We need competent leaders—Atiku
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday urged political parties to identify capable and competent leaders that could bring all components of Nigeria together.
Speaking at the Daily Trust Dialogue in Abuja as a guest of honour, Atiku said Nigeria has the capacity to overcome its present challenges provided the right leadership is in place.
He said: “All attention is focused on the political class simply because it’s a political dispensation. It is a democracy and therefore, the solutions to all the problems that have been highlighted particularly, insecurity, economy and so on and so forth are challenges that the politicians are expected to come and be confronted with and also to find solutions to them.
“But the politicians alone don’t govern. They govern together with other sectors of the public. They govern together with the private sector and security agencies and so on and so forth.
“And what is therefore required, like Dr Baba - Ahmed said, is the identification of a capable leadership by the political parties and the political class that can bring together all components of this country and also the competencies that are available so that we can get out of this crisis.
“I am optimistic simply because we have had the experience of coming out of the more serious crisis in this country. General Abdulsalami and others who have fought the war know that we have lost more than a million people. That is the most tragic event in this country.
“Therefore, we have the capacity to pull this country out of its present predicament, provided we have the right kind of leadership. I believe that we can do it and we have the ability and the capacity to do it.”
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Atiku cautioned the leadership of various ethnic nationalities across the country to watch their utterances and actions.
The 2019 Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate said all issues could be solved through dialogue and understanding as “This is a delicate point in the history of this country.”
He said: “Again, let me also comment on the issue of the ethnic nationalities who try to put obstacles, like Baba-Ahmed said, making it ungovernable in certain parts of the country. I think what we need to do definitely as he recommended, there is the need that we lower the temperature. And what is so disappointing about this, all these ethnic nationalities are being headed by people who are supposed to be very well educated. And this is the disappointing part of it. I also believe that it is solvable. It is solvable only through dialogue and understanding.
“So, this is a delicate point in the history of this country. And we must be very, very cautious on how we actually approach these issues, particularly in an election year between now and the 2023 elections. So, let me pause here and say that I have been actually ambushed to make those comments.”
He attributed the failure to provide compulsory free education from primary to the secondary school level to corruption.
“I have listened to contributions so far about education, unemployment, poverty and the causes of what we are going through today.
“Of course, these are correct and the right thing; identifications of our challenges, but, the major constraint to these challenges is what was highlighted by the governor of Borno State, and that is corruption. Let me relate my experience in governance, we established the Universal Basic Education (UBE) and Education Tax Fund (ETF).
“And all this money is being channelled to the states and local governments to provide compulsory education for every child up to secondary school. Compulsory education for every child is a must. Do we do it? Do the states and the local governments do it? We know that they don’t. Why? Corruption.
“So, I believe that a leadership that can come and really show strong leadership on that issue, particularly of education is desirable,” he said.
“I have witnessed the Nigerian Civil War, not even that civil war has rocked the existence of the country as we are witnessing today,” he said.