Nigerian politician and accomplished economist, Pat Utomi, has said that he will no longer contest for any political office in Nigeria. He recently made it clear that he doesn’t intend to accept any appointment or government contract henceforth.
Speaking during an interview on Politics Today on Channels Television, Utomi revealed that he would focus on the well-being of the next generation from now on, so people should stop concluding that he is doing anything for a government contract.
According to him, he has lived his entire life without government money, so critics saying he is trying to have a taste of the national pie cannot be more wrong.
“Let me state clearly: I will not run for public office, I will not accept an appointment, contract by any government in Nigeria. My only concern is the well-being of the next generation.
I have lived my life decently without government money or stealing anybody’s thing. I want to take that away from people who talk nonsense like, ‘Oh, he is looking for a contract’,” he said.
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Utomi further noted that his shadow government is just a democratic platform he launched to bring citizens together to demand a more accountable government.
Pat concluded by saying that trying to revive democracy is a political habit every true democrat should embrace.
“Nothing can be more democratic than a group of citizens coming together to find a structured way of asking the government to be more accountable. What could be more democratic than that?
I usually pre-phase this conversation with what we’ve done to the African. There are Afrobarometer readings, an annual survey that has been going on since 1999, of how Nigerians, Africans generally, in every country, with all kinds of details. I mean all kinds of details.
I want all Nigerians and who really want to understand what has happened to our country to go and study the Afrobarometer readings.
It states that Africans still love democracy, cling to it but they are tired because their democracies are not working.
Any serious democrat has to read this data, longitudinal data showing that people are fed up with what we call democracy.
So, trying to make democracy a fine renewal or revival should be something that any true democrat should embrace.
My expectation is that something like this will be hailed by the All Progressives Party, especially if you go back to the root of the APC,” he added.
