Public analysts canvass citizens’ active participation in politics to check corrupt politicians

Guild of Public Affairs Analysts of Nigeria (GPAA) has urged active participation in politics to save the country from corrupt politicians.The president, Mr. Ayo Oyozebaje who spoke yesterday at the maiden press conference of the group, lamented that the economic situation in Nigeria was not satisfactory to the ordinary citizen.He traced the situation to the negligence of political leaders, saying it was sad they ad not lived up to their obligations.

Oyozebaje said: “Even with the change that was so much promised by the current administration, there has been little or no change in the condition of the people of Nigeria.“It is becoming increasingly difficult to survive and succeed in any endeavour in Nigeria. This is because the political class has not been able to come up with solutions to the myriad of the existentialist problems confronting the people.

He identified the common problems the people are facing to include: food, water, healthcare, education, electricity, transportation system and infrastructure among others. Oyozebaje noted that shortage of these amenities have made the lives of Nigerians short, mean and brutish.

“There is an army of unemployed youths, many of whom are on drugs, he noted.”“Rather than keep these issues in view and find solutions to them, most of Nigeria’s state actors outrightly mismanage and misappropriate the commonwealth, and flaunt it in the eyes of their less fortunate compatriots, who in turn look forward to a time that they will assume powers and misappropriate whatever they can.”

The group’s vice president, Mr. Lekan Sote, stating the way forward, said Nigerians should go beyond getting their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and get actively involved in politics.He added that this would infiltrate the political class with people of good character who are law abiding.“Nigerians need to go beyond getting their PVCs. Those Nigerians that regard themselves as incorruptible, upright, honest should get actively involved in grass-roots politics.It is not enough to get your voters card because it is the delegates who choose candidates that represent their parties.

“Nigerians need to get more involved. After all, section 24 of the constitution has charged the citizens to contribute to the progress of the country and support good governance and when there is bad governance we must rise against it. Section 22 of the constitution has also given us the mandate to hold governors accountable if they do not uphold Section 14, which that states the objective of the government as security and welfare.”

He also charged the citizens not to be deceived by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying they are same on different platform. Sote added that the ruling party’s anti-graft war was only targeted at the opposition party.

“It is so sad that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has been attacking those that are not in the ruling party, because as soon as they join the party, allegations against them are halted.”