Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), former president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), recently expressed his views on the current economic challenges in Nigeria during an interview with TheCable’s Temidayo Akinsuyi.
Agbakoba highlighted the need for effective communication of hope to the people amid the government’s efforts to rejuvenate the economy and alleviate the impact of subsidy removal.
Agbakoba criticized the federal government, asserting that Nigeria lacks a clear understanding of its economic problems and strategies to enhance productivity. He emphasized the grave issue of insecurity affecting the country, emphasizing that addressing such challenges is crucial for economic progress.
Expressing disappointment, Agbakoba shared insights from a conversation with President Bola Tinubu, stressing the fundamental question of national identity and the necessity for a cohesive vision to shape Nigeria’s future.
The former NBA president underscored the importance of governance foundation, criticizing the prevailing mentality of states relying on federal allocations rather than viewing themselves as economic entities for production.
Agbakoba urged a shift in focus from endless constitution reviews to practical initiatives that can address pressing issues, emphasizing the need for innovative thinking to propel Nigeria toward sustainable development.
In conclusion, Agbakoba’s insights shed light on critical aspects of governance and national identity that he believes require urgent attention for Nigeria to overcome its economic challenges and achieve meaningful progress.
According to the Interview, he said: “Sometimes, I tell my wife that maybe there is something wrong with me. Maybe I’m getting mad. Why is it that I am the only one seeing what I’m seeing and people in government cannot see it? They just inaugurated a new constitution review committee in the national assembly. They have been doing that for 30 years.
The kept doing the same thing again and again without results, and that consumes billions of naira. This money being wasted on constitution review can be channelled towards building schools, hospitals, and so on. So, if people ask me, why is Nigeria still like this? This is the answer. We have a government that needs to do more thinking.
