A former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Dr. Obadiah Mailafia has warned that Nigeria would not survive another 10 to 20 years if the antics of the current crop of Nigerian politicians are anything to go by, Njenje Media News reports.
He made the assertion on a virtual conference hosted by Dele Momodu, Maazi Ezeoke and covered by Njenje Media.
The development economist said he has no doubt a third force can win elections aside the two major parties who he described as two terrible twins that “neither offers any hope for the country but the recycling of products that have passed their usefulnesss.
The former Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) further stated what is needed to win elections and win people to ones side as a politician.
In his words;
“You don’t win elections in the blogus sphere, you don’t win elections by side by space or whipping up a frenzy in social media. You win elections as John Kennedy put it, in the public arena, with sweat and sweat, talking to people, engaging the public, with voters, with the youths, with the women groups, with all community leaders and bringing everyone on board into a common and shared vision of where we want our country to go.”
” That is the only way to do it and it requires really, really thinking outside the box and I don’t know whether we are ready for that. We have to be ready for it and we must be so hungry for change that we are ready to do what it takes. My dear comrades, you look at our country today and you ask yourself, where will this country be in 10 years time with the same crop of people that we have, thinking the same way, absolutely no ideas about the demands of our 21st century digital global economy, they are not interested in that. they are just interested in what they can get here and now, the cash and carry stomach infrastructure political culture and of course you and I know that that ain’t gonna take us no where, its gonna take us into a deeper and deeper hole.”
He warned of doomsday if the stakeholders do not align with the demands of the 21st century digital global economy.
“If we continue in a deeper hole, with our rising population, with our hungry and angry population, honestly speaking, it would spell doom for our country and honestly speaking, I don’t know about you, I don’t think this is the time for politics as usual, because what is at stake is nothing less than the future and the survival of our country”, he said.
On the rotation of the Presidency along regional and tribal lines, Dr. Obadiah says merit and competence should override where the person comes from.
He opined;
“We can say okay, we can bring another politician, let him come and lie to us and play to the gallery and do all the grandstanding, play all our ethnic, political and religious cards and get the person, he continues the same way. Let me tell you, Nigeria will not survive another 20 years of this madness.”
“What we need is a detribalized Nigerian, who has a clear vision, who has the courage of a lion, who is ready to put his foot down, who is not blinded by religion or tribe, who loves the people dearly and who is ready to stand down and be counted. A man who has a plan. to me it doesn’t matter where this person come from at this point in time, so really this is my humble thought.”
Watch the Video below;
