The Convener of the Save Nigeria Group (SNG), Pastor Tunde Bakare, has advised the incoming president, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) to ensure that he appoints technocrats into strategic positions in his government, just as he urged him to shun ‘it is our turn’ politics.

Bakare, made the veiled remark to the president-elect, while speaking among a set of panellists at Wema Bank Plc’s 70th anniversary commemorative lecture titled: “Why Nations Succeed,” that took place in Lagos monday.

According to Bakare, although several nations have been commending the outcome of Nigeria’s recently concluded presidential elections, the “undercurrents in the nation today is the idea that it is ‘our turn.’”

He added: “We just have to wait for few weeks to see how things would go. I pray that the north that has been out of power for some time will not say, ‘now it is our turn,’ whether we would see round pegs in square holes and begin to attract incompetent people. The most competent, the fittest and people with capacity and ideas should be the ones to go for.

“It would look beautiful to put things together if you have the mind to do it and if you have the right people to occupy these places, regardless of their religion, regardless of their agenda and what part of the country they are from, as long as they are able to deliver what would bring us out of this backwardness.”

According to Bakare: “It is the choices that you make that will make you poor or rich. We must make the right choices as we have the opportunity now. We have campaigned on ‘change,’ Nigerians have trusted us on ‘change,’ but I want to look at those that would be the agents of the change. The choices we made in the past are the cause of the consequences we are dealing with today,” he added.
On her part, the Co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls group, Mrs. Oby Ezekwesili, stressed the need for the building of lasting institutions in the country.

According to the former Minister of Education, institutions are accumulated practices based on common sense of shared purpose and destination.

“What we have seen in that in institution building, there is the supply and demand side of the matter. So, in our society, we have had supply side activities for building institutions, but we have not seen the commensurate demand activities. It is the demand activities of the citizens of any society that would push the frontiers of the extractors, who monopolise power. But when the citizens are completely disengaged, nobody will do it for them. So, we need to become active participants in governance.

“There is need for strong institutions that are functional, that thrive on the rule of law, that are predictable in the way they behave. Also, there is need for sound macro-economic policies and then effective and efficient investments, whether public investments or private sector investments. These are the framework for economic growth.

“We have serious issues of poor governance of resources, so that public investment don’t end up producing the kind of output we produce because of the quality of individuals. So, what quality of individuals are involved in the process of institution building?” she aske.

Earlier, the guest lecturer, who is the co-author of the book: “Why Nations Fail,” Prof. James Robinson, noted that the failure of Nigerian leaders and other African leaders to organise their economies the way they should be were responsible for the poor output and slow pace of development by the continent.

According to Robinson, Nigeria had suffered from a long history of exploitative and extractive institutions. However, he acknowledged that since 1999 when the country returned to democracy, it has recorded a lot of progress economically as well as the strengthening of some institutions due to reforms.

He stressed the need for inclusiveness for any nation to attain its potential.

“All countries which now have inclusive institutions, historically had extractive institutions,” he said.

Also, the Dean, of Lagos Business School of the Pan-Atlantic University, Mrs. Enase Okonebo, noted that for any nation to develop, it has to focus on education, saying that Nigeria is one of the poorest in terms of out-of-school children.

In his remark, a former Vice-Chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oyewusi Ibidapo-Obe, said “we need to dislodge the elites from their comfort zones.”

http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/bakare-urges-buhari-to-shun-our-turn-politics-appoint-technocrats/207341/

Well said pastor, what nigeria really need now is all-around change not one sided one, so that the SE and SS who didn't voted for change to experience the mighty wind of change.

Nigga focus on your church la
Are u the president elect's adviser
I tire for una o

Ok. Noted sir! He should appoint people who are willing and ready to work not all those power hawks whom the incubency surround himself with or else, he may face similar fate as mr president. We need intelligent and committed people to move this nation forward and i pray that God will guide Buhari right into taking decision and making policies that will make our nation great. Amen

Buhari should take note.

Though it has been one of APC policy,but they need to shun it completely,Buhari should make himself as a good example to other party members,by let them know that holding public office don't make you a billionaire.

Bakare should focus more on his church... His church needs his sincere and undiluted gospel more than Buhari needs his advice... As for appointing technocrats Buhari already said that but no matter how we try to pretend, politics remains politics and certain interests must be put into consideration in doing appointments, however, the good thing is that there is no part of the country that does not have capable hands that can fill any position at the federal level. All Buhari needs to do is to look carefully.

All correct.

These are the kind of advice that should be coming from Christian leaders not a provocative one like what he did cursing those who curse or wish their leaders bad (those are cursed already). At least for once, let a chritian leader make an angry-free-political statement.

Wether you vote Buhari or not, time is when we pray to God to protect him and give him his own wisdom to lead us right.

Nigeria must move forward.

GOOD REASONING!!!!