Politics
For Nigeria’s political elite, govt is a means of livelihood —Ezekwesili
Allied Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) presidential candidate, Obiageli Ezekwesili, on Tuesday accused Nigerian political elite of being averse to reforms.
She explained that the reason they do so was because many of them see government as a means of livelihood.
Ezekwesili said, “The single biggest challenge during my work as a minister was dealing with the political class – they were not interested in supporting reforms. For many of them, government was a mere means of livelihood.
“At my core, I have never been able to tolerate injustice, especially when it has to do with the weakest in the society.”
She stated this when she spoke at Chatham House, London, charging Nigeria’s political class to commit themselves to people-oriented reforms that will help bring about a better country.
While explaining that she was at Chatham House to answer the call of majority of Nigerians living in abject poverty, Ezekwesili argued that Nigeria was in grave danger of falling into difficulties its contemporaries started mitigating many years ago.
According to her “time is now for the political class to chart a way forward.”
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On what she will do if elected president on the incessant shutting down of tertiary institutions over poor financing of education in the country, she said among others, that she would convert the budgetary allocations of universities to grants.
She regretted the ongoing strike by members of the Academic Staff Universities Union (ASUU) and promised to adequately fund the educational sector if she emerges as president.
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