Former External Affairs Minister and Member, Presidential Electoral Reform Committee and Chairman, Presidential Think Tank, Professor Bolaji Akinyemi said recently that the adoption of the Justice Mohammed Uwais committee report on electoral reform by the National Assembly will be one of the best things to happen to the Nigerian polity.
He was speaking at the Sixth TIMELESS Newspaper Nigeria Lecture Series where he was the guest speaker. He said the committee made 83 recommendations of which 10 were rejected by the Federal Government. “This relativity does not give a true reflection of the damage done to the Report. The rejected recommendations amount to a decapitation of the Report. A human body without a head cannot be said to have lost just one part of the body. Without a head, that body is dead,” he said.
Other speakers at the occasion were Dr. Reuben Abati, Chairman, Editorial Board of the Guardian Newspapers, Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila of the Federal House of Representatives, Mr. Ade Ipaye, representative of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola and Alhaji Kunle Ajanaku, representative of Princess Sarah Sosan, the Lagos State Deputy Governor.
Dr. Abati in his presentation said the best news he has heard so far recently is the sending of the Uwais report in its unedited format to the National Assembly for deliberation and approval. He added that in addition to the reform of the electoral system, efforts must be made on the part of all Nigerians to ensure the moral integrity of all citizens, saying a system where all citizens see political office as an opportunity to spread the National Cake puts undue pressure on holders of such offices.
Pastor Ituah Ighodalo, publisher of the newspaper in his welcome address said the topic of the lecture; The Imperative of Electoral Reform was informed by our experiences as a nation in trying to forge ahead with our democratic experiment. He said despite our fifty years of nationhood, the nation remains plagued with our failure to successfully conduct free and fair elections. “As the 2011 elections approach, we believe in TIMELESS that the issue of electoral reform has to be addressed by the government, the media and the public and practical solutions come up with. There is an urgent need to reform the electoral process in Nigeria and restore faith in the electoral process. Given Nigeria’s diversity, it is obvious that democracy is the sole political choice for its survival, and the best system for managing the nation’s current challenges is by fostering better governance, and ensuring popular welfare. This can be achieved through an efficient electoral system. The fact remains that the current electoral system is faulty and requires reforms.”
Every year, the TIMELESS media group celebrates its existence through The TIMELESS Nigeria Lecture Series, which serves as the organisation’s own way of contributing to national issues and as its own service to the nation. Other guests at the occasion which held at the Agip Hall, MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos were Professor Joe Irukwu, a respected statesman and former chairman of the Ohaneze Ndi-Igbo, Chief Bode Alalade, Mrs. Bimpe Bamgbose Martins, representative of the Lagos state First Lady, Mrs. Abimbola Fashola, Revd. George Ashiru, Co-ordinator of the Town Hall Meetings Project, Mr. Adetokunbo Adejumo, Global Co-ordinator of the Champions for Nigeria Group and Mr. Chike Ogeah, former Managing Director of SAHCOL
No comments:
Post a Comment