*We must resolve to  live together in love, unity, fight terrorism as a common enemy —Clark

*Buhari must heal Nigeria to stave off threat to our corporate existence —Okorie

*We need political will to bring about badly-needed changes —Shettima

*We must avoid predilection for misinformation, disinformation, lies  — Osuntokun

By Clifford Ndujihe & Henry Umoru

Some eminent Nigerians, in different chats with Vanguard, yesterday, dissected the state of the nation, President Muhammadu Buhari’s acclaimed achievements in 2021, and proffered what must be done to save the country in 2022, especially as the 2023 general elections approach.

Those who spoke to Vanguard include elders Statesman and South-South Leader, Chief Edwin  Clark; former Political Adviser to ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief Akin Osuntokun; President of the Arewa Youths Consultative Forum, AYCF, Alhaji Yerima Shettima; and founder of the United Progressives Party, UPP, and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Chekwas Okorie.

We must resolve to  fight terrorism as a common enemy — Clark

Chief Clark, a former Federal Commissioner for Information and Leader of the Southern, and Mddle Belt Leaders Forum, SMBLF, said for terrorists to be fought as a common enemy, all Nigerians must resolve to live together in love and unity as equal partners irrespective of religion, tribe and ethnic group.

In his New Year message, Clark stressed the need for all hands to be on deck to nip terrorism in the bud because the  death of any Nigerian is a lost to all of us irrespective of the family he comes from.

The SMBLF leader urged Nigerians to in the spirit of New Year, irrespective religion or ethnicity, to love thy neighbour as thyself and as equal citizens with equal rights devoid of envy and hatred.

Clark said: “With joy and love I congratulate you all for been part of the new year 2022.We thank the Almighty God for the survival of our country.

“Every Nigerian irrespective religion or ethnicity should love thy neighbour as thyself and as equal citizens with equal rights void of envy and hatred.

“To do otherwise, the serious state of insecurity encompassing our country will only give us grief, hatred and distrust leading to dissatisfaction, bitterness and threat to the unity of our country.

“We must, therefore, all resolve to live together in love and unity as equal partners and fight the terrorist as a common enemy, because the death of any Nigerian is a lost to all of us irrespective of the family he comes from.”

Buhari must heal Nigeria to stave off threat to our corporate existence —Okorie

Asked his take on the Federal Government’s claim of positive achievements in security, economy and infrastructure in 2021 as claimed by Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and later President Muhammadu, Chief Chekwas Okorie said: “On the positive side, I will state without any fear of contradiction that President  Buhari has surpassed all previous governments after the Nigerian Civil War in 1970, in laying solid foundation for the economic recovery and growth of Nigeria.

“The milestone accomplishments recorded by the Buhari administration in national road network infrastructure, rail transportation, seaports reconstruction and development, energy etc, have the combined capacity to expand the economy and create employment. The development in the agricultural sector is almost revolutionary.

“However, on the downside, the Federal Government has left much to be desired in national security despite the heavy investment made in the sector. But for the widespread insecurity in the country, Nigeria would have since attained food security.

“Corruption has become a national culture. Well meaning Nigerians across board have proposed repeatedly the restructuring of the country’s security architecture including allowing for State Police and Community Policing but the government for some unexplained reasons has lacked the political will power to drive the process. “Nigeria has been far more divided along ethnic and religious lines than at any other time in the history of the county. Nigeria is in dire need of healing and I believe that there is still time for President Buhari to commence the process of national reconciliation and restore to Nigeria the much needed sense of belonging, equity, inclusiveness and fairness.

“It will be great for President Buhari to bequeath to the country the legacy of national unity. I recommend that he dedicates the last  lap of his eight-year continuous tenure to healing a highly fractured and disunited country.”

On his expectations for Nigeria in 2022, he said: “My expectations are anchored essentially on President Buhari dwelling on healing the nation to stave off impending threat to the corporate existence of Nigeria. The signs are quite ominous.”

Asked the signs are and how the impending threats can be averted, Chief Okorie said: “There are strong feelings of alienation, anger and separatist agitation. Nigeria is more divided along ethnic lines than religious lines. Even citizens of the same religion are now fiercely loyal and seek self determination along their ethnic identities.

“The President must muster the political will to address the fears of subjugation and neo-colonialism. This will be in the short run because time is running out on Nigeria. A total federal structure that will be the outcome of a national conference of Nigeria’s ethnic nationalities will provide the long term solution.

“I fear that the build up to the 2023 general election which will rise to a crescendo in 2022 will be fiercely contested along ethnic lines which will force the two foremost political parties, namely All Progressives Congress, APC, and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to return to the drawing board.”

We need political will to bring about badly-needed changes — Shettima

On his part, Alhaji faulted the Federal Government’s claim of achievements in security, economy and infrastructure.

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His words: “I don’t know what parameter the government used in arriving at “positive achievements” but I am aware that a lot still needs to be done in this area. I read a lot of disturbing news on daily basis. I just hope the despondency in my nation ends soon. Without prejudice to what Minister Lai Mohammed claims, I believe a lot more needs to be done on safety and security.

“In the area of infrastructure, I doubt if any positive achievement has been recorded. We have so many federal roads full of potholes and driving by road has become quite disturbing in today’s Nigeria. One area that disturbs me apart from the security challenge is the infrastructure deficit. It seems the budget on infrastructure is either not being faithfully implemented or there are distractions in today’s Nigeria.

“As for the economy, I just wonder whether the Federal Ministry of Finance has the will to initiate viable economic policies beyond too many taxes. Though I’m  not in a position to say exactly what the Minister of Finance  has to offer in 2022, I think she needs to introduce comparatively  more masses-friendly policies with less taxation and more welfare initiatives.

“I heard some Nigerians complaining about running businesses at a loss because of unforeseen costs of diesel for powering their generators. I heard of unprecedented  price of electricity meters, price of cooking gas and other daily needs of Nigerians. The buck stops at the Finance Minister’s desk.   She should introduce programmes to tackle widespread poverty, unemployment and related problems.

“Most importantly,  I believe that there is still hope that all the challenges – from security to economy and infrastructure none is insurmountable once we are ready to be more realistic and have the political will to bring about the badly-needed change for the better.”

Me must avoid predilection for misinformation,  disinformation, lies — Osuntokun

For Osuntokun, the Federal Government’s claim of achievement run counter to reality.

His words: “It will amount to a waste of time to bother giving attention to what conspicuously flies in the face of reality. If what we all know and experience about the state of security, economy and infrastructure is what this government calls achievements, then I shudder to think of what it believes amount to failure.

“The gap between reality and the illusory perception and propaganda of this government is so wide that one has to begin to doubt the psychological stability of the mind that makes such claims. Outlandish claims by top government officials are not surprising given the reputation they have acquired for often literarily convincing themselves that black is white and as such no one gives any serious attention to their infantile propaganda disservice.

“My expectation of 2022 is more of the same with the very dangerous implication that the subversive cost will be enormous given the potential of the forthcoming general elections to be derailed by this predilection for misinformation, disinformation and outright lies.”

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