President Goodluck Jonathan
on Tuesday called on politicians to shun “ceaseless quarreling” and
engage in robust political debates that would strengthen the country’s
democracy.
Jonathan made the call at the public presentation and official launch of the Kukah Centre, founded by prominent cleric and Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Rev. Fr. Matthew Kukah.
Among other aims, the centre was
established to strengthen national debate, improve governance and
encourage Nigerians to take an active role in the country’s leadership.
Jonathan said that the nation’s
democracy should be deepened by robust debates, stimulation of
innovative ideas and healthy engagements by all actors.
“I call on everyone, the political
class, our citizens and more importantly, the academic community to rise
up to these challenges posed by this initiative (centre).
“I think we are over defining our
democracy today by quarreling as if democracy is about competitors
quarreling just like motor park workers,” he said.
The president urged politicians to use the 2015 elections to renew their commitment to the country’s unity.
He said: “As elections draw close, I
call on all politicians to see this as another opportunity for us to
renew our commitment to deepen our democracy and strengthen our bond of
unity.
“Democracy is not about political
parties and politicians alone, it is not just about winning or losing
elections; it is about freedom, about development and above all a
forward march of our civilisation and encouragement of creativity.
“It is in this regard that we must seek
to identify and support the growth of structures and institutions that
will help strengthen our democracy to meet our aspirations as a
people.”
Jonathan noted that policy research
institutes like the Kukah Centre had been pivotal to the social economic
transformation of leading countries of the world.
According to him, such centres have
served as the laboratories of the development, inter-relation and the
refinement of key government policies.
He likened the Kukah Center to the
Brooklyn Institute in America, which pioneered fact-based studies of
government policies, using science as a key to analysis.
The president then challenged Nigerian politicians to draw inspiration from it.
“I’m personally convinced that the centre could not have finer mentor than the revered gentleman of long patriotic standing, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah,” he added.
“I’m personally convinced that the centre could not have finer mentor than the revered gentleman of long patriotic standing, Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah,” he added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
reports that the centre also aims at promoting conversations among
Nigeria’s faith communities, as well as between leaders in faith and
public policy.
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