NAN-H-73
Ideas
By Lydia Ngwakwe
Lagos, Dec. 21, 2016 (NAN) Some politicians and rights activists on Wednesday urged the Federal Government to be open to new ideas and evolve more people-friendly policies next year to move the country forward.
The Nigerians said that the economic recession and its attendant hardship on the citizenry called for government’s change of approach.
They spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria in interviews.
Alhaji Yahaya Ndu, the National Chairman of the deregistered African Renaissance Party (ARP), urged the government to accommodate fresh ideas that would bring about faster economic recovery.
“Government functionaries do not have any monopoly of wisdom.
“Government will survive and serve the people better if it opens its doors to fresh ideas, skills and hands,” Ndu said.
Mr Ehi Omokhuale, the Lagos State Chairman of Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), urged the government to ensure improvement of small and medium scale businesses.
He also called for curtailment of excesses and elimination of policies that exploited the poor.
Chief Ola Apena, the Deputy State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Lagos State Chapter, urged the government to be more transparent.
“Let there be round pegs on round holes; the economic policy for 2017 should not create more hardship.
“Government should deliver democratic dividends.
“Let government be serious about diversification of the economy particularly as it affects agriculture,’’ the politician said.
He urged that the National Youth Service scheme should be used to improve agriculture, urging that the government should establish farms in the six geopolitical zones where corps members could be deployed.
Mr Denis Aghanya, the Executive Secretary, Anti-Corruption and Research-based Data Initiative, called on the government to review some of its policies to make them more people-oriented.
“The country needs policies that can bounce back our economy.
“The methodology on the fight against corruption should also be reviewed to give confidence to all and sundry that it is actually meant to succeed,” Aghanya said.
Alhaji Musa Umar, a Chieftain of Kano State All Progressives Congress, told NAN: “I expect the government to do away with all forms of political cabalism, concentrate more on reversing the economic recession and ensure that corrupt officials are jailed.
“Government should also work at improving internal security and making Nigerians happy,” Umar said. (NAN)
LED/ECN/IGO
(Edited by Emmanuel Nwoye/Ijeoma Popoola)