Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said that during Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, ethnic, religious profiling and bigotry played out influencing the decision of voters.
He also warned that such acts, spearheaded by politicians and elites in their quest for power only promotes divisive rhetoric and setback in the country’s development.
Osinbajo raised these issues Monday, April 17, 2023, while delivering an Inaugural lecture series for Executive Course 45 Participants at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, Jos South Local Government of Plateau State.
The topic of the lecture which is “Creating a Homeland for All: Nation Building in a Diverse Democracy” is part of the Policy Making and Good Governance Lecture Series initiated by the NIPSS Management which seeks to provide a platform for the 97 Executive Course 45 Participants to interface with intellectuals from various backgrounds.
Osinbajo said just to secure power, elites and politicians used ethnic and religious profiling by criminalizing the acts of particular tribes and religions, but it is a dangerous trend.
The paper which strived to address how Nigeria should harness its ethnic diversity for development urged for caution from the key players so as not to take Nigeria back to its past bloody experiences of the first and second republic, or the bitter experiences of Rwanda due to ethnic and religious bigotry.
The paper x-rayed how the elites of Tanzania, Singapore, and Rwanda came together to bring out policies for unity, peaceful coexistence and pointed out that the Nigerian politicians can do so.
“The country can only grow with unity, stability, if professionalism not ethnic or religious bigotry is prioritized. Nigeria must prioritize its unity, cohesion and progress by doing away with prejudices that have impeded the nation’s growth”.
“Elites and governments should deliberately make peaceful coexistence a part of its policies. The task of changing the situation lies with both the citizens and the Government which is expected to drive reforms and enforce the rule of law at all times”.
While urging the media to be mindful of the kind of narrative it spearheads in a multi-ethnic society like Nigeria, VP Osinbajo called for an Ethnic Integration Policy like the one adopted in Singapore and Rwanda which taught children and people to first identify as Singaporeans, and Rwandans for unity.
The Lecture however noted that Nigerians are changing, while the youths are mingling through technologies and social integration, that is why in the recent elections, they joined hands to choose where they will be.
Plateau State Governor Simon Bako Lalong at the forum said the Lecture Series is a well-conceived idea that addresses the long-standing challenge of policymaking and delivery of people-centred governance in Nigeria.
He said, “Policies are ordinarily supposed to be formulated on the basis of national or State aspirations and driven by the concept of the “general good”.
Unfortunately, he said “We have witnessed time and again where good policies have been either jettisoned or poorly executed in Nigeria on the basis of politics and other considerations that do not reflect the general interest”.
“This situation which has deteriorated over the years particularly within our democratic experience continues to impact negatively on the slow level of development in virtually all sectors”.
Lalong pointed out that ” It is sad to note that rather than focus on sustaining good policies that drive national agenda and strengthen the Nigerian State, many office holders sacrifice this virtue on the altar of politics which is sometimes motivated by parochial considerations driven by ethno-religious considerations among others”.
He said his administration among some of its policies focused on continuity and implementation of projects abandoned and inherited by past governments rather than jettison such projects due to party differences and parochial reasons so as not to waste public resources.
Lalong said the good governance lecture is a well-conceived idea and the theme is apt adding that President Buhari has in his 8-year rule built great policies that the country has benefitted from and said there are high expectations on the President Elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to deliver the laudable policies enshrined in his manifesto “Renewed Hope”.
Director General (DG) of NIPSS Prof. Ayo Omotayo said the lecture series is another initiative of Institute aimed at generating discourse on critical issues such as policy-making and good governance which are key to attaining Nigeria’s national aspirations.
In a goodwill message, Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba also commended NIPSS for sustaining the culture of research and policy incubation which has been very useful for the nation’s growth.
He said hosting the nation’s highest think-tank and policy making institution in his domain has been of immense benefit to the state and country at large.
