Nigerian politicians should focus on governance not election – Iredia

Chancellor of the University of Communication, Benin City, Prof. Tonnie Iredia, has called on Nigerian politicians to focus on governance and not elections

Iredia made this call on Thursday, while responding to questions in an interview on ‘Prime Time’, a programme on Arise Television.

He said rather than focusing on governance, the politicians always talk about the next election that may be two-three years away.

The Chancellor charged the media to pull them back and set the agenda for them and tell them it is not a period for electioneering.

“It’s not as if it appears. It’s exactly so, and it’s been on for quite a while, and some of us have been raising the alarm that look in governance, there is a period for electioneering.

“After that, there’s a period for elections; after that, there’s institutionalization of government. After that, there’s governance.

“So rather than focusing on governance, they are always talking about the next election that may be far away. And so the focus that should be on governance is taken away, and the politicians are busy looking for how they can get the next election.

“Now this is where the issue comes in. It is the media whose duty it is to pull them back and say this is not a period for electioneering. This is a period of governance. So we want to see projects. We want to see what you are doing. We want to tell the public what you are doing.

“We don’t want to tell the public what your ambition is. We have passed that stage now,” he said.

Nigerian politicians should focus on governance not election – Iredia