The annual general meeting of the Nigerian Bar Association kicked off on Monday.
The 62nd in the series, the conference themed, ‘Bold Transitions’ is expected to hold between August 19 and 26.
The opening ceremony, which was held at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos, was well-attended by big personalities including some contenders for the presidential seat in the forthcoming general elections.
Some notable personalities at the conference, include former vice-president and the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candiate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, former Anambra Governor and Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, the vice-presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Kashim Shettima, who represented the presidential candidate of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
Others include Edo State governor, Godwin Obaseki; governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Alogba Kazeem, past presidents of the NBA, Adewole Adebayo of the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof. Peter Umeadi, among others.
At yesterday’s event, the first out of six plenaries slated between August 22 to 24, the presidential candidates revealed what they would bring to the table if elected.
In her keynote address, award-winning novelist, Chimamanda Adichie, said Nigeria is currently in disarray and requires heroes who can take bold decisions to save the country.
She said, “Nigeria is in disarray. Things are hard and getting harder by the day. We can’t be safe when there is no rule of law. Nigerians are starved of heroes to look up to. Late Dora Akunyili and Gani Fawehinmi were heroes that Nigerians looked up to before now. Unfortunately that era has gone. I believe that NBA is in a position to give the nation, heroes that we can look up to lead the nation.”
The ‘Purple Hibiscus’ author harped on the importance for everyone to speak out against injustice and tyranny, and the need for Nigerians to be open to self-criticism. This, she said, will engender good leadership in the nation.
“They have called me troublesome,” Adichie said. “Although, it is never enjoyable to be called troublesome, I never set out to provoke for its sake. I refuse to silence myself for the fear of what I might inadvertently provoke. It has always been important to me to say what I believe, to call out injustice.
“Federal and state security dragging journalists to prison is tyranny. A journalist ill-treating his domestic staff is tyranny. The rape of young boys and girls is also tyranny. It is tyranny when state governments do not pay pensioners until they slump and die as broken people. The physical harassment of lawyers and some judges is tyranny. The use of the law by some people to oppress the poor is tyranny.
“As long as we refuse to untangle the knot of injustice, peace cannot thrive. If we don’t talk about it, we fail to hold leaders accountable and we turn what should be transparent systems into ugly opaque cults.
“My experience made me think there’s something dead in us, in our society; a death of self-awareness and ability for self-criticism.
“There’s need for resurrection. We cannot avoid self-criticism but criticise the government. We cannot hide our own institutional failure while demanding transparency from government.”
Leading the presidential candidates to unveil their roadmap to a better Nigeria ahead of the 2023 general elections, Atiku Abubakar lamented the level of poverty, insecurity and unemployment in the country, noting that the forthcoming elections is a rare chance for Nigerians to make the right choice as a step to tackle the negative developments.
“Since the return of democracy in 1998/99, Nigeria has never found itself in such a very critical point in our history,” the PDP’s presidential candidate said. “Today, we have had all the negative indices. Today, we are all disunited in the nation. We have never experienced this level of poverty, insecurity and unemployment. We have recognised all these negative development in our history.
“This is where history and experience beckon on us to make sure that we don’t get it wrong at this point, otherwise, I don’t know when we will ever get it right.”
Speaking on his policy framework if elected into office, Atiku said: “My bold policy framework will embody Unity, Security, Economy, Education and Devolution of power to states and local governments.
“Known by the acronym ‘Unity-SEED’, these five policy prescriptions are interconnected. A new Nigeria of our dreams is possible in the hands of a bold man of experience.”
In his speech, LP’s presidential candidate stressed that 2023 elections will not be about connections, tribe or religion, but about competence, character and commitment to deliver.
Obi said: “Remember, the elections we are going to have next year will not be about tribe, not religion, not connection, not entitlement, but about character, competence, capacity and commitment to deliver. And the candidate must be able to tackle all the important areas aggressively for a greater economy.
“We got here simply because of the accumulative effect of bad leadership. We need a bold transition from a highly insecure state to a highly secured state.”
According to him, Nigeria is qualified to be classified as a failed state. “One of the characteristics of a failed state is when you are no longer in charge of your territory. Today, we are among the top terrorised countries in the world.
“We are among the top kidnapping countries in the world, banditry has taken over part of the country and Nigerians are being killed daily. We have met two of three criteria for a failed state.
“We have 80 per cent of our oil stolen. In July alone, if you calculate it, we’ve lost over N1 trillion oil revenue to stealing. Nigeria is the only county apart from Venezuela, which is not meeting OPEC quota.”
The former Anambra governor proffered that investment in intangible assets such as education and power are critical for economic renaissance.
“What we need to do is the two most intangible assets: security and law and order. We need to provide conducive environment to attract investors, then education and power because the economy is driven by these intangible assets,” he added.
APC’s vice-presidential candidate, Senator Kashim Shettima, assured Nigerians that the party would replicate the ‘wonders’ of Borno and Lagos states if elected in 2023.
The former governor of Borno State urged Nigerians to ‘follow the man who knows the road’, adding that Tinubu’s administration would address the issues of ‘economy, ecology and security’ from their first day in office.
Shettima said, “Nigerians have the capability to see through the worn-out rhetoric and sophistry of pretentious politicians. Nigerians should follow the man who knows the road. From day one, we will hit the ground running. We’ll promptly address the issue of the economy, ecology and security.
“Our vision is to grow the economy by diversification of our foreign export. Ours is to change the nation’s value chain in oil and gas. And we have the antecedents. I built some of the best schools in Nigeria. Go to Borno and see wonders; you will never believe that it is a state in a state of war.
“So, we are going to replicate our achievements in Lagos, in Borno and some of the frontline states so that our nation will be a better place. The fundamental issue is pure leadership.”
Other presidential candidates who spoke at the event are Adewole Adebayo of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Prof. Peter Umeadi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
SDP’s candidate, Adewole, said he would move Nigeria from a ‘consumption to a producing nation’. “We must put money in the production sector to grow the country’s economy. Nigeria must move from consumption to producing country.”
On his part, Umeadi said he will replicate his success in Zenith bank in Nigeria if elected. “In Jim Ovia’s words, the sole barometer for assessing people is your level of competence and your input. In the history of Zenith Bank, no one, I dare say, apart from the legendary Ada Umeji, grew faster in the history of Zenith Bank than my humble self. And that is what I am bringing to the table.”
