Dr Mustapha Bello, an Islamic cleric and educationist, says Nigerians should stop congratulating the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, but rather set agenda for him.
Mr Bello, a lecturer, Department of Religions and Peace Studies, Lagos State University (LASU), made the remarks at the 9th Ramadan Lecture of Anwar-Ul Islam College, Agege, Old Students’ Association (ACAOSA), on Saturday in Lagos.
The Guest Speaker delivered a lecture titled: “Islamic Perspective of a Good Governance: Any Lesson for Nigeria?”
Mr Bello described the topic as apt and imperative because of the concern every discerning Nigerian now had about the state of affairs in the nation.
According to him, the nation will by May 29, experience 24 years of uninterrupted democratic rule being led by the PDP and APC, but the question is whether Nigerians have enjoyed good governance or not.
He said Nigerians could not be said to have enjoyed good governance in the light of prevailing socio-economic challenges they were faced with.
“Good governance is the responsibility of all Nigerians. Those who have been elected, we congratulate them but Nigerians should put them on their toes.
“We must set agenda for them, we must tell them what we want in terms of education, infrastructure, environment, health and others. We should not leave them, we should advise them.
“It is not enough for us to be congratulating them. Sen Bola Tinubu has emerged President-elect, and he will be inaugurated, we must set agenda for him.
“Stop doing congratulatory messages now, let us set agenda on education, environment, public morality.
“Look around, there is so much indiscipline in the society. We must also pray for them,” he said.
The cleric said that the President-elect, his deputy and all elected public office holders should be commended if they do well and criticised if they misbehave, for the nation to get good governance.
Mr Bello said that when there is good governance, there would be peace, prosperity, plenty for everybody and less insecurity.
“The President-elect and Vice President-elect have enormous responsibility to unite our minds together. We are so divided as a people by religion, ethnicity and social classes.
“The first task before them is to find a way of assuaging our feelings and unite us; It is when we have a common objective with our mind united that we can move forward,” Bello said.
He said that good governance according to United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC), relates to the political, institutional processes and outcomes that are necessary to achieve the goals of development.
Mr Bello said the UNHRC identified transparency, responsibility, accountability, participation, and responsiveness as key attributes of good governance.
“Good governance in a layman language is the provisions of abundance of goodness by a government to its citizens which is the fundamental objective of the state as entrenched in the Nigerian constitution.
“Good governance is the major determinant of how stable, prosperous and peaceful a society or a country is.
“In essence, wherever you find poverty, crisis and they are on the rise, the only reason for the absence of prosperity is the absence of good governance.
“Virtually, all parametres used in measuring good governance as it relates to Nigeria is negative,” he said.
