Muhammed Sanusi, the former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, has stated that Nigeria has never been divided since the Civil War of 1967-1970.
He said that the elections had left the country “dangerously divided along ethnic and religious lines,” calling the credibility of public institutions into question.
“The people now has suspicions about policies, policing, the judiciary, and the election umpire,” he added.
Sanusi made the remarks on Tuesday during the third Nigerian Leadership Colloquium honoring Ituah Ighodalo, senior pastor of Trinity House in Lagos, who turned 62.
The event, which took place in Lagos on Tuesday, was titled “A New Nigeria: Leadership Imperatives for Radical Growth and Transformation.”
Sanusi claimed in his Zoom address that the country was now facing a nation-building challenge, and that the economy was in the doldrums.
“In October 2022, I advised Nigerians at the Kaduna Investment Conference that if anyone promised them that dealing with Nigeria until 2023 would be simple, they should not vote for that person,” he added. I really meant it.
“I don’t believe Nigeria has been in a more terrible situation since the civil war.” We have a nation-building challenge.
“We have a country that is dangerously divided along ethnic and religious lines.”
“We have an economy that is in the doldrums, and unfortunately, we seem to be having a dearth of leadership.”
According to him, in defining the kind of leaders the country need, it must also critically examine the process by which such leaders emerge.
“No process is perfect. In the United Kingdom and the United States, we have witnessed this. They should at the very least understand who they are voting for. I think we need begin to think about the Electoral Act of 2022 considerably sooner than elections. We need a system in where individuals cannot just go to party primaries without being subjected to public scrutiny. This happens all the time. People must understand what they are voting for. In other countries, they are required by law to engage in public debates on issues of policy.
“This is the only country I know where we elect a President before we know if he knows what he’s doing or what the job is,” he continued.
He also stated that the mechanism by which Nigerians choose their leaders should be more transparent.
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