Nigerian Governor Blames Leaders For Insecurity

Nnamdi Felix / Abuja

Imo state governor, Owelle Rochas Okorocha, on Thursday in Abuja came down hard on Nigerian leaders whom he blamed for the worrisome state of insecurity in Nigeria.

The governor pointed at what he considers the visionless leadership which, according to him, has resulted to the manace of Boko Haram violent attacks on innocent Nigerians, kidnapping and different forms of human rights abuses.

Okorocha who stated this while delivering a lecture at a National Dialogue on ‘Effective Leadership and Good Governance’ regretted that corruption in high places was “absolutely horribly” and had taken the place of effective leadership in the nation.

The governor who recently received hard knocks for his refusal to obey a decision of a Court of Appeal which ordered him to reinstate the state’s local government chairmen whom he sacked from office, stated that democracy had not fared well in Nigeria because none of the over 50 political parties in the country has identifiable mission and vision statement.

He observed that what political parties brandish as their manifestoes were mere cut and paste manifestoes of defunct political parties that existed in the past and that such manifestoes could at best be described as copycats of one another.

In view of this, Okorocha stated that if democracy was really on course in Nigeria, that most of them will have no business in leading the people.

“For instance, the vision of Peoples Democratic Party is how to remain in power for 60 years while Congress for Progressive Change will want to control the north so that nobody can penetrate and that of the Action Congress of Nigeria is how to keep the South-West in captivity while that of All Progressive Grand Alliance is to control the South-East. Is that what you call manifestoes?” the Governor queried.

He noted that if there is a party in Nigeria with vision and programme for agricultural development, there will be food abundance which can drive away Boko Haram.

“Trace all Nigeria’s problem, hunger is the source because it gives room for regional, tribal and religious intolerance. Our leaders must address the issue of poverty because poverty and human right abuses are twin brothers. In the first instance Nigeria has no reason to be on the list of poor nation. It is not a poor country but what we have is poor management of its resources due to bad leadership. It is only in Nigeria grasses grow on roof tops meaning that our atmosphere is even fertile”.

He called on his fellow leaders to take a cue from South Africa’s Nelson Mandela who is adjudged as the greatest living leader today because he quit the stage when the ovation was loudest.

The Governor also faulted President Jonathan’s handling of the Boko Haram insurgency, which he said, amounts to applying English method to cure traditional problem and tacitly advised the President to stop acting as a politician and be a leader who must improve on what is on ground and must be prepared to take risks and responsibilities on behalf of the people.

He noted that any leader who is not ready to take responsibilities is visionless.

In an address at the event, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission, Prof. Bem Angwe, stressed the need for Nigerians and institutions to always see protection and promotion of human rights as a serious business.