A frontline legal practitioner and guest speaker at ThisNigeria Media Limited Lectures and Award, Chief Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has stated that Nigeria would be losing over N94 trillion due to death of companies and exit of some multinationals from the country.
Chief Ozekhome who was speaking on Thursday at the 2nd award series of This Nigeria Newspaper, on the theme: “25 Years of Nigeria’s Democracy: Challenges, Prospects and Possibilities”, stated that the country is stuck in the final phase of its democratic rule where the citizens have never really had the much talked about dividends of democracy.
“If you now look at what we went through that time and what we are going through now, the critical situation today, we are told that the country will be losing N94trillion because of the exit of some major companies in Nigeria which gives me cause for concern as a person who believes in this country.
“In the last two decades of the restoration or democracy, Nigeria seems to be stuck in the final phase where you consolidate the gains of democracy. When we talk about democratic dividend, Dividend is a corporate word, it means something you share from profit or surplus.
“And I ask, have we made profit in our democratic experimentation from which we now share to have dividends? I do not know about that. I know that we lost it along the line. When you look and the situation we were and now, where are the Ajeokuta steel mill, the Alaja Steel Mill, the Kano and the Katsina rolling mills, the Oshogbo Rolling Mill, where is the United Nigeria Rolling Mill in Kaduna, Chellarams, among others, the Nigeria airways that was the biggest in Africa?
He said the country had what he called a ‘disarticulate economy’ where the country produces what it does not consume and consumes what it does not produce.
“I think what has been worrying us mostly is what Prof Claude Ake called a disarticulate government. He described a disarticulate economy as sn economy where you produce what you don’t consume and consume what we don’t produce. We produce crude oil, we can’t consume it. What we do is we sell it abroad and then they refine it there and we now import it.’
He called on the leaders to organise the citizens and shun prebendalism, cronyism, nepotism, among other forces that have militated against the practice of real democracy in the country.
Calling for a brand new constitution made by the people, he said the militarily imposed constitution had not been respected by the citizens, adding that Nigeria also needed decentralisation and not the over centralized constitution it now operates.
Ozekhome who called for legal reforms advocated for a court to punish people for electoral crimes.
According to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, effort should be geared towards massive youth employment as well as functional gender inclusion in government.
While saying that Nigeria should not be based on a tripod of Igbo, Hausa and Yoruba alone, he added that “no ethnic group should be regarded as a dot in circle” stressing that there are other minority tribes without which Nigeria is not complete.
Acknowledging that Nigerians were going through hardship, he called on the Tinubu administration to ensure that corruption in the country was fought to a standstill by blocking the loopholes and curbing the excessive waste in government like the use of long convoys of vehicles by government officials.
Also speaking, Chairman of the occasion, former Head of State General Abdulsalami Abubakar noted that despite the political turbulence, economic fluctuation, and social upheavals faced in the past 25 years yet through it all, the Nigerian spirit has remained indomitable.
According to him, the country has “shown that despite our differences, we are united in our commitment to building a nation that is inclusive, prosperous and democratic.”
Represented by Major General Adamu Jidda, Abubakar said, “As we embark on this moment let us take a moment and reflect on the remarkable journey Nigeria has undertaken in the half century.
“25 years ago, in 1999, our nation embarked on a path of democracy and democratic governance, a path marked by aspirations, challenges and unwavering commitment to achieve justice and equality.
“Our journey over the past 25 years we have faced political turbulence economic fluctuation and social upheavals yet through it all, the Nigerian spirit has remained indomitable. We have shown that despite our differences, we are united in our commitment to building a nation that is inclusive, prosperous and democratic.
“To the principles of freedom justice and equality. Democracy as we all know is not merely a system of government, it is a testament to the will of the people. It represents our collective voice, our shared values and common aspiration.
“Despite the myriad of challenges that have come out way, we have remain steadfast in our commitment to upholding democratic idles.
“As we celebrate our achievements, it is equally important to acknowledge the challenges that lie ahead. Democracy is an evolving process and the past 25 years has taught us that it requires constant nurturing and vigilance.
“This is just as electoral integrity, human rights, economic development and social justice remain critical areas that demand our collective attention and action.
“Our journey over the past 25 years we have faced political turbulence economic fluctuation and social upheavals yet through it all, the Nigerian spirit has remained indomitable. We have shown that despite our differences, we are united in our commitment to building a nation that is inclusive, prosperous and democratic”.
FCT Minister Nyesom Wike who received ThisNigeria’s gold prize for Infrastructure and exceptional leadership award stated blamed the keynote speaker for not acknowledging some of the gains made in the last 25 years of Nigeria’s democracy.
He said: “It will be wrong sitting here without correcting some impressions. First of all, we are talking about democracy of 25 years.
“We know we have challenges. I had expected the lecturer to speak on the progress made. But no one progress was mentioned. It was all about criticism, criticism, criticism.
“Are you telling me that for 25 years we have not made progress? We can say that we have made this progress, but there are still room for us to move forward. Just like Shehu Sani said how they were locked up and detained.
“Can he say under this democracy, any Nigerian has found himself in that condition? That is a progress. We should not give the impression as if there is no progress.
“You have said here about the FCT infrastructure development. Who is the FCT minister working under? Mr President. Which means he has the capacity to know those who can help him move the country forward. That is progress.
“Mr President knows that there is a problem and that is why he introduced the Renewed Hope Agenda.
“He knows that Nigerians have lost hope. That is why we must work hard to bring back that hope to Nigeria. Who does not know that Nigerians are suffering? That is no longer a story.
“We like to come to public and say what Nigerians like. Mr President has been making a lot of efforts and you know where we are coming from. Do not expect that within a short time everything will be corrected. That is not correct. If Abuja can be well, that means everything can be well.
“The mere fact that you people were activists does not mean that you will do well.
“Activists have always failed. We have seen activists that were given appointments and yet they failed.
“When you (Sani) was in the Senate, how did we perform? What was our performance as senators.
“And you (Ozekhome) have said about rigging election, how many times have you rejected brief. Those who have rigged elections, you have always defended.”
