Posted by From Akeeb Alarape, Ibadan on
Former Lagos military administrator and presidential aspirant in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Brig-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd), says that the pervasive poverty in the country and other setbacks to national progress were caused by inability of the leaders to get the right economic and political system.
Former Lagos military administrator and presidential aspirant in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Brig-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd), says that the pervasive poverty in the country and other setbacks to national progress were caused by inability of the leaders to get the right economic and political system.
This is coming at a time he has got the support of strongman of Ibadan politics, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu, in his quest to rule the country.
Speaking at the University of Ibadan Economics Students Association Distinguished Personality Lecture 2006 series on Wednesday, Marwa said the nation's progress depended on the ability to evolve sound economic and political foundations.
In his lecture, entitled "Thoughts of the Relevance of the Nigerian Economic Reforms to the Challenges of the 21st Century," Marwa said: "It is therefore clear that the deficiencies and omissions in our polity, the traumas and setbacks we have encountered over the decades as a people and the present developmental challenges that we must still master and overcome are engendered by our collective inability in getting our economics and politics right."
The former military administrator, however, lauded the reforms of the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration in the last seven years, which he said have succeeded in charting a new course for future administration in the country. He preached the sermon of humane economic and political policies as the nation prepares for the 2007 polls, stating that Nigerians were "concerned only about things that work, about their welfare, their happiness and about meeting their basic needs."
Such needs, he said, include, "food on their table, jobs, schools for their children, the houses they live in, the water they drink, their access to health care delivery system and the mode of public transportation available to them."
On the political scene, the former administrator explained that what Nigerians desired was a political space that would be non-violent and where their votes would count and matter with full co-operation of the rule of law in a land of equity, justice and fairness.
"It is thus very plain that if we get our economics and politics right, we would have enabled a humane and egalitarian environment that allows other sectors; social, cultural, spiritual etc to flower, unhindered and unimpeded," he pointed out.
Also, Alhaji Lamidi Adedibu on Wednesday said the next president must continue with the policies of the Obasanjo administration. He also endorsed the candidature of Marwa for the 2007 presidential race, noting that whoever ruled Lagos successfully has the capability to rule Nigeria.
Speaking while receiving Marwa at his Molete home, Alhaji Adedibu expressed the need to have a strong personality, like Obasanjo, as the next president of the country to ensure continuity of government policies.
According to him, the president is a strong factor in determining who succeeds him, adding that the Yoruba speaking part of the country is a "special constituency" of the president. He noted that the South West has a pivotal role to play in the coming presidential election.
Endorsing Marwa's candidacy, Adedibu said that the achievements recorded in Lagos by the aspirant were a good testimonial that he has what it takes to rule the country. He described Lagos as a mini-Nigeria, noting that whoever ruled the complex state successfully would succeed as the president.
Adedibu noted that Marwa is ahead of other aspirants in the race as he started his campaign before any aspirant, even as he urged him to be courageous enough to carry the struggle to a logical conclusion. He expressed confidence that the former military administrator would beat others to the seat.
Marwa had earlier told the large crowd in Adedibu's house, including Oyo State Deputy Governor, Gbolarumi Azeem, party leaders and local government chairmen, that there was no political institution or legend that was greater than the strongman of Ibadan politics because, over the years, Adedibu has remained steadfast politically.
Marwa promised to continue with the policies of the Obasanjo administration, noting that a solid foundation is being built for the economic development of the country by the president.
He listed some of the programmes he intends to execute to include power supply, security, affordable health care system, free primary and secondary education, Niger Delta, water supply, roads, poverty reduction, among others.
Marwa said his administration intends to complete all the power projects embarked upon by the Obasanjo administration in order to boost power supply in the country. He solicited the support of Adedibu in order to realize his ambition, promising to use his vast experience as a former governor in Borno and an administrator in Lagos in running an efficient government.