best brains in health sciences, software engineering, and finance could have stayed back to serve their fatherland, if we had put our act together. Permit me to use this opportunity to appreciate the brave and courageous ones who have resisted the temptation to leave. Thank you for your patriotic services, that is if you are not waiting for an opportunity to leave.
“At any rate, it is depressing to observe that the opportunities we took for granted at the conclusion of our tertiary education in the 1970s and 1980s have disappeared for the majority, however, brilliant they may be. So, we have clearly regressed. Unfortunately, all of us, in one way or the other, have contributed to this sorry situation.
“For many of us who had the advantage of quality education in public schools, the idea of training our own children in private schools, or perhaps overseas for those who can afford the cost, tells a pathetic story of failure. We must now become very desperate to undo whatever it was that dimmed the hopes and dreams of an entire generation,” the governor said.
He said the assignment before Nigeria is to evolve new ways of tackling the existential problems that confront the country, pointing out that “we shall be doomed if we remain aloof and imagine that we shall be spared when the ship ultimately wrecks.
The unfortunate truth is that there may be no life boats to jump into
“We are often not as powerless as we imagine, especially in a democracy where the king has the same voting right as a commoner.
“The reality of the times invites us to gird our loins and get to work. The first step to progress is to believe that Nigeria is not beyond redemption and that we have within us, all that is required to fix it. It is also important to appreciate that there is very little we can do about the past but if we start doing the right thing today, we can remap the future”
“How many of us are active in the political circuit or do we consider ourselves core professionals who have no business being in politics? Well, the evidence of the last 25 years of democratic practice has shown that politics should be everyone’s business because its outcome impacts everyone.Like Charles de Gaulle once said “politics is too serious a matter to be left to the politicians”.
Gov. Otti’s call on Nigerians from all walks of life is to join hands to rebuild the nation through active participation in the political process is coming at the nick of the time.
“The earlier we realise that citizens of other countries cannot come over here to build our country, the sooner we should gird our loins and respond to the call to rescue our country from the ruins of bad governance,” he insisted.
There is no doubt that it was such drive of patriotic obligation that spurred Otti to resign from his flourishing banking career to join partisan politics in 2014.
Although the forces that held the state down for over two decades then robbed him of his electoral victories for two consecutive times but he persisted and finally won the 2023 governorship election.
The electorate are today reaping the furit of the decision to right the wrong of the previous administrations, through regular payment of salaries, pensions, environmental sanitation, rehabilitation of schools, hospitals, massive road construction and installation of street light across the state.
Indeed our country will be a lot better, if our young ones make it a point of duty to contribute their quarter in its political and sociopolitical development.
#Gov. Otti is Building the new Abia!
#To God be glory!
Ogbonnaya Ikokwu, a journalist and public affairs analyst, writes from Umuahia.