Abubakar, Obi, Shettima At NBA Conference, Proffer Solutions To Nigeria's Challenges

Some of the Presidential candidates in the 2023 elections on Monday attended the Nigerian Bar Association’s annual general conference in Lagos.

The 2022 NBA Annual General Conference, with the theme “Bold Transitions”, is being held at the Eko Atlantic City until August 26.

According to Channels Television, Labour Party’s Peter Obi and the Peoples Democratic Party’s Atiku Abubakar appeared in person at the conference.

The NBA had earlier said two other presidential candidates – Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) – did not confirm their availability for the conference.

However, Vice-Presidential candidate of the APC, Kassim Shettima, was present at the conference.

Also, the Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dumebi Kachikwu and that of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, were also in attendance.

The ocassion provided opportunities to the leading candidates who were scheduled to speak to present some kind of peeps into what they intend to do to change the current narratives and save the economy from Imminent collapse.

However, award-winning novelist, Chimamanda Adichie, who gave a keynote address at the event, said Nigerians are starved of heroes and young people have nobody to look up to.

Labour Party Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi outlined “important” areas Nigeria must tackle “aggressively” for a greater economy.According to the former governor of Anambra State, investment in intangible assets such as education and power are critical for economic renaissance.

“What we need to do is the two most intangible assets: security; and law and order . . . provide conducive environment to attract investors, then education and power . . . the economy is driven by these intangible assets,” he said at the opening ceremony.

He spoke on a panel alongside All Progressives Congress Vice-Presidential Candidate, Shettima; Peoples Democratic Party’s Presidential Candidate, Abubakar; amongst others.

Vice-Presidential Candidate, Shettima said the government of APC Presidential Candidate, Bola Tinubu, will replicate the “wonders” in Borno and Lagos states if elected president in 2023.Shettima, a former Borno governor, also hit ‘pretentious politicians’ at the opening ceremony.

Shettima spoke on a panel session immediately after Peoples Democratic Party’s Presidential Candidate, Atiku Abubakar; and shortly before Labour Party’s Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi; amongst other panelists.

Commenting immediately after Atiku, Shettima said, “Nigerians have the capability to see through the worn-out rhetoric and sophistry of pretentious politicians. Nigerians should follow the man wey know the road.

From day one, we will hit the ground running. We’ll promptly address the issue of the economy, ecology, and security.

“And we have the antecedents. I built some of the best schools in Nigeria. Go to Borno and see wonders; you will never believe that it is a state in a state of war.

“So, we are going to replicate our achievements in Lagos, in Borno and some of the frontline states so that our nation will be a better place. The fundamental issue is pure leadership.”

Atiku said if elected president come 2023, he will hand over federal universities to state governments and the private sector for efficient management.

At the panel session aired live on Channels Television, the 75-year-old Adamawa-born politician stated that the Federal Government does not have infinite resources.

“The only way is to make sure that you make conducive environment available to both foreign and local investors to participate in our country, whether it is infrastructure, whether it is education, whether it is power,” he said.“I had an argument with a university professor from Federal University, Lokoja. He said he read in my policy document that I intended to devolve, in other words, to return education to the states. How dare do I do that?

“I said, ‘Mr Professor, do you realise that the first set of our universities belong to the regional governments?’ He said, ‘Yes’. I said who are the successors of the regional government? He said the states.

“I said the children you send to America, to England, who own those universities? Mostly the private sector. So, why is it that you think we cannot do it here? We don’t have the money.”

MetroBusinessNews (MBN) reports that the Academic Staff Union of Universities has been on strike since February 14 over improved welfare, revitalisation of public universities and academic autonomy among other demands.

Students of public tertiary universities have been out of the classroom since the lecturers downed tools.

ASUU embarked on a similar industrial action for nine months in 2020.

Meanwhile, many politicians and government officials have been pictured overseas at the graduation of their children in schools abroad, even during the ongoing ASUU strike, a development that has been criticised and described as insensitive by rights activists and many concerned Nigerians.
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Also, Borno has been a hotbed of terrorist attacks since 2009.

Local governments attacked by insurgents in the state have been deserted though the state government has recently been making efforts to resettle thousands of internally displaced persons.

The 13-year-old jihadist insurgency has killed more than 40,000 people and displaced 2.2 million in the northeast region.

The violence has spilled into neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition to fight the insurgents.