Former presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress and Chief Convener of the Big Tent Coalition Shadow Government, Prof Pat Utomi, has said that anybody over 70 years should not run for elected office, describing the presidency as not “a geriatric home where public money can be spent on the president’s hospital bill.”
The renowned economist and public affairs commentator, who recently clocked 70, made the remarks in an interview with PUNCH, where he spoke extensively on the country’s key challenges, his 70th birthday celebration, declining values, public trust, and the current administration.
When asked if he still has the ambition to run for the presidency in the near future, Prof Utomi said:
“I’m 70 years old. My view is that anybody over 70 should not run for elected office. The presidency is not a geriatric home where public money can be spent on the president’s hospital bill. I might look strong, but the truth is that we have to have objective ways of saying at a certain stage, maybe or maybe not.”
Prof Utomi expressed disappointment with President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
“First and foremost, one of my biggest disappointments with Bola Tinubu is that I thought he was politically savvy enough. They are all divided. So, any real mass leadership will find ways of trying to unite the elite and focus on one direction.
“But when you begin to express triumphalism, even when it’s clear you didn’t win the election, then the likelihood that you will make progress is slim. That was my first major shock. It affects development; it doesn’t matter what policies you put in place.
“The second one is that the policies in place today are too anxious to please Washington and Paris, and because of that, they don’t think independently enough about consequences. I told you about my reflection on SAP. It’s the same thing that they were offering at SAP that they are offering now, and they are swallowing it hook, line, and sinker.”
The professor criticised the President’s spending habits.
“As you can see, President Bola Tinubu is not showing a good example. He’s buying a new presidential jet, buying this funny-looking car, and all kinds of things — very wasteful expenditure of money. Taxation and representation go together because the essence of a tax relationship is accountability.
“So, if people pay higher taxes, they have to hold people accountable. You can’t have an overspending government talking about taxes. So, you jump at it. Washington says the tax ratio is low, so it’s time to collect taxes.”
When asked what advice he would give the President, Utomi said the first step was already flawed.
“It’s inappropriate right now. The first one is already flawed. The first one is to try to bring the elite together.
“Nigeria cannot be more divided than it is today, and he has contributed to it very deeply. This division makes progress difficult. Everything else falls. So, they have to rethink the strategy of bringing people together — unite Nigerian people for a common purpose.”
Prof Utomi identified leadership and institutional problems as major obstacles.
“It’s a little bit of leadership and an institutional problem. By the way, I wrote a book about why nations are poor, and there were a number of sets of variables that affected each other, which explain performance.
“One of them is institutions. Another one is human capital. If you don’t have the right human capital mix, you cannot advance, and then entrepreneurship. If people are not creating wealth, then poverty will persist.
“Another one is policy choices. The kind of policy decisions you make will determine whether you move forward or not. Then, there is culture because values shape human progress. The most important thing that leaders do is set the tone of the culture. That’s why if you don’t look at the character of people who become leaders, then you make a major mistake that can haunt you for a long time.”
Prof Utomi addressed why young Nigerians are reluctant to protest.
“But to be fair to young Nigerians, when they have tried to protest, the system has been enormously cruel, and civilians are much worse than soldiers. I demonstrated during the military regime, and the worst we expected would happen was tear gas.
“So, today, they don’t come with tear gas. They come to kill because they are ready to kill. From my house here on the decking, you can see the tollgate. I watched with my two eyes as they were shooting at the Lekki Tollgate, and there has been no consequence for politicians who ordered young people to be shot. I think these are some of the things we have to deal with.
“We may have to go back, even if it’s 20 years later, to prosecute political leaders who ordered unjust killings and try them at the International Criminal Court.”
When asked if he still has the strength to embark on street protests, Utomi was emphatic.
“I can do anything. I’m probably going to be in Abuja this week to join them at the National Assembly. A few days ago, we had a press conference on this National Assembly matter in Lagos. So, if they are still protesting, I will show up there.”
Prof Utomi lamented that almost every election since 1999 has been flawed.