Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said Nigerian politicians must change their brand of politics and prioritise national interests to allow for development in the country.
Jonathan also stated that the country must avoid the “dangerous system” of “over-domesticating” government, but instead ensure that the right persons are put in the right places.
The former President made the statements on Tuesday at the public presentation of a book titled, ’Development as Attitude’, written by a former Minister of Budget and National Planning, Prof. Osita Ogbu.
“Our attitude as politicians matters towards our development. If we must develop, there are certain things, and we must make sure if it will go to every Nigerian, it goes to every Nigerian. If it will go to every community, it must go, to every state, local government, and so on. There are certain things we must know that this is for the national interest.
“As a country, if we must move forward, then our brand of politics must change. We must try to put the right pole in the right places. If we over-domesticate governance and say it must be my cousin or my nephew, then we run a dangerous system. So, attitude matters most in leadership, particularly political leadership,” Jonathan said.
On his part, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, highlighted the importance of qualitative governance over extended tenures in office.
“You can be in the office for a few months and do what is right. It’s just that when things are going well, we have some people who are determined that we can’t have the right thing, and that’s what we all need to change.
“Even if you’re there for one day, you can impact for one day. Even if it’s one item; you can’t change everything, government is a continuum, so it’s not how long you stay. In fact, in some parts of the world like Africa, the more you stay, the more damaging it is,” Obi said.
In his vote of thanks, Prof. Ogbu called on leaders in the country to be agents of development, adding that members of the Senate and the House of Representatives must allow purposeful reviews of the budget to “create something that someone else can build upon.”