Convener of the coalition of concerned citizens, Prof. Pat Utomi, has urged Nigerians to find an alternative track toward a national unity solution to the nation’s numerous challenges as the country approaches another election year.
Prof. Utomi, a former presidential candidate and political economist, who disclosed this at a news conference on the state of the nation on Friday in Lagos, said there was need to form a consensus and national unity approach to move the nation forward.
In a speech entitled: “A Time to Begin Again”, Utomi, who noted that Nigeria had been troubled and challenged, said what Nigeria needs is a government of national unity spearheaded by selfless men of values, courage, competence and character to heal wounds.
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The coalition includes social movements, civil society, the New Fabian Society of the Concerned Professionals, the NCFRONT and the Third Force Cluster of Political Parties.
“We have built a clear platform we call ‘Big Tent’ and everybody can come into it which has been organising town hall meetings and a number of things,” Utomi added.
Describing the ‘Big Tent’ as a college of reformers, Utomi said the group was a new politics and the new Nigeria that put the people of Nigeria first in its approach while values and ideas would be the focus rather than ‘big men’ without integrity and merit.
“The purpose of the alternative track is to return politics to the domain of simple men filled with love like our founding fathers, Sir Ahmadu Bello, Dr. Michael Okpara, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, Aminu Kano, and Tafawa Balewa.
“We are convinced that the labels of the heroes of a struggle past and present like the Bala Usmans, Gani Fawehinmis, Chidi Ubanis, Olisa Agbokobas, Ayo Obes, Femi Falanas, Gambo Sawabas, and Margaret Ekpos will cement the desperate desire of our people for a new beginning to ensure that Nigeria will rise up again.”
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According to him, Afenifere, Arewa Consultative Forum and Ohaneze Ndigbo, Niger Delta People Congress and the Middle Belt forum can be consulted to nominate people into the unity government forum.
The convener added that Nigeria needed people who had shown a track record of sacrificial service through their lives for the good of the society.
He said that communities should find such people among them to serve the people, not those who were desperate to rule them, noting that there was no way the country would make progress if the ‘money bags’ continued to decide who governs the people.
According to him, the nation needs to reconstruct its political parties and that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has a huge role to play in terms of rules to favour the emergence of right candidates.
“Our country is troubled and we need all hands on deck for a salvage operation. These times called for people of courage and conviction to bring wisdom to the table.