Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the last general election, Prof. Pat Utomi has identified the quashing of strains of tyranny and hypocrisy in governance as the biggest gain of President Umaru Yar'Adua administration in 100 days in office.
Utomi said in the last six years, a pervasive culture of hypocrisy marked leadership, poisoned the value system and cost the economy so much.
Many of those in public office preached a thing and did the opposite outside public glare, relegating the common good of the society to the background, he further argued.
And in his view, Yar'Adua's disposition of personal contentment and a commitment to uphold the rule of law places the nation in stead for a change. "The liberation of Nigerians from the tyranny of hypocrisy is no mean accomplishment. Its practical fruit is the reduction of expensive protocol and the burden of the welfare of the "big men of a democracy out of touch with its people," he said.
Utomi, who spoke in Lagos at a press briefing held by ADC to review Yar'Adua's 100 days in office, however, noted that what has been achieved thus far falls short of expectations.
He said, for a people set back by many years of poor leadership, mismanaged economy, social challenges, failure of the rule of law, collapse of healthcare system and decaying infrastructure, President Yar'Adua's strides are inadequate.
"The challenge of the last 100 days has been the failure to lay down a grand vision, anchored on the needs of our people so they can passionately join its process of actualisation.
"Initiatives to address the crisis of insecurity have been absent, the challenge of public accountability and wrong use of public resources persists, industries are still comatose, roads are immotorable and poverty is eating deeper," Utomi said.
The ADC presidential candidate also bemoaned government's non-commitment to on-going education reforms and resolving the issue of unemployment. Utomi warned government against mere mouthing of platitudes in the face of real challenges and advised on the need to make concrete pronouncements and plans an initiative that will stimulate entrepreneurship across the nation, create right values and promote work ethnic among the youth.
He also implored President Yar-Adua to institute legislation that will spur the private sector into more initiatives to drive the economy.
On the subsisting allegations of financial recklessness by the leadership of House of Representatives, Utomi said it is a challenge the current government must honestly address.
"There should be an internalisation of deploying the commonwealth of our people rightly and optimally in leadership at all levels, "Utomi said.
BY OLAWUNMI OJO
The Guardian
Saturday, September 8, 2007
