The Presidency on Monday described the comments by legal icon, Prof. Ben Nwabueze that Nigeria is sliding into a failed state as “reckless and unpatriotic.”
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Public Affairs, Doyin Okupe, said it was unfortunate that such assertion came from a respected Nigerian, in the person of Nwabueze.
The presidential aide said all the available facts and figures do not suggest anything close to a failed state as far as the country was concerned, hence he wondered what indices the elder statesman used to have arrived at such conclusion.
He said, “A failed or failing state is where there is erosion of legitimate authority, where there is instability and the country cannot afford to provide public services like the provision of light, good roads, water supply and security services.
“In Nigeria, there is a serving national and states Assembly, providing quality legislative services and issuing out good and quality legitimate legislature for the good governance of the country and the states.
“There are guarantee laws and services in Nigeria, even in states of Borno and Yobe where there are security challenges caused by the likes Boko Haram.”
Nwabueze had at a meeting over the weekend lamented that: “This country is on the verge of becoming a failed state, there are so many failed states in Africa and Nigeria is on the verge of getting that status of a failed state.
“Before now, we didn’t know about kidnapping, but it has become a way of life. Did we know about bombings before? But today, churches, schools, offices are being bombed on daily basis, the worst is that the bombers are not coming from outside the country, we are bombing ourselves.
According to him: “A nation that cannot provide a credible election for her people is a failed state; in 2003, 2011 we had no credible elections, yet we are talking about democracy.
“A country that cannot secure social and economic rights for her people is a failed state. Read chapter 2 of Nigeria’s constitution and you will understand what I am talking about, they are not leaders but looters,” he said.
Also reacting, Special Adviser on Governors and Governance to the National Chairman of the PDP, Osaro Onaiwu, said recent statements credited to some eminent personalities on state of affairs was worrisome.
Onaiwu said it was sad that while nationals of other countries find ways to lift their nations, some Nigerians were running down their country.
He further defended the administration, saying that the government has achieved milestones in certain areas which has greatly contributed to the economy.
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