Don't Leave Nigeria in the Hands of a Few - Attahiru Jega

 

Former Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega has advocated a radical transformation that will reposition the nation’s resources for the benefit of everybody, especially the common people.

 

According to him, things can only change for the better if everyone one is involved in governance. Jega stated this at the Conference Centre, Obafemi Awolowo University Ile-Ife, while delivering a lecture titled, “The Complexity of Freedom: Biodun Jeyifo at 70”, to mark Jeyifo at 70.

 

Putting his speech in perspective, the comrade scholar noted, “Freedom, as a universal right, as in freedom of thought, of expression (i.e. academic freedom) and religion is not only desirable but it is also worthy of struggles to protect, defend and expand. For intellectuals and academics, academic freedom is much cherished and strenuously struggled for. Second, the pursuit of, or struggles for, freedom need to be predicated on the recognition of the complexity of the contemporary world, as well as the complexity of freedom. As Taylor has observed, ‘we are living in a moment of unprecedented complexity, when things are changing faster than our ability to comprehend them’. As such, ‘the task we now face is not to reject or turn away from complexity, but to learn to live with it’ (2001). I might add: to strive to understand it, and to design methodologies and strategies to effectively operate within it.”

 

 

He concluded, “For me, the significant point is that: while, the masses would not necessarily understand or appreciate the struggles waged on their behalf, the basis of that misunderstanding or lack of comprehension need to be constantly evaluated and understood, and methods and strategies vigorously deployed, at the individual and collective levels, to engage, inform, sensitize and mobilize them. In short, the lesson is: engage, strategize and, as late Tajudeen Abdulraheem used to say: “Organize, don’t Agonize”!

 

Earlier, the chairman of the occasion, Femi Falana, SAN, lamented the state of the nation calling for all hands to be on deck to bring sanity in the Nigerian system.

 

He felt that without people being critical about the activities of government and ensure that nobody is above the law, it would be difficult to take Nigeria out of her doldrums.

 

Responding, the celebrant who expressed how humble he was with the celebration, said that Nigerians need to fight to reclaim the glory of the country.

 

He attested to the fact that the state of nation is in mess, hence, there is a need for rededication.