THE Country Director of Accountability Lab Nigeria, Odeh Friday, has bemoaned President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to stifle dissenting voices by restricting Nigerians to protest only at specific locations.
Odeh, in a letter addressed to the President, noted that his support for the #EndBadGovernance protest originated from a deep-seated conviction that Nigeria had enormous potential, which he said could only be harnessed by deliberate actions.
Odeh raised concerns about the prevalence of ‘tokenism’ in governance, adding that over the years, there had been knee-jerk approaches towards government programmes, such as school feeding and cash transfers that created an ‘illusion of progress.’
He added that the country needed meaningful fiscal reforms showing a genuine commitment to tackling the underlying causes impeding its growth.
“This involves you, the President, being responsible for leading with full commitment to implement zero tolerance for corruption at all levels and sectors of government, particularly the extractive industry, which has been a source of national revenue but is plagued with opacity and mismanagement.
“The cost of corruption is huge – anti-corruption agencies are working hard to prevent procurement fraud in all government agencies, including the presidency and constituency contracting processes, as well as corruption cases involving politically exposed persons leading public institutions (with immunity and impunity). 60 per cent of corruption cases in Nigeria are procurement-related and we have lost ₦2.9 trillion through contract fraud in three years!
“This not only results in significant losses and mismanagement of government revenues, but it also feeds a cycle of lack of accountability and trust in the executive, judiciary, and legislative. A strong, functional, and independent accountability framework, with key components addressing negative behaviours and social norms, is crucial in guaranteeing that public funds are spent judiciously, and in the best interests of all Nigerians,” Odeh said in his letter.
Commenting on the protest, he noted that the “tokenism of seeking court injunctions to restrict peaceful protesters – a practice used to silence the dissenting voices of those you took an oath to serve – violates fundamental democratic rights.”
He said with Tinubu’s leadership at the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Nigerian courts ought to lead by example to preserve justice and not be used to limit citizens’ freedoms in a democratic country like Nigeria.
According to him, a country like Nigeria, with courts that compromise justice, is on the verge of degeneration.
“The #EndBadGovernance protest calls for justice and equality in government service delivery and decision-making. I want a government that promotes a healthy civic space, respects citizens’ opinions, and prioritises their well-being. The government must uphold the ‘of the people, by the people, and for the people’ and ‘nothing about us without us’ principles. Mr. President, you should collaborate with us, not against us!”
Odeh also demanded immediate action on the over-bloated and unsustainable cost of government, which he said had come with overborrowing to fund the deficits in the budget.
According to him, the national budget has become a dumping ground for excessive expenditure on luxury for political officials, such as expensive refreshments, travel, sports utility vehicles, and houses.
Odeh noted that the excessive expenditure of political officials was unacceptable, especially when over 70 million Nigerians lived with less than $2 per day and struggled with basic needs.
He added that the legislators had continued to insert projects in the budgets of the MDAs (such as in the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency of Nigeria), even with allocations for constituency projects in the executive’s budget.
“Two development commissions signed into law without considering the impact of existing development commissions or the Oransaye report is quite concerning. We must reduce government expenses, and political appointees, and repurpose our limited resources on key sectors that serve the majority of the citizens in a meaningful way.
“Finally, you should draw a clear line between government and politics in your administration – governance focused on policies and procedures in the best interest of the citizens you serve, free of the distractions and divisiveness of political manoeuvring. Tokenism in politics simply serves to appease rather than address and prioritise the actual problems of Nigerians.
“Dear Mr. President, I encourage you to take these issues seriously and try to build a strong Nigeria that is fair, just, and works for everyone. The time for your meaningful impact is now, and we hope your leadership can steer Nigeria in the direction we can proudly hand it on to our children without stain,” he added.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: [email protected]. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M