By Pat Utomi
It may sound naïve, especially for a person who is obviously a partisan, but my concern and alarm have little to do with who won or lost in the National Assembly leadership elections palaver. Easy as this can be lost on the gladiators, we could be collectively sabotaging the poor ordinary people of Nigeria desperate for change. Could this elite which has consistently failed to find its mission and do for its people what their old classmates in schools in the United States and the United Kingdom and elsewhere in the West, have done for their people in Asia and Latin America, unwittingly miss this window built on a change mantra, and betray another generation? It was with this spirit of wondering how easily we chase power, unmindful of purpose that I exclaimed on seeing the political bloodletting in the National Assembly leadership selection. My reaction was, Oh my God, not again! With the process and outcome clearly signalling disunity, lack of discipline and weak goal-setting, and severe goal displacement, the least impact would be challenged implementation of what the people voted for.
• Says PDP needs to be rebuilt
A Professor of Economics, Prof. Pat Utomi has described the series of defections witnessed in the past few days following the emergence of the All Progressive Congress (APC) as the new ruling party as unfortunate, saying is not good for our democracy.
He made his view known on Sunday in Abuja while fielding questions from journalists at the sixth graduation ceremony of Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) after presenting a topic on: 'Leadership and Societal Development'.
He stressed the need to have a strong opposition that would put the APC on its toes.
According to him, "I found the gale of defection unfortunate, I think if I have not spent the last sixteen years saying we must build a strong opposition, it would be the time for me to join the PDP really, because we really need to rebuild PDP, we need to have strong PDP to hold APC in check.
Renowned economics professor, Pat Utomi, in this interview backs a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Prof. Charles Soludo, who accused the Goodluck Jonathan-led Federal Government of plunging the country’s economy into severe crisis
Do you think former Central Bank of Nigeria Governor, Prof. Charles Soludo’s argument, depicting the Federal Government as incompetent, was factual?
Absolutely. There are things I want to disagree with there, but there are many things I agree with. And this is really the nature of what political campaigns should be: to raise strong ideas that affect polity, in terms of the quality of life of the citizens. The truth is that there is no one solution in this world; perspectives on that issue can then allow society to find a more robust response. I do think that it is demeaning of the democratic process for people who are responding, instead of looking at the issues he has raised and providing facts to dispute or support, to then embark on ad hominem and personal broad fights against him. By making the whole thing emotive, rather than rational, they take away from quality democracy and this is part of fanning the embers of violence that is going on in this environment.
•Echoes need for transitional government
FOUNDER, Centre for Values in Leadership, Professor Pat Utomi, has regarded the upcoming general election as the most divisive in living memory and echoed the need for a transitional government, to ensure the emergence of a government of national unity.
Utomi, who decried the North-East insurgency and economic threats, also expressed fears at contentions in the public space in the run-up to the elections, which may destabilise the country afterward.
Speaking exclusively with the Nigerian Tribune on Monday, he said “I also share in the need for transitional government. There is a sense in that this is the most divisive elections our country has witnessed, perhaps in living memory. You almost have a situation that it does not matter which way things go, you would have some strong contention that may be destabilising.”
Nigerian professor of political economy and management, Patrick Utomi, has faulted Nigerians for praising governors, who tile roads.
He lamented that despite the accolades given to the Nigerian government during the construction of Lagos-Ibadan Expressways, the highway has become ‘embarrassing’.
The business and political guru wondered why Nigerians based their basis for measuring the performance of governors and presidents on tiling of roads.
He said the public officers could only be given appraisal based on the quality of the roads constructed.
Pat Utomi spoke during a forum organised by Poise Nigeria for Directors and top management staff in Lagos on Thursday.
