Akpabio, Fashola, Garba identify problems with Nigeria

By Olasunkanmi Akoni & Dapo Akinrefon

LAGOS—GOVERNORS of Akwa Ibom and Lagos states, Chief Godswill Akpabio and Mr. Babatunde Fashola, yesterday, called for strengthening of the nation’s democratic structures, arguing that such move will assist in resolving the current political problems facing the nation.

Also, National President of Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, Malam Mohammed Garba, has identified insincerity on the part of Nigerians as the bane of the country’s problems.

The trio spoke, yesterday, in Lagos at a forum on: ”Contemporary Nigeria: Challenges facing a democratising nation,” which was organised by the Lagos State Council of NUJ, at Ostra Hall, Ikeja.

Gov. Akpabio, who was represented by his Commissioner for Information, Mr. Aniekan Umanah, argued that the need to address the question of indigeneship was imperative, if the nation must forge ahead.Gov.  Fashola in his speech stressed that the greatest problem facing Nigeria today is the failure of credible leadership even as he called for the immediate electoral reform in the country.

Gov. Fashola, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Strategy, Mrs. Ranti Odutola, noted that the problem with Nigeria was that of effective leadership.

However, Garba identified insincerity as the bane of Nigeria’s problems. He, however,  called on the present crop of leaders to be sincere.