Former presidential aide urges good governance as military assures of respect for human rights

A former Special Adviser to erstwhile President Olusegun Obasanjo on Bureau for Public Enterprises (BPE), Venatius Ikem, has charged Nigerians to put the right people in government for the prudent management of the nation’s treasury.

Delivering the second Distinguished Public Lecture of the Department of Educational Administration and Planning, University of Calabar in Cross River State, he noted that the citizenry “should not expect the best when people with questionable character are being elected or appointed to run the public treasury and shout corruption afterwards.”

The one-time national spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), however, urged Nigerians to look at the positives of the nation and never despair the numerous challenges in the land notwithstanding.
In his presentation titled: Thoughts on Nigeria’s Development Journey and the Fallacies of Hopeless, Ikem admitted that though the country had not developed as expected, but was quick to add that a little progress had been made in the areas of education, infrastructure, communication, healthcare, politics and economy.

His words: “Having said all these, running through few sectors and even deliberately avoiding some like agriculture and security, the point must be made that I am by no means saying that we should rise up and celebrate! Far from it!

“Our development in all sectors lags far behind expectations given our endowment in terms of manpower, grit and determination, natural resources, including a very clement weather devoid of major natural disasters and other challenges that should hamper development. I have, as the cliché goes, rather preferred to paint a picture of a half full cup than visualise a half empty one.

“I hope to encourage us to take a more positive picture of our nation than look at the dismal one. To be inspired by how far we have come than despair in how much farther we need to go.”
Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Yusuf Buratai, has reiterated the military’s belief in the fundamental rights of civilians as enshrined in the constitution.

He maintained that it was this respect for rights and freedom that formed the basis for civil-military relations in Nigeria.
The COAS spoke during the inauguration of the Human Rights Office of the 3 Division of the Nigerian Army in Jos, Plateau State.