A pro-democracy Civil Society Organization has tasked the federal government to attract critical local and foreign investments needed to grow the economy.
The Global Integrity Crusade Network (GICN), a group of human rights lawyers, at a press briefing in Abuja, on Thursday, tasked President Bola Tinubu to resuscitate moribund industries in the country to create employment for millions of Nigerians, especially youths.
Addressing journalists, the president of the group, Edward Omaga Esq,
warned that the plethora of challenges facing Nigeria will bring it to its knees if not carefully tackled.
Omaga listed insecurity and terrorism, religious intolerance and tribalism, acute unemployment and poverty, toxic economic policies and rising inflation rate as well as the lack of justice sector reforms as some of the major issues plaguing the nation.
Omaga said, ”When our heroes past fought for the independence of Nigeria, they did so with the belief that we would live as one indivisible nation whose strength is drawn from her unique diversities. Sadly, what obtains today is a far cry from that objective. We have not experienced division along religious, political and ethnic lines as it happened during the 2023 General Elections.
”We note with displeasure that nepotism on the part of government at all levels is waxing stronger, as the Federal Character Principle created to eliminate bias against certain sections of the country has been jettisoned or in most cases downplayed.
”There is a growing feeling of despair amongst young people who feel that the country has failed them, the result is that those who are pushed to the edge have taken to illegal means of survival. This explains the increase in banditry, terrorism, thuggery, drug trafficking, armed robbery, cyber-crimes and the ‘Japa’ syndrome”.
He warned that until the government takes urgent steps to reverse the divisive tendencies in the country, the legacies of those who paid the ultimate price to ensure that Nigeria remains indivisible will be in vain.
Recommending solutions to the challenges, Omaga tasked President Tinubu to ”channel the sum of N500 billion approved by the National Assembly to cushion the effects of fuel subsidy removal into the execution of projects/programs capable of reviving our ailing economy.
”The Federal Ministry of Justice should carry law-centric Civil Society Organizations and NGOs along to decongest our correctional centres across the country. This will go a long way to forestall jailbreaks, protect the fundamental rights of awaiting trial inmates in line with international best practices and reduce deaths caused by unhygienic living conditions in correctional centres”.