By Musa Adamu
Stakeholders from various shades of the Nigerian society have made a checklist of ingredients necessary to achieve a desired change in the country.
Speaking at the 9th Annual Independent Lecture organized by the Change we Need Nigeria Initiative with theme: The Nigeria of our Dream, different speakers spoke on why the country was not achieving the desired change as well as proffering the way forward.
The Initiative is convened by General Overseer, Charimatic Renewal Ministry, Dr Cosmas Elechukwu.
According to Dr Elechukwu, achieving Nigeria of our Dream is seemingly unachievable because of the multiethnic nature of the country, a state deployed by leaders to advance their personal gains at the cost of the country.
He further noted that pervasive poverty among Nigerians which had incapacitated citizens to access health care, education and housing, had made the appreciation of any change difficult.
He also accused Nigerian elites of fostering money politics in the consciousness of the populace.
For a “Nigeria of our Dream” Dr Elechukwu said there must be what termed Common Citizenship where Nigerians feel comfortable in any part of the country, a Structured Nigeria to checkmate poverty among Nigerians and Rule of Law based Governance to check impunity and fostering of transparency as well as accountability.
He further said there was need for a Productive Nigeria where industry would spring up to curb unemployment, Meritocracy where merit rules the ways things were done, Education and Youth Development, Adequate Life Supporting Infrastructure and Security of life and property if “Nigeria of our Dream” must be a reality.
On his part, a Public Affairs Commentator, Dr Otive Igbuzor, said there was the need to put in a place a strategy for change and a model for managing resistance to change.
He described a model for managing resistance to change as specific strategies to enlist cooperation of the people to support the change process.
He said: “Government should recruit change champions. These are people who are passionate about change, know yhw nature of the change and are prepared to lead the process of change.”
Dr Abiola Akiyode- Afolabi, Chairperson, Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), who lamented the resurgence of vote buying syndrome, added that citizens and communities must act to stem the development.
On the change needed in the country, the Chairperson listed “mandate protection, rubost coordination of the CSOs and other actors in ensuring election integrity, Nigerians making Nigeria work for them and Yes, Change begins with me or us but change must begin with them too. It is mutual.”
