Stakeholders at the 2nd Claude Ake Memorial Lecture have called for restructuring of the Nigerian political space based on social justice, transparency and accountability in governance.

Making public their views at the forum organised by the Rivers State Government at the weekend to celebrate the legacies left by the late Prof of Political Economy, who died in a plane crash 13 years ago, they called for urgent measures to save the country from the brink of collapse.

Chairman of the occasion and former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Prof George  Obiozor observed that the country’s leadership derailed from the vision of the founding fathers, thereby affecting the unity and development of Nigeria.

Prof Obiozor asserted that, “leadership is everything and that, ‘ if we must salvage our country, we must face the reality”.

He blamed the poor justice system and corruption as major factors that threaten the unity of the country, while stressing the need to restructure the political system capable of attracting the support of all Nigerians willingly without force.

Obiozor added that Nigeria needs a system of shared power hinged on social justice.

He lauded the Rivers State Government for remembering Prof Ake, whom he described as one of Africa’s great scholars, who impacted on the lives of other academics within and outside Nigeria.

Delivering a paper with theme, Combating the Resources Curse: Strategies for Economic Transformation in a Natural Resource-Rich Economy, “ former President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas argued that Nigeria’s huge natural resources had turned into a problem due to poor management.

According to Dr Chambas, studies have shown that countries with less resources were more prudent than those with lots of resources.

He disclosed that about 70 per cent of Nigerians live below poverty line, while describing the country, as a paradox of poverty in the midst of plenty”.

He believed that huge part of the resources goes into few hands, which causes most of the disharmony, poverty, crime and religious problems.

Chambas cited the case of Boko Haram as an offshoot of inequity, as political domination in every sphere of the economy leads to ethnic struggles among the citizenry to gain from the resources.

The former ECOWAS president, however, recommended good governance, accountability, transparency and the rule of law as major ingredients to transform the nation.

He said Nigeria needed to take advantage of the huge economic opportunities in the global community by investing in human capacity, especially on technical and engineering skills.

In her remarks, former chairperson of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Mrs Ifueko Omoigini-Okanra said the country should stop over reliance on oil revenue.

For her, it is only when the country begins to diversity its economy will it be able to make progress, why can’t we change radically or breaking this cycle”. she queried.

In a similar vein, member representing Calabar-Odukpani in the House of Representatives, Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo called for constant review of the development process as she lauded the establishment of the Sovereign Wealth Fund.

She warned that Nigeria would become a failed state if inequality and poverty continued, and warned against the marginalisation of women would further worsen the resources curse, as she recommended multiple accountability systems in the polity.

Meanwhile, Rivers State Governor, Rt Hon Chibuike Amaechi, former President of Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS), Dr Mohammed Ibn Chambas and other prominent Nigerians have hailed the legacies of late Prof Claude Ake, a top political economist from the state.

Speaking at the second Prof Ake Memorial lecture titled, “ combating the resource curse: Strategies for Economic Transformation in a Natural Resources-Rich Economy’, Amaechi said Ake was a philosopher and critic who sought the best for his country.

‘For me, Prof Ake stands as one social crusader that we lost to God… and therefore, we should not allow his legacies to die.

The Rivers State Governor recalled that as a student activist in the university, he learnt a lot from the late Professor who was a strong advocate of good governance and better political structures.

When you hear me speak the way I do, it is because of the private lessons from persons like Prof Ake”, he said.

He believed that if the late political economist was still alive, he would have fought more for the  betterment of Nigerians, while lamenting the worsening level of corruption in the country.

Amaechi promised that Rivers State would endow a professional chair on political theory  in the University of Port Harcourt, while calling for the rejuvenation of the Centre for Advance Social Science (CASS), an institute established by Ake to propagate political thoughts in Nigeria and beyond.

On his part, former ECOWAS President, Dr Chambas described the late professor as a man who saw academics as a vehicle of ensuring social justice and national transformation.

Chambas said of Prof Ake”, he is a quintessential organic intellectual such that what he wanted for the Niger Delta was that the region take its rightful place in this great nation”.

The former ECOWAS president said, “ Ake demonstrated that we do not have to be in public office to affect lives”.

Chambas blamed the over-reliance on oil revenue and rents as the major cause of Nigeria’s economic and political travails, arguing that despite the huge resources, the country was still bedeviled by poverty and corruption. He called  on the country’s leaders to toe the path of Bostwana, Indonesia and Norway who had used their resources to great advantage through transparent and accountable leadership.

The former ECOWAS chief, noted that once the state was able to meet the expectations of the citizens by establishing a meritorious civil service, accountable public institutions and ensuring social justice, it could be said to be  utilising the resources well

Chambas, therefore, called for a paradigm shift through the prudent utilisation of resources, saying, “ in seeking to liberate the African people, we must harness the huge population driven by good macro-economic policies, social governance and rule of law”.

Also speaking, chairman of the occasion and former Nigerian Ambassador to the United States, Prof George Obizor said late Ake was one of Africa’s distinguished scholars.

Prof Obiozor added, Ake was a combination of realistic and  idealistic scholarship, and he made a great impact on other African scholars.

The former US Ambassador thanked the government and people of Rivers State for organising the lecture and remembering the late Professor of Political Economy.

Earlier, chairman of the organising committee and Commissioner for Budget and Economic Planning, Mr Levi Gogo-Charles noted that the government has instituted the lecture to motivate the young ones and celebrate the legacies of the university teachers.

He stated that the theme of this year’s lecture was aimed at ensuring a shift from oil to knowledge-based economy, while hinting that in the near future, Rivers State would export knowledge rather than oil.