Deputy Senate President, Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege, on Friday, called on Nigerians to be ready to hold their leaders accountable to ensure good governance.
Omo-Agege made the call in Abuja at the 10th Annual Independence Lecture titled: “Social Contract and Leadership in Nigeria: Experience and Prospect.’’
The event was organised by The Change We Need Nigeria Initiative (TCWNNI).
The lawmaker, represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Otive Igbuzor, noted that “when leaders are not checked and are not held accountable by the people, the natural thing for them is to please themselves.
“This translates to expropriation of the commonwealth and a tendency for some leaders to see their personal interest as the interest of the people they govern.’’
According to him, another famous Greek thinker, Aristotle, also supporting this, noted: “For man, when perfected, is the best of animals, but, when separated from law and justice, he is the worst of all.’’
He said that social contract in politics is an unspoken bargain between government and the people where the former is obligated to deliver good governance and the latter, loyalty and total acceptability of the authority upon which government operate.
Mr Anthony Sani, Secretary General of Arewa Consultative Forum, corroborated that social contract is all about responsibility and obligation.
According to him, the present leadership in the country seems determined to remove sand bags on the path of socio-economic development.
“One way it is doing this is the fight against corruption which is the mother of all challenges,’’ he said.
Sani added that the government was also tackling the insecurity in the country in order to make it secure for everyone.
He, however, urged government to continue to encourage responsibility and inspire inclusiveness through sense of participation.
Spokesperson for Afenifere, Mr Yinka Odumakin, said there was need to have a binding contract between various nationalities in the country so that everyone can live together in peace.
The convener of the event, Dr Cosmas Ilechukwu, said that “social contract furnishes the fundamental principle for legitimisation of any government.’’
He said the core thesis of the social contract theory was that government exists at the behest of the people for the protection and promotion of the general well-being of the people.
Ikechukwu, who is also the General Overseer, Charismatic Renewal Ministries, said the constitution contains the tenets of social contract theory, which if paid attention to, would ensure common good for the people in general.
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