Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has said political stability remains imperative in achieving the desired development in the country.
The Speaker spoke on Thursday at the 2023 Democracy Day Lecture organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in Abuja.
The Speaker who was represented by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, said that prioritising political stability in the new administration was necessary to record sustainable economic development that would attract foreign investments.
“Democracy provides the liberal environment necessary for innovation, creativity and growth, is the sure means to ensure sustainable development that meets the needs and aspirations of our people,” Abbas stated.
In a welcome remarks, Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, explained that the lecture was very apt because it creates the opportunity to take stock of the nation’s democratic system, highlights challenges and make recommendations where necessary.
In his words; “In the political sphere, there had been calls for restructuring of Nigeria’s federal system, issues bordering on elections, power transition, economic governance, poor coordination between monetary and fiscal policies and the need for accountability in public financing”
Prof Sulaiman spoke on fuel subsidy removal and the need for interventions that would cushion the effects were part of the issues seeking attention.
According to NILDS DG,“These challenges places a lot of expectations on the new administration and thus, require informed perspectives to enhance governance outcomes at the Federal, State, and Local Government levels,” he said.
He emphasized on the need to addresse the insecurity of the nation which poses a threat to the Democratic process and governance.
In a lead paper on Democracy and state of the nation, a former INEC Commissioner Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu identified a disconnect between democracy and development in the country.
He suggested five key solutions to addressing the phenomenon which are quality of works and reward in Nigeria, the quality of participation and representation, the quality of institutions either political or economic and by that I mean rules that govern our behaviour.“
The theme of the lecture was “Democracy and the State of the Nation: Towards Agenda Setting for the New Administration.
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