Recent events within the country have again caused Nigerians to take another look at the nation’s security framework and with the next election not too far away, deliberations are beginning to get underway as regards the possibilities that exist come 2023.
With agitations, kidnappings, and banditry topping the list of growing concerns, options are being weighed as to how best the nation’s fragile peace can be kept intact. Here are some quotes from the passing week, they give us a feel of the nation’s pulse and help us make predictions for what we can expect in the nearest future.
1. “Zone the presidency of Nigeria to the South-East in the interest of fairness, peace, and tranquility.”
A coalition of northern groups under the umbrella of Arewa Concerned Civil Society Organisations of Nigeria declares support for the zoning of the 2023 presidency to the South-East in the interest of equity, fairness, and justice.
2. “I must make it known to all and sundry that we have had enough dosage of such embarrassments and harassments of our judicial officers across the country and we can no longer take any of such shenanigans. The silence of the judiciary should never be mistaken for stupidity or weakness.”
Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Tanko Muhammad, warns individuals and agencies of the government against any form of harassment and embarrassment of judicial officers in the country.
3. “Global vaccines’ and travel apartheid against Africa are endangering lives, hurting economies, lives, jobs and livelihoods, from a pandemic Africa did not cause. End the apartheid. Respect Africa!”
4. “Parents should be persuaded, even forced, to send their children to school so they, at least, acquire basic education. That basic education should be free and compulsory.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar says education is significant to the development and security of any country.
5. “The reasons for that are various, the major one being the security problems that we have in the country.”
Minister of Industry, Trade, and Investment, Mr. Niyi Adebayo, says Nigeria’s slip in a ranking of top investment destinations in Africa was due to insecurity.
President Muhammadu Buhari vows to get justice for Sylvester Oromoni, the late 12-year-old student of Dowen College, Lekki.
7. “As to whether it (the jail attacks) calls for my resignation, I still don’t see any need for that because it is not for lack of preparedness that the attacks were successful.”
Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, says the incessant attacks on correctional facilities in the country cannot force him to resign.
8. “I don’t want our youths to think that somebody is holding down their destiny. I also don’t want them to continue to be frustrated by the deliberate policies of exclusion. Instead, I want them to be focused on the larger picture of liberation through technology, trade, and commerce through which we can dominate Nigeria and dictate the pace of development.”
Governor Hope Uzodinma says rather than resort to violence, youths in the South-East region should look beyond lamenting over the marginalisation of the Igbo people and take advantage of the opportunities in Nigeria.
9. “As we countdown to our next general elections in 2023, we remain committed to putting in place and strengthening all necessary mechanisms to ensure that Nigeria will not only record another peaceful transfer of power to an elected democratic government but will also ensure that the elections are conducted in a free, fair and transparent manner.”
10. “Factors that should have a role to play is the ability to deliver and that is why some of us are saying we are offering him – Nyesom Ezenwo Wike – to Nigeria to assess him.”
An elder statesman in Rivers State, Sergent Chidi Awuse, says Governor Nyesom Wike is well qualified to serve as Nigeria’s president come 2023.
11. “I am happy that we have roundly shamed the APC and their agents, who, as naysayers and enemies of democracy, had set land mines, expecting our party to submerge in crisis, factionalize and founder, so as to deny Nigerians the platform to rescue our nation from the vicious claws and deadly stranglehold of the APC. The APC has failed in governance and party administration and a crushing fall awaits it in 2023.”
The Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu (PDP Delta) declares that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will face an inevitable and crushing fall in 2023 after which it will go into political oblivion.
12. “The President is consulting, he has to consult with all the stakeholders and then arrive at a position that is best for the country.”
As Nigerians await President Muhammadu Buhari’s assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, the presidency says he will take action that is in the overall interest of the masses.
13. “Many more people have to get involved in that activity. A large volume of educated youths deciding to opt out, saying I have no more interest, I won’t vote and register. When you do that, you have surrendered your birthrights to the politicians who get elected.”
President and founder of ANAP Foundation, Atedo Peterside asks Nigerian youths to participate in political activities to move the country forward.
14. “I think I can say comfortably; it is not [discriminatory]. When the UK was the epicenter of the Alpha variant, we took some very tough measures ourselves to essentially cut ourselves off and we banned all but essential travels from the UK. So, that was a very tough decision for us.”
The UK High Commissioner to Nigeria, Catriona Laing, defends the travel ban on Nigeria following the detection of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, insisting that the move was based on science and not discriminatory.
15. “All over the place, I find that religion has been cosseted too much. And liberty has been taken by religionists, which would not be considered to other movements which are considered secularists.”
Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka singles out religion as the number one problem hindering Nigerians from being liberated as “rational beings.”
