Pat Utomi, professor of political economy, has unveiled
members of a shadow cabinet to provide policy alternatives to the federal
government.
Speaking in Abuja after a two-day retreat of ‘The Big Tent’,
Utomi named Nana Kazaure (information), Riwang Pam (security), Nike Omola
(women and gender development), and Peter Agada (infrastructure) as members.
He said the cabinet will not compete with the ruling All
Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government, but offer expert reviews of
government policies.
“The progress of any government is to ensure the welfare of the people,” ARISE TV quoted Utomi as saying.
“There must be alternative views and reviews to help
government move in the right direction.
“Legislators were not elected to execute projects, to do
otherwise is to make them slaves who go cap in hand begging the executive.
‘’With this kind of practice, the members of the legislature
will not be able to perform one of their basic duties, which is checks and
balances.’’
Utomi said he pitched the idea of a shadow cabinet to the
late former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2007, and declined an offer to
join his government.
He said Nigeria lacks the political will and national
strategy needed for development, citing the coastal highway project as an
example of unilateral policymaking.
The professor also faulted the federal government’s approach
to agriculture, saying the sector must move beyond “hoes and cutlasses”.
Utomi asked the government to prioritise insecurity and
embrace state police.
On the African Democratic Congress (ADC), he said its
emergence as a coalition party offers Nigerians a credible alternative.
“The coalition is a work in progress, using value-driven
projects to move the country forward,” he said.
BACKGROUND
On May 5, Utomi announced a shadow government under the Big
Tent Coalition, describing it as a credible opposition to President Bola
Tinubu’s administration.
The DSS filed a suit at the federal high court, asking the
court to declare Utomi’s shadow cabinet unconstitutional and restrain him from
making public comments or staging rallies.
The secret police told the court that Utomi, who was abroad
at the time but returned June 6, planned road shows to incite discontent under
the guise of free speech.
The DSS warned such actions could mirror the 2020 #EndSARS
protests, risking public disorder, riots, and large-scale violence if not
stopped.
Utomi later expressed frustration with the authorities’
actions, saying he may consider leaving the country over efforts to suppress
his voice.
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