Former President Goodluck Jonathan former Kano State Governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and former Delta State Governor Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa joined the Forum of Former Deputy Governors of Nigeria (FFDGN) in calling for an urgent end to political divisions executive friction and character-deficient leadership in the country.
Speaking on Tuesday at the 5th National Conference of the FFDGN in Abuja key political figures and former state executives emphasised that bridging the widening disconnect between those who lead and those they lead requires institutional reform moral re-engineering and people-centred stewardship.
The conference was themed ‘Rethinking Nation-Building: Bridging the Leadership-Citizen Disconnect through Orientation Attitude Character Culture and Tradition for Sustainable Development.’
Serving as Co-Chairman of the event alongside former Katsina State Governor Aminu Bello Masari former Delta State Governor Sen. Dr. Ifeanyi Okowa stressed that a persistent gap between policy formulation and everyday reality has severely eroded public trust.
‘There is usually a gulf between policy formulation implementation and citizens’ everyday life’ Okowa stated. ‘Over the years our citizens have rightly or wrongly felt disconnected from governance as their expectations needs and aspirations appear not to have been reasonably met. The consequence is a weakening of the social contract between the state and its citizens.’
Okowa called for an immediate shift from government-centred development to a people-centred model demanding active roles for young people in decision-making.
‘We must provide enough space for the participation of our young people by empowering them deliberately as architects of now and the future rather than seeing them as spectators in the present’ Okowa declared. ‘Nation building is the collective responsibility of everyone who calls this country home and not the exclusive responsibility of those who occupy public office.’
Reinforcing Okowa’s stance FFDGN National Chairman Dr. Chris Alozie Akomas warned that budgets and legislation alone cannot fix the nation’s core issues without an ethical anchor.
‘We speak of sustainable development but no nation can develop when its people feel alienated from its story’ Akomas declared. ‘Policies do not transform a nation people do. Budgets do not build a society; character does. Power without character is very destructive and governance without empathy is an empty shell.’
Akomas urged public officeholders to replace political arrogance with humility while FFDGN Director-General Hon. Kenneth Ibe-Kalu said the non-partisan forum is committed to enforcing civic education and curbing societal indiscipline.
‘We are deeply concerned that the disconnect between leadership and our citizens is alarmingly on the rise’ Ibe-Kalu noted. ‘We must mirror society to our leaders and decisively halt current decadence by proactively promoting civic education celebrating rectitude and systematically checking indiscipline and untoward behaviour in society.’
In his address as Grand Patron of the Forum delivered by former Adamawa State Deputy Governor Bala James Ngilale Dr Goodluck Jonathan emphasised that governance must focus on institutional strength rather than personal ambition.
‘As a former deputy governor and governor of Bayelsa State before becoming vice president and subsequently president of Nigeria I understand the opportunities and challenges associated with the office of deputy governor’ Jonathan stated. ‘The experience teaches patience loyalty consultation and teamwork. Above all it reminds us that governance is not about one individual but about strong institutions and service to the people.’
Jonathan urged political leaders to rise above ethnic religious and regional divisions tasking former deputy governors with mentoring emerging young leaders.
Contributing to the dialogue Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje attributed political instability to the ideological emptiness of political parties and frequent defections.
‘Are political parties truly strong democratic institutions when they lack clear ideologies?’ Ganduje questioned. ‘If we examine them critically there are hardly any significant ideological differences among the political parties. That is why people move from one party to another flying from one tree to another.’
Ganduje also condemned the friction between sitting governors and their predecessors which results in abandoned projects: ‘When a new governor comes into office the previous administration’s projects and programmes may be abandoned or reversed. There is therefore no continuity. Yet continuity leads to consolidation and consolidation leads to sustainable development.’
Addressing the judiciary Ganduje added: ‘Even the judiciary as an institution of democracy raises concerns. I wonder who will reform the judiciary in this country because the person expected to reform it may also be afraid of the judiciary having to rely on the same institution.’
Concluding the conference FFDGN leaders resolved to leverage their institutional memory to submit formal recommendations for constitutional review to the National Assembly while seeking strategic partnerships with international organizations to drive sustainable development across Nigeria.