Emmanuel Addeh in Abuja
The Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), along with 93 partners, including the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), ARISE NEWS Channel, among others, has unveiled the ‘Citizens Summit Report’ with about 100 recommendations to solve Nigeria’s intractable problems.
Speaking at the event in Abuja, the President of the institute, Mukhtar Sirajo, noted that the project was borne out of the need to provide a platform and the opportunity for Nigerians to peacefully ventilate their concerns and contribute to the dialogue on nation building.
He stated that the situational analysis in the course of the work: ‘Rebooting Nigeria 2.0’, had revealed, among other issues, that all was not well with the state of affairs in the land, worsened by the loss of hope among the youth.
He added that the trust gap between the people and state institutions was widening fast while social tension mounted across the land and violent aspirations and agitations threatened the very foundation of Nigeria’s existence.
With this, he stated that it became apparent that there was an urgent need for a new approach to consensus building among citizens and between citizens and the leadership.
He noted that it was against this background and in furtherance of its mandate that the leadership of the Institute felt that it could no longer watch the situation deteriorate further.
The journey of the summit started in 2021 with zonal dialogue series held across the six geo-political zones of the country to offer opportunity for expanded participation by Nigerians in the different parts of the country, while the diaspora was designated as zone seven, he said.
Sirajo expressed the hope that as the new administration in the country settles down to the business of governance, it will find the report useful, especially in policy formulation in the areas that the summit deliberated upon.
For instance, he said that citizens eagerly look forward to reaping the fruits of the removal of petrol subsidy policy in no distant future, urging the government to quicken the process of putting in place the needed measures, to cushion the impact of the new policy.
“The issue of insecurity remains critical to the growth, development and survival of our nation. We pray that the new service chiefs will surpass expectations in delivering effective and dynamic security to the nation.
“We are delighted to note that the president has begun the process of consensus building and reconciliation at a certain level. We commend the recognition and understanding of the federal government that this is a major area of priority and appreciate its efforts so far in that important direction,” he added.
While speaking on the highlights of the publication, a member of NIPR Council and Executive Director, Institute of Strategic and Development Communication, Prof Emmanuel Dandaura, lamented that the series of national confabs constituted by and populated by Nigerian political elites had produced little results before now.
He argued that the tensions in the Nigerian polity today are confirmations that Nigeria 1.0 has become cluttered and is due for an urgent upgrade.
“As usual, when a system becomes cluttered, efficiency is adversely impacted. The system becomes slow and unable to deliver the expected results,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the occasion and Group Managing Director of Daar Communications, Tony Akiotu, lamented the eroding cultural and moral values in the country, stressing that the publication was timely.
“The report is an apt legacy that would help in resetting and winning back Nigeria as a nation that works for every citizen, where diversity is celebrated and dialogue is appreciated,” he stated.
In his remarks, the President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo, pledged the support of the media to the ‘Reboot Nigeria’ project.
The Chairman, National Planning Committee for the Citizen’s Summit, Dr. Ike Neliaku, in his comments, argued that for the country to succeed, there must be collaboration among all stakeholders.
