A social analyst, Dr. Tunde Ali, Tuesday in Ibadan, lamented that many Nigerian leaders and public office holders were not accountable in their public duties, saying many of their followers lacked access to information through which they could be tracked.
He made the remark while showcasing his book titled, “Accountable Nigeria,” a product of his “Future Minds Development Initiative Project,” to journalists.
The initiative is aimed at identifying and calling to order political office holders in the country who he said were not aliens nor were foreigners.
The Ibadan-born physician who has had professional and managerial experiences in three foreign countries, felt miffed by the high rate of mis-governance in the country leading to low productivity in economy, as well as, alarming rise in socio-political maladies.
He said, “There is the urgent need to re-orientate Nigerians on the need to have access to information through which they can make their leaders accountable to them and by so doing reduce wastes, as well as curb corrupt practices.
“The ‘Accountable Nigeria’ recognises an old traditional form of accountability. We need to use this legal but centuries old powerful tool in making these systems accountable to us as a people while we manage the tools ourselves”.
According to him, his organisation was working towards establishing a portal where every Nigerian (especially students in primary and secondary schools, Ministries, parastatals), could have access.
He noted that that would provide information access to them; enable citizen engagement, as well as, encourage citizen participation and empowerment.
“Accountability is not only in government agencies like ICPC or EFCC, but in people in totality. We need to empower our regular para leaders including those in the civil service, judiciary, police, military, community, and even religious leaders. They are critical in our demise or progress as a people and as a society, and so they must be held accountable in their services to us.
“When many of them need our votes, they make promises. If they get to offices, many of them renege. Through access to information network that we are going to put in place, they will be easily made accountable in their services to us,” he said.
