The governor-elect of Anambra State, Charles Chukwuma Soludo has accused Nigerian politicians of misusing the opportunities they get in the nation’s politics
Soludo, who would be sworn in as executive governor of Anambra state in March, expressed concern that rather than seeing politics as an opportunity to serve the people, people now see it as a platform to make money.
The former Governor of the nation’s apex bank, the Central Bank of Nigerian (CBN), who spoke at the graduation ceremony of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance, at the weekend in Abuja, regretted that appointment or election into public offices had produced more rich men who never did any productive work, noting however that putting an end to such ugly trend would come at a great cost and could be a dangerous venture for anyone who dares to change the system.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Emergence of the unconventionals’, Soludo also raised the alarm that drug barons have invaded the political terrain because of the global clampdown on criminal activities like internet fraud and illicit drug business.
He said, “As the noose tightened globally on other rentier/criminal enterprises such as drug trafficking or internet scam, many of the barons flocked into politics as the next easy alternative.
“Politics has become big business. Appointment or election into public office is seen largely as an opportunity to ‘eat’ rather than a call to selfless service. There is an army of rich (big men) who have never worked or done any productive work in their life but believe that it is their right to expect something for nothing.
“Youth unemployment, insecurity, poverty and inflation threaten the social fabric, but disruptions will come at great costs and could indeed be dangerous. It is not far to imagine what could befall serious disruptors.
“In Nigeria, we remember what happened to (late Head of State) Murtala Muhammed, and the history books are replete with hundreds of examples of the inherent risks.
Speaking further, the governor elect added, “At a personal level, undertaking the banking revolution in Nigeria came with 19 written threats to me and my family, including physical attacks. Disrupting the existing social order is dangerous. Beneficiaries of the current order are powerful enough to organise and viciously fight back to protect their privileges. On the contrary, the masses who are the ultimate beneficiaries are not organised enough to act as a bulwark against the special interests.”
He warned that Nigeria is currently “standing between the rock and the hard place” because with the objective to retain power within the context of short electoral cycles, politicians were often afraid to undertake the necessary disruptive changes to guarantee long term safety and prosperity for all.
“On the other hand, the existing trends are totally unsustainable and the system is living on borrowed times,” he added. “Everyone is sleepwalking to the hard place, and praying that somehow a miracle will happen along the way. So, who is ready to put his head on the line to lead such productive but dangerous disruptions?”
He therefore charged the graduands to display honesty always and use their knowledge to contribute to making a new Nigeria a possibility, adding that fixing politics requires talents, skills and citizens’ cooperation.
