How Senate President mismanages vital national issues
OpenLife Nigeria reports that a large chunk of the high level mismanagement of Nigeria’s insecurity has been traced to Senate President, Senator Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan.
Ahmed Lawan currently represents Yobe North Senatorial District of Yobe State under the All Progressives Congress, APC, in the 9th Senate.
Senator Victor Umeh, who represented Anambra Central on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, in the 8th Senate, made this disclosure on Thursday on AIT.
The 1984 University of Nigeria, Nsukka, graduate was unsparing of government’s lackadaisical handling of the Nigerian security situation.
He noted that high profile public office holders in the country should be blamed for the degenerated and this chaotic period in history.
He however stressed that insecurity is not new to Nigeria. He made specific reference to late musical legend, Sunny Okosun, who sang “Which Way Nigeria” and emphasized that the song came about as a result of insecurity and economic hopelessness that defined Nigeria at that point in time.
To Senator Umeh therefore, “Nothing is new.”
He however explained that though leaders during military regime technically failed to advance Nigeria’s socio-economic growth, the failure of successive democratically elected governments since 1999 to initiate and implement growth policies remains unacceptable.
“At the moment, Nigeria is failing. There are no signs of improvement and things could degenerate soon if urgent steps are not taken to mitigate the growing tension in the system. “More unpleasant things could be happening in Nigeria. Leaders are not addressing the problem,” he stated.
Specifically, Senator Umeh made reference to the current Senate President, Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan, whom he described, among other leaders, as “Playing the Ostrich.”
He pointed out that Senate President Lawan is in position to establish a template of policy implementations especially those policies that are germane to national cohesion and sustainable security.
“When I was in the Senate, these security challenges were already manifesting. In 2018, there was a security summit at AirForce Headquarters. I was part of it. Service Chiefs were also there and they spoke to Senators behind camera.
“Senator Lawan was the head of the Committee. We arrived at implementable solutions to the security challenges. I am not sure Senator Lawan has done anything, till now, to get those resolutions implemented despite the fact that he is in a position to ensure its implementation. How Senate President goes about it is unknown to me.
“Those resolutions have not seen the light of the day. These are part of the reasons Nigeria does not seem to be winning the war against insurgency,” he stated.
As a remedy, Senator Umeh who, alongside other notable fiefs, midwived APGA in Anambra State and functioned as its national chairman at a time, recommended the adoption of the 2014 National Conference convoked by former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.
Umeh believes that all the issues fuelling agitations across the length and breadth of Nigeria were properly addressed at that conference.
He wondered why President Buhari has refused to adopt those resolutions at this period when ethic lords and other separatist groups are winning more converts on daily basis.
“Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan funded the conference. We were 492 delegates made up of the best and most articulated Nigerians from the academia, civil society, corporate world, political class and traditional institution.
“Justice Idris Kutigi headed the conference and ably assisted by Professor Bolaji Akinyemi. We took great decisions and came out with 600 resolutions that can squarely address Nigerians problems. Yet, nobody is looking that direction. Government should, as a matter of urgency, revert to those documents. The solutions to the problems are there,” Umeh demanded.
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