Iheanacho Nwosu
30 October 2009
Lagos — Ahead of 2011 general elections, Gov. Ikedi Ohakim of Imo State yesterday raised alarm that Nigeria faces an uncertain future if the culture of win-at-all-costs by politicians was not addressed immediately.
He also decried what he called the growing shift by media practitioners from focusing on issues of national interest to personal attacks on public office holders, which according to him, were often sponsored by political opponents.
Also showing concern for the nation's political future, frontline politician and Executive Chairman of Champion Newspapers Limited (CNL), Chief Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, challenged opposition parties in the country to show they are truly interested in the survival of democracy by organizing to become really formidable.
He also said the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has had a commanding role in the leadership of the country because of the failure of opposition parties to wield their strength and keep the government on its toes.
Chief Iwuanyanwu and Governor Ohakim stated yesterday in Abuja at the Champion Better Society Lecture delivered by chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Maurice Iwu.
According to Chief Iwuanyanwu, democracy in Nigeria has suffered the effect of a weak opposition blaming their failure to checkmate the ruling party on lack of organisation and focus.
He said that except for the PDP, no other political party in the country is organized even as he urged them to get to work and stop blaming the PDP for the failures.
He predicted that the PDP will win more states in the 2011 general elections if the opposition parties remain unorganized and unfocused.
According to him, PDP remains the only political party with representation in all wards adding that anytime there is an election, the party always goes to all the crannies of the nation to campaign and convince the electorate on the need to vote for them.
"PDP is the only party working in Nigeria," he said adding that, "other parties should rather come together to form formidable opposition instead of criticizing the ruling party. During the last campaign, I went with our party to all the states of this country campaigning for our candidate. The other parties did not do this. After the election, these parties who could not do so will turn around to blame the party that is working, it is absolutely wrong.
To remedy the situation, Chief Iwuanyanwu urged the opposition parties to begin to campaign and work hard so as to win in elections "because the way they are going, the PDP may likely win more states in 2011 because we are not docile, we campaign and work unlike the rest of them".
Going memory lane, the Executive Chairman of Champion Newspapers remembered with nostalgia how he set up the newspaper in 1988 saying "when I look back, I'm extremely happy that since this paper started, it has kept growing".
He further revealed that being able to give jobs to many Nigerians through the company gives him added joy and fulfillment.
The media, he said, encourages democracy and development adding that it was the discovery then that the country was underreported that encouraged him to sink money into the venture which he said "though I may not have recouped the millions, but I have recouped it in happiness, fulfillment and goodwill".
He however encouraged the media to project the interest of the larger society as their primary responsibility.
Governor Ohakim, in a speech on the occassion insisted that the conduct of some politicians and individuals was increasingly posing a threat to the unity of the country.
He said "It is very clear that if we don't change the behaviour of do-or-die politics, we face an uncertain future". He noted that this inordinate quest for election victory has resulted in politicians indulging in some unwholesome acts. "There are many who trace the emergence of armed violence in the Niger Delta to politicians and their activities in the 2003 elections".
The governor whose paper was titled: 'Creating a Better Nigeria' warned that the ugly trend cannot be changed unless the media exposed the perpetrators. He called on media operators to stop the use of the media for selfish reason by some politicians.
He lamented "today there is hardly any difference between reporting and commentary", adding "the thin line between fact and fiction is completely blurred. There is excessive pursuit of personal attack instead of serious national issues"
Governor Ohakim decried what he called the creeping of nihilism into the nation. This he said is demonstrated by people who do not see anything good about the country.
He said "Everybody is a current affairs analyst, social critic or social commentator. And what is the popular refrain? Nigeria is a failed nation, Nigeria is about to break up. "
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