Former President Goodluck Jonathan has warned against the over-domestication of government, stating that it must be done away with if the country will attain reasonable development.
News About Nigeria reports that Jonathan made this plea while speaking at the public presentation of a book titled, ‘Development as Attitude’, written by a former Minister of Budget and National Planning, Prof. Osita Ogbu, on Tuesday.
In his statement, the former president pleaded with politicians to prioritise the interests of the nation, adding that the usual brand of politics in Nigeria needs to be changed.
According to him, it was a dangerous system that needed to be changed by putting the right people in the right places.
Speaking further, Jonathan charged the politicians to ensure that they are fair in every one of their dealings, maintaining that allocations meant for certain people, regions, and communities must get to them without being sidelined, as this, according to him, is in the interest of the country.
On the other hand, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, urged politicians to make judicious use of their term in office, noting that qualitative governance was better than extended tenures in office.
He maintained that the government needed to eliminate people who are not happy when things are going well, thereby making it difficult for those who have resolved to do what is right while in power.
Obi further reiterated the need for politicians to make an impact, maintaining that it is not how long you stay but how well you perform.
According to him, government is a continuum, and the longer a politician remains in office, the more damaging it is for the country.
