From Tony Osauzo, Benin
For Nigeria to experience credible elections, the government must carry out major reforms in the electoral and judicial systems ahead of the 2027 general elections in the country.
A former national president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Rev Dr Felix Omobude, stated this at the weekend while speaking to journalists in Benin City.
“President Bola Tinubu will write his name in gold if he’s able to carry out reforms in some of our key institutions. Reforms that the Nigerian system needs for our electoral system to actually move forward and for the country generally to move forward.
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“Institutions like the judiciary; you see, without respect for law and order, the country is going nowhere. The judiciary should truly be seen as independent and must act as such. The government at whatever level shouldn’t interfere with the activities of the judiciary.
“The police, EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission), and others should also be reformed. These institutions should be able to stand on their own, no matter the government in power.
“These are important things; and I believe that any government that will carry out these reforms will set Nigeria on the path of greatness and would have brought a new lease to this country because if you go and vote, your vote will count, if you commit any offence, the law will take its course irrespective of who you are.
“So, these are the issues I believe that the government should be thinking about, and I want our president to work hard to ensure that the nation’s institutions are made to stand independently without government intervention and interference from any quarters,” Omobude said.
He described as alarming the increasing number of out-of-school children roaming the streets nationwide and urged the government to invest more money in the education sector.
He explained that education is a vital key to liberating society, adding that any investment made in that direction “is the right investment.
“We must look holistically at our education system; I believe that education from primary to at least Junior Secondary School (JSS 3) should be free for every citizen of this country. It should be free and compulsory.
“Parents who refuse to send their children to school under the free school system should be prosecuted. Now, you look at our streets, children selling or begging during school hours.
“These out-of-school children are growing in their numbers, and if something is not urgently done to address it, it will boomerang. So, it’s an issue I believe the government at various levels must address,” Rev Dr Felix Omobude added.
He called on Nigerians in authority, particularly political leaders, to do their utmost to serve and improve the living conditions of the people, saying that “every leader must bear in mind that they are there (in office) for a reason. And they must make the best of it, not to serve themselves, but to serve God and the people that voted for them.
“Apart from political leaders, anyone in leadership positions, whether in the church, in traditional institutions, or in educational institutions, we have the opportunity to make a difference because we are all accountable to God who gave us the opportunity to serve.
“We must contribute to the progress, peace, and prosperity of our nation. We cannot continue to be beggars. Our children are migrating all over the world. We can turn this nation around and make it a better place,” the ex-president of the PFN stated optimistically.
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