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Nigeria
Nigeria’s democracy needs reforms
- Strauss
OUTGOING Canadian
High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr. Howard Strauss, said, Nigeria’s young
democracy would last only if political reforms are carried out.
Strauss, who spoke in Abuja, hailed
government’s economic reform package, but called for extension of the reforms to
the political sector where key issues of transparency and credibility should be
manifested.
The envoy, who has spent three years in
Nigeria, spoke on a forum of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) weekend.
"There was a general consensus that the
March 2004 local government elections were not good elections. The lesson must
be learnt from that experience toward a better election in 2007.
"The 2007 elections are fundamental to the
stability of democracy in Nigeria and it is good to make sure it is of high
quality," Strauss declared.
Strauss called for early preparations to
avoid last minute rushes that might leave out vital aspects.
The envoy also called for urgent steps to
check the attacks on political figures to reduce political tension.
He decried the spate of unresolved
political murders in the country, especially that of the then Justice Minister,
Chief Bola Ige (SAN) and the attack on National Agency for Food and Drugs
Administration and Control (NAFDAC) Director-General, Dr Dora Akunyili.
Strauss described insecurity as a major
problem of the Nigerian society and noted that the development was worrisome to
both citizens and foreigners, and therefore called on government to strengthen
the ability of the police to check the trend.
Also to be strengthened, he said, was the
judiciary, which, he said, needed all the support to ensure speedy trials and
effective dispensation of justice.
The envoy also called for an effective
mechanism that would curtail the proliferation of small arms and light weapons
in the country, noting that the easy access to firearms was escalating the
tendency to violence.
Strauss decried the loss of lives during
incessant riots and the bomb explosions that rocked Lagos, and described both as
some of his lowest moments in the country.
Other low moments, he said, were the
incessant deaths from road accidents, assassinations, and diseases.
The envoy, however, described Nigeria and
Nigerians as "very interesting," saying that he admired their individual
brilliance and cherished his visits to Port Harcourt, Lake Chad, Jos and Bauchi.
He also reviewed three years of his
monitoring of government’s economic programmes and returned the verdict that
"Nigeria is gradually, but steadily inching its way back to reckoning."
He described the National Economic
Empowerment Development Strategy, (NEEDS) and the thrust of the 2004 budget as
"good road maps to economic growth" and lauded government’s steps toward
attracting and empowering the private sector describing it as the "engine of any
growth."
He said the efforts to attack corruption
via the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent
Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission (ICPC) were "beginning
to have some bites and good results."
Strauss noted that the EFCC had gained
global acceptance as an international machinery that could be used to prosecute
fraudulent crimes and solicited more support to enable it succeed.
The envoy lauded government’s monetisation
policy, which, he said, would reduce expenditure and check wastes.
Strauss said that the reforms were "very
painful," adding, however, that they were inevitable as recovery could never be
attained overnight after so many years of destruction.
He tasked government to muster more
courage to pursue the reforms to fruition and similarly called for patience and
perseverance from the people as the sacrifice was worth it.
The envoy described Nigeria as a country
versed with good human and natural resources which was "unfortunately" down in
its first few years of independence by military men.
Strauss, who pencilled down the years
between 1983 and 1998 as the "worst of such military years", said that the
period witnessed a total collapse of the economy, agriculture and the erosion of
the manufacturing base in spite of oil revenue.
"The soldiers destroyed national
institutions like health, education and the civil service, and instilled a
culture of corruption with everyone striving to tear out the society," he said.
On efforts by his country to aid Nigeria’s
bid for economic recovery, he said that "six strong" business delegations had so
far visited Nigeria in the past two years resulting in the opening of many
frontiers.
He said that his country had also
encouraged more private sector investments into Nigeria while more of such
business cooperation avenues were still being explored.
Strauss also said that his country had
rendered a lot of technical assistance to Nigeria in the areas of health,
education and agriculture, adding that he personally promoted a collaboration to
ease access to partnership funds in Canada.
The envoy described his three years in
Nigeria as "very fruitful" as he re-opened the Canadian offices in Abuja and
Lagos, both closed during the military era.
Canada also re-opened its Consular services section as
Nigerians hitherto had to travel to Ghana to seek Visa, while higher bilateral
links were established.
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