Political Economist Professor Pat Utomi yesterday told a hybrid meeting of Nigerians in Dallas, Texas, in the United States, that they are duty bound to champion a massive intervention to rescue Nigeria.
This is just as there is an apocalyptic image of where Nigeria may be headed under the current political stewardship which has left insecurity, poverty, unemployment and anger as the main landmarks on the streets of Nigeria.
Utomi acknowledged that the Diaspora remit more money home than Nigeria earns from Crude Oil sales.
The former Presidential Adviser and Public Intellectual who is leading a shadow government of a coalition of national redemption movements said the Diaspora were high stakeholders with a moral obligation to help halt the drift in Nigeria.
He pointed to the example of India where a huge coalition of the Diaspora and change agents swept off the old order, brought PM Nahindra Modi to power and fundamentally altered the structure of India’s politics.
He added that the Diaspora which has higher competences and a global network but is being blocked from their natural role in national rejuvenation by professional politicians in Nigeria who thrive on exclusion to achieve state capture, deserves a place at the table.
He Lamented that the political class which continues to exclude women, youth and intellectuals, while incorporating drug barons and 419 kingpins, works hard to deny Diaspora voting rights which many of our African neighbors allow and encourage..
He assured his audience that within three weeks the NCFront Movement, several of the political parties and civil society organizations will announce a political party platform that will enable Nigeria to begin again and claim the promise of the founding fathers that peace and prosperity willl define the future, in brotherhood, though tribe and tongue may differ.
Utomi told his Diaspora audience that the shadow government which he leads has offered an economic revival blue print that has a critical role assigned to the Diaspora. He further indicated that the National Economic strategy which is built on clusters of manufacturing hubs and technoloy parks in the six zones of Nigeria driving global value chains anchored on the Latent comparative advantage of each zone’s factor endowments will produce dramatic turn around in Nigeria’s fortunes.
He promised that as soon as the current government is replaced there would be a Diaspora global road show to showcase opportunities for Diadpira joint ventures on the select endowments around which the value chains will be rolled out
He assured that s would quickly bring us to a full employment economy and make Nigeria the true powerhouse of AfCFTA.
Announcing that the alternative governments strategy involves a Marshal plan type saturation investment in Education, healthcare and the stimulation of markets that would further yield a prosperity paradox in infrstructure, Utomi urged the Diaspora to key into the policy agenda of the Shadow Government and contribute to the development of the policy planks of the Shadow Cabinet teams.
Referring to the PDP and APC as the same, and as ‘bankrupt nabobs of retrograde opportunism’ Utomi said Nigeria must move away from the poltics of big men to those of big ideas.
He said it was this politics of big men that deluded many, including himself to think Buhari would help eliminate corruption only for corruption to get worse on his watch.
He regretted that governing had reached its lowest ebb in memory with Nigeria’s import bills having at its top two items Nigeria should be exporting, premium motor spirit and food.
These kinds of failures, Prof Utomi told the group of mainly professional Nigerian men and women during the three and half hour session was the tradition of anti people government of corrupt big men that APC and PDP represents.
“A government that cares for and loves its people will not have politicians obsessed with self love when just a little thoughtfulness can reduce the sufferings of the people and accelerate the pace of progress.
“To achieve a purposeful, people -centered government it required leaders of integrity, character, and a heart for the people, the Poltitical Economist. Professor of Entrepreneurship and active Businessman insisted.
He said that to save Nigeria the line in the sand for 2023 will have to separate leaders with these attributes from the current professional politicians who have practically run Nigeria aground