Nigeria @ 61: colloquium ask citizens to hold leaders accountable

Nigerian citizens have been asked to learn how to hold political leaders responsible for the woes of the nation since independence rather than lamenting.
The citizens were also told to make themselves a force to ensure good governance, credible elections, and the application of the rule of law.
They were further mandated to build a platform to ensure their rights are not trampled upon and to have a nation where the principles of justice, fairness and freedom for all thrive.
These were the outcome of a colloquium, organised by Equity International Initiative (EII), a non-governmental body to mark Nigeria 61 independence anniversary in Benin City, Edo State with the theme: “Nigeria At sixty-one: Truth, Justice and Leadership The Making Of A Great Nation”.
Panelist at the colloquium consists of Dr. Osagie Obayuwana, a human rights activist, former Edo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice; and a leading member, Commuttee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR).
Others are Reverend Olu Martins, Pastor, Hill City Christian Centre, functional civil rights activist,  social crusader and public affairs analyst; Ambassador Chris Iyama, Co-founder, Centre for Youth Particuoation, Dialogue and Advicacy Africa; and Dr. Esther Obasuyi, an Optammologist and civil rights activist.
In his presentation, Chris Iyama said time has come when citizens should rise up and interrogate the many things wrong with the country, Nigeria and proffer solution to some of them rather than lamenting.
He said the many issues be-devilling  Nigeria such as leadership failure was as a result of the way the country chose its leadership, adding that it is the same system that led to institutional failure in the nation.
He advocated the abrogation of security votes for all those in leadership since study has proved that they are not judiciously applied because of the security challenges in the country.
According to him, “We cannot as a country continue the way we are going. We must demand for good governance. We have separation of powers but we have a a system where the legislature and the judiciary are subjected to the whims and caprices of the executive.
“Governors have pocketed the state lawmakers; the Senate and the Federal House of Representatives are errand men and women of the President who is the head of Executive arm of Government.
“We must rise up and ask why someone who seats two of three times a week should go home with about N40 million; while those who work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and 30 days of the month like teachers, doctor and other reputable professionals only have pittance to deal with at the end of the month.”
Iyama noted that time has come for the laws to be amended to fit the present day reality, adding that “when merit thrive, decadence in the society will end”
Obayuwana, while reflecting on Nigeria at 61, noted that good leadership are the making of a great nation, saying it is difficult to talk about good leadership without a vision to see alternatives.
“How the least in our midst is treated, the women, youth, aged, pensioners, widows, traders are treated defines a country where equity, fairness and justice reign.
“As long as we tolerate, the leadership will continue to misbehave. We may have been complacent, but the time has come for us to begin to ask questions”, Obayuwana said.
On the imminent debt trap occasion by foreign loans, the former law officer, asked the organised labour to wake up and take a position.
He said the budget process must be in such a way that it should interrogate the system to say, what are the benefits of these foreign loans to the people.
Reverend Martins who took a sweep on the system of governance in Nigeria since independence, said citizens of the country deserve better than what is being given presently.
He said the colloquium is not meant to just criticise but common facts in the sense that everyone deserve a government that works for both the poor and the rich no matter the status.
“Through the present system, our leaders have not been fair to us but a new Nigeria is possible where we have the responsibility to build a new nation where we must exercise our rights”, he said.
On her part, Dr. Obasuyi, frowned at the use of force by a state government to make people vaccinate against COVID-19, saying vaccination is a choice and not by forceful mandate.
She describe the use of coarsion by government as evil and a continuation of the health mandate from foreign dictators.
She said: “No one has the right to impose his will of knowledge on the people. A vaccine is meant to protect you but if those who are not vaccinated can now infect those vaccinated, it means what we have is not vaccine, but a lie being spread.”