“ Our System Is Continuously Degenerating” – Federal Minister
The London Business Summit commemorating the 5oth anniversary of Nigeria's independence which was held at the Grosvenor House in Park Lane, London saw the unexpected coming out the shell by many of Nigeria's top officials. Top on the list of officials who came out openly to decry the systematic and historic decay within the system of governance in Nigeria was the Federal Minister for Land, Housing and Urban Development, Hon. Nduese Essien who took to the podium to state that the system is virtually un-repairable by anyone – that the solutions proffered at the summit by the numbers panelists were too theoretical and unrealistic. While explaining further he noted that the forces behind scenes in Nigeria control far more power than the average Nigerian is aware of or can imagine.
Responding candidly to the call by the Chairman of Nigeria Economic Summit Group [NESG], Sam Ohuabunwa, to reduce the present number of 42 ministers to 17 ministers - and to do away with the need to abide by the unwritten rule of federal character in the selection of Federal Ministers, the Lands Minister called it unrealistic and naïve. He reiterated that the forces that govern Nigeria have vested interest in maintaining the status quo.
The Chairman of NESG, in his presentation had called for a revamp of the system in Nigeria. Specifically, he called for the Jonathan administration to “reinvent the Nigerian Police”, “Recreate the SSS”, “Exploit the military for internal security” and others. Mazi Ohuabunwa also chastised the Nigerian populace. In his words, “We, Nigerians are hypocrites. We harbor corruption. Our NGO's are as bad as the corrupt leaders”. But the Chairman ended on a note of optimism as he indicated that “change as started and a new story has begun”.
Similar notions were shared by members of the Plenary Session 6 which comprised of the former CBN governor Prof. Charles Soludo, Senator Anyim Ude, Frank Nweke [jnr], Dr. Paul Orhii, Abdul Salami Mohammed and other like dignitaries.