Jega blames bad, unenlightened leaders for woes

Thu, May 9, 2019 | By publisher


Politics

A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Attahiru Jega, has blamed the problems of the country on “bad and unenlightened” leadership.

Jega stated this at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University Awka, Anambra State, where he chaired the 13th convocation lecture of the institution on Wednesday.

He said, “Politics in Nigeria has been mismanaged by those who are not enlightened. Education is key to national integration, peace and development.

“Our  leaders may be educated but not enlightened.”

He said the situation had  put  the education system in the country in a shambles.

The former Vice-Chancellor of Bayero University, Kano, added, “The biggest challenge facing the country is  bad and unenlightened people pervading the country’s political space. Politics in Nigeria is  predicated on buying electoral officers.  This has  made our politicians not to responsive   when they get to their destinations.

“We need national unity, we need national integration, we must recognise such institutions that can help us achieve national unity and education is the key.”

A  former  Senate President, Ken Nnamani,  said Jega’s  maturity  during the announcement of the 2015 presidential election results saved the country’s democracy.

Nnamani  said if Jega had allowed himself to be provoked,  it would have been disastrous for the country.

He   added, “If Nigeria wants to get it right,    we have  to go back to the era of regions. I don’t   subscribe to the clamour for restructuring as part of the gambit to outsmart another geopolitical zone.

“But we  need to make concerted efforts  to promote national integration, peace and development.

“Perhaps it is the failure of this that is promoting the quest for restructuring. There is no doubt that we need to comprehensively review the constitutional foundations of democratic governance to sustain national unity.”

“We should go back to the original design of equality of regions to continue to provide stability for the federation. Given this scenario, restructuring makes sense, but I don’t subscribe to it.” – Punch

– May 9, 2019 @ 9:05 GMT |

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