The plenary speaker at the official launch of Dr. Osahon Enabulele Foundation and Colloquium, Dr. Tonny Iredia has emphasized the need for an impartial electoral umpire in Nigeria to correct the lapses in the nation’s electoral system.
The former Director General of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, made the remark on Wednesday in Benin City, while speaking on the topic “Election Management and the Leadership Recruitment Process : The way forward”.
While calling on Nigerians to be careful when they analyze what an election is, Prof. Iredia stated that an election is not just the casting of ballots, but a process which involves voters registration, parties’ primaries and several others.
He observed that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, though using the word ‘Independent’ is not truly so, as those saddled with the responsibility of overseeing the commission are grossly soaked in partisan politics.
The former NTA DG who observed that many people are involved in the conduct of election in Nigeria, stressed the need for proper management of the process in other to achieve the desired result.
“If we want an election to succeed we must manage it. Election has different segments that must be managed,” he stated.
Prof. Iredia recommended the conduct of all general elections in Nigeria on the same day, as being practiced in some African countries.
“These scattered elections are not helpful. We have seen that they are not helpful. It is time to depart from analogue, obsolete elections. If Ghana, Kenya, South Africa can do it, why can’t Nigeria do the same?,” he questioned.
The plenary speaker at the official launch of Dr. Osahon Enabulele Foundation also suggested the settlement of election disputes before the swearing in of winners into office and the establishment of election offences tribunal, as way out of the nation’s electoral mess.
The Keynote speaker and Director General, Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Prof. Eghosa Osaghae, who spoke on the topic ”Nigeria and the leadership question: Unlocking the potential for a better tomorrow”, observed that the basic instrument of leadership is power.
Prof. Osaghae who defined power as the ability to make someone do what he or she wants them to do, made a clarification that an ideal type of leadership is the one gotten through legitimacy and not the one by cohesion.
While declaring that leadership problem is not peculiar to Nigeria, but universal; prof. Osaghae revealed that the solutions to the country’s problems reside within Nigerians and that they must look inwards to address them.
On his part, the founder of the foundation, Dr. Osahon Enabulele, observed that most Nigerians have been plunged into a miasma of hopelessness and unfathomable depths of disillusionment, such that the first question an average Nigerian wants to ask is “Why am I still in Nigeria? Why don’t I JAPA? But can everyone JAPA?.
“Really and truly, Nigeria has virtually descended to a pitiable and worrisome situation where everyone is now virtually struggling for survival and for very basic things of life,” he stated.
Dr. Enabulele who is the immediate past president of the World Medical Association, WMA, disclosed that the solutions to Nigeria’s problem, requires not lamentations or sycophantic choir, but conscious commitment to progressive reforms by empowered citizens and altruisic votaries of progressive social change.
According to the former WMA president, the important need to reignite hope amongst the citizens, with stimulation of their patriotic commitment to national development, necessitated the birthing of the Dr Osahon Enabulele Foundation.
Dr. Enabule revealed that he intends to pursue his vision through the empowerment of citizens, particularly vulnerable groups, by promoting initiatives for leadership excellence and good governance, as well as human capital development, including mentorship, access to quality healthcare and education, fostering of community development through targeted programmes, and empowerment of young people to rise above their limitations and achieve their dreams.
Other speakers at the official launch of Dr Osahon Enabulele Foundation, including former Edo State commissioner for justice and Attorney General, Barr. Osagie Obayuwana, a director at LAPO Microfinance Bank, Mrs Sabina Osehobo and a lecturer at the University of Benin, Prof. Eddy Eragbe suggested independent candidacy and the integrity of all key players in an election, among others, as something that should be considered in the conduct of future elections in Nigeria.
