Victor EzejaChairman of National Consultative Front (NCFront), and leader of the ‘Shadow Government’, Prof. Pat Utomi has called on Nigerian citizens to arise and reclaim the country from the clutches of bad political leadership that has kept it from making progress.
Utomi who made the call through his new year message to Nigerians, stressed the need for conscious reawakening and urged the citizens to revive the spirit of patriotism in them so as to unanimously fight the common enemy of corruption, nepotism, selfishness and indiscipline, to save the country.
Utomi who is also the founder of Centre for Values in Leadership (CVL), said the people enter the new year of 2022 there is more reason to thank God for despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, inflation, insecurity and other negative economic and political shocks witnessed in the country in 2021 and even beyond.
He said, he said, “In joining fellow compatriots in thanksgiving I would particularly like to pay tribute to the emergence in 2021 of an a new crop of patriots in politics and civil society who seem to have recognized a desperate need to Save Nigeria from challenges that have brought our dear country to the edge of a political and economic precipice.
“Movements like NCFront, RNP, The New Fabian Society of the Concerned Professionals, and emerging coalitions of alternative track political parties have provided hope in a time of gloom and despair as the country goes borrowing everywhere with the unfortunate tag of the poverty capital of the world. The collaboration of these groups to deepen our democracy with the idea of a Shadow Government marks for me a call for national renewal.
“There is no question as I reflect on this that 2022 is the year of citizen awakening to save Nigeria.
Reiterating his believe in one Nigeria, enjoined all patriots to “recognize that 2022 is the year to stop sitting on the fence and take action,” to save the country.
“Nigeria can and must rise up again but it will take patriots and true citizens willing to take on the fight for a new Nigeria as freedom is not served a la carte but taken by a bold generation responsible and accountable to a future foretold.
He reminded the citizens that those who elect bad leaders that loot the public treasury are part of the problem the society is facing and encouraged the people to elect people with unquestionable integrity to mount the saddle of power.
Tracing the origin of the crisis of underdevelopment in the country, the Professor of Political Economy, said it originated from the tendency of political actors to route developmental activities along ethnic lines, coupled with over monetisation of politics which has seen politicians become lords, thereby losing their sense of service.
“To reverse these ugly trends that have brought us to the insecurity we now experience, the dreadful poverty of so many who should not be poor , and national self-doubt, we need to address several issues. These include a reconstruction of some critical institutions like political parties, our national value system, including a stout statement for the dignity of the human person, the electoral process and building elite consensus on a national economic strategy,” Utomi stated.
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He also advocated the use of litigation and civil disobedience ( like protest, court cases) as a means of fighting against injustice on the people by those holding political power.
On the shadow team which he leads, Prof. Utomi said, “The idea of a shadow team is to provide practical accounting direction for the change we desire and develop policy options that an alternative leadership team can go to work with, without the long delay to put a government in place we saw in 2015 has proved a veritable organizing tool.”
Concluding his message, Utomi urged Nigerians to “take personal responsibility for making the dream we seek come alive.”
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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