Human rights lawyer, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, says that sustainable governance in Nigeria must go beyond physical infrastructure to prioritise people, dignity and institutional integrity.
Speaking as a Keynote speaker at the International Conference Centre, Ogurube layout Umuahia, during the Anniversary Lecture organised by the Abia state government to mark the third year anniversary of the present administration on the theme: “Three Years of Transformation: Impacting Lives, Shaping the Future”, Prof Odinkalu made it clear that the transformation witnessed in Abia within three years reflected a restoration of dignity, hope and trust in governance.
While declaring that the previous 24 years in Abia was a period of absence of government, he reminded leaders that investment in people remains the foundation of lasting development.
Prof Odinkalusef the forum to call on the South-East to focus less on complaints of marginalization and act more on demonstrating effective governance.
The keynote speaker also demanded the establishment of a research and development cluster driven by the state universities, a commercial dispute resolution hub and a women’s legacy enterprise fund in honour of the Aba women of 1929.
Presenting his speech, Governor Alex Otti made a case for stronger citizen participation in the electoral process and governance to enthrone people-oriented leadership that would lead for the interest of the greater majority.
Governor Otti while expressing concern over the declining electoral participation in Nigeria, warned that the situation poses a threat to Nigeria’s democratic future.
He pointed out that available statistics showed that voter turnout dropped from about 57 per cent in 2007 to 27 per cent in the 2023 general elections.
The Governor further stressed that development efforts should prioritise people over infrastructure alone, noting that meaningful governance must improve education, health, and welfare outcomes across communities.
He also highlighted the need to strengthen regulation and quality assurance across both public and private tertiary institutions, noting disparities in accreditation standards among universities.
