Africa must change political culture – Ezekwesili

Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, who served as Nigeria’s Minister of Education in the past, has called for a shift in the political culture of Africa.

According to her, this will catalyze significant development across the continent.

At the matriculation ceremony for the 2023/2024 session of the School of Politics, Policy and Governance, which took place on Friday in Abuja, Ezekwesili made the proposal.

She stated that throughout Africa there is a pervasive political culture that places a lower value on the general well-being than on individual concerns.

According to her, “finding solutions to the quality of politics and economic performance of Nigeria was her reason in establishing the school.” This is what she claims to have been her motivation in establishing the school.

She explained that the purpose of the school was to rectify the irregularity that existed on the supply side of the market for politics and democracy.

“We have low-cost leadership in our politics today, and you cannot produce anything from low-cost leadership,” stated the former minister. “You cannot produce anything from low-cost leadership.”

She stated that young people and technology would be the driving forces behind Africa’s progress, but that politics and the governing process pose a significant obstacle to the continent’s development.

“In order for us to correct them, we need to construct a new pipeline that would compete against this monopoly political class that possesses a dominant culture.

“You can yell as loud as you want, but if the next National Assembly is filled with the same existing pipeline of political players, members of the legislature will still purchase brand new sets of sport utility vehicles (SUV).

“Even at the state and local government levels, the new executive leadership will continue business as usual; there will be no significant shift in policy.”

“You are a response to this hopelessness, and you are the ones who will change it; we require a critical mass of people thinking with a mindset of service to the country and to the people at all levels.”

“It is not about you, and it cannot be about you; nevertheless, you do represent the most crucial solution to the crisis that we are facing as a continent.

She admonished the pupils, “We are in a place of competent anger that pushes you to design solutions; you have to be purposeful and intentional,”

Also speaking was Mrs. Alero Ayida-Otobo, the Chief Executive Officer of SPPG. She revealed that the 10-month program “is extensive, evidence-based, unconventional, different, and unique.”

She continued by saying, “Nigeria needs new order, and you can all bear witness to that; we all know over the course of the last four, eight, or 12 years what we have been going through.”

“The experiences that we had when our founder, Dr. Obiageli Ezekwesili, ran for president are priceless, and the knowledge that we gained from them is incalculable.”

She noted that most African countries have the same developmental difficulties as Nigeria, and that “this is why Fix Politics and SPPG are propelling us across the continent.” She mentioned this while noting that SPPG was born in 2019, and she emphasized that “this is why Fix Politics and SPPG are propelling us across the continent.” Our first stop was in Nigeria, but ultimately, we plan to visit all 54 countries that make up the African continent.

“SPPG is one of the three pillars of the Fix Politics Initiative; what we are doing is very pivotal to the future of Nigeria; the mission is to elevate the office of the citizen; we want to enlighten the citizens of this country.” “What we are doing is very pivotal to the future of Nigeria; what we are doing is very pivotal to the future of Nigeria.”

The chief executive officer addressed the students and stated, “If you misbehave when you graduate and you do not live up to our values, to what we hold dear, and to what we hold important, we will withdraw our certificate, we will disown you, and you will be dis-batched and removed from the alumni class.”

“Our mission is to prepare politicians for the 21st century who will be value-driven, have character, unquestionable competence, and undeniable capacity,” our mission statement reads.

She revealed that 55 of the SPPG alumni planned to run for various posts in Nigeria’s general elections in 2023. These graduates had graduated from the SPPG.

She divulged that “we are so proud of this; we expected maybe 15, 20, 30 of them but to our greatest surprise and pride, we had from the pioneer class and class of 2022 over 55 aspirants and nine of them made it to the primaries,” adding that “we are non-partisan, we gave people from APC, PDP, LP, among others.” “We are so proud of this,” she said. “We are so proud of this.”