Nigeria Is Being Crippled By The ‘Big Men Politics’ That We Practice – Pat Utomi

A professor of political economy, Pat Utomi said Nigeria must change its brand of politics from that of ‘big men’ to a political class that adopts the simple life. 

Pat Utomi Speaks On Nigerian Politics

The former presidential candidate spoke on Saturday at the town hall meeting of a group known as Big Tent — a coalition of political parties, civil society organisations, and social movements.

According to him, Nigeria is facing existential challenges because of the kind of plotics it practice which needs to be changed so that the country can attain its enormous potential for greatness.

Utomi said, “We need a political class that adopts the simple life. Our country must be ready for this change. It must be a time of healing and building. Our country must be healed from the damage of our recent history. We must build afresh.

“It is a time we look through the windshield and not looking at the rear blue mirror most of the time, because in focusing on yesterday, we are getting away from tomorrow.

“What matters is that this country still has the potential for greatness. Nigeria is a country of enormous potential, yet it is being crippled by the kind of politics that we have.”

Utomi said if a country like Brazil, which initially looked hopeless could bounced back and can come back to life, then Nigeria will rise up again with the right leader.

Utomi added: “If Brazil can come back to life, Nigeria surely will surely up again. To get Nigeria to rise up again, we must begin to remind ourselves that it is about what individuals can do to give to build a great new tomorrow for Nigeria not what about what can get.

“We have a duty of care to our country that we need to do something in response to this existential challenge that is facing us.”

Utomi said that the big issues before the coalition were the problem of poverty, unemployment, power failure, rising debts, energy, climate change among others.

KanyiDaily recalls that Pat Utomi had also advised Nigerians to vote for a selfless and intellectual leader to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.