All presidential aspirants must be interviewed about experience, skills and background – Duke

…He says Nigeria cannot afford experimental leadership

Presidential candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and former governor of Cross River State, Donald Duke, has warned that Nigeria’s worsening economic and security challenges have left the country no room for experimental leadership.

Duke said anyone seeking the responsibility of governing the country during this critical period should be rigorously questioned about their experience, skills, record and what they intend to do differently.

Speaking in Abuja on Monday, Duke said: “I don’t think we should be testing. We’re in such terrible shape right now.

“We should actually question anyone today who wants to take a position of responsibility in public space.”

The former governor said Nigeria’s conditions are already dire, although he believes the country can still be healed with a change of direction.

“We’re already in a mess. This is a mess. But it’s repairable.”

Duke, who governed Cross River State between 1999 and 2007, cited his record in office as evidence that governments could deliberately create economic activity by identifying and exploiting the comparative advantages of their territories.

“We were young, rambunctious and full of energy. We wanted to show that this could happen.

“We wanted to demonstrate that every federative unit of this country could also be an economic unit.”

He said his administration had consequently built its development strategy around areas where Cross River had identifiable advantages, including agriculture and tourism.

“So we took our strengths, right? Agriculture, we have an incredible land mass.

“But beyond that, we took a low-hanging fruit like tourism, which everyone thought wasn’t going to work, and it worked spectacularly.

“It can be done. This spirit of will has already been demonstrated in the past.”

Duke argued that the central purpose of government should be to create conditions in which citizens can become productive rather than merely administer them.

“The main essence, the main function of government is the optimal productivity of our citizens in a safe and orderly environment.

“I think that’s the purpose of government. Not just to allow people to administer or supervise people, but to ensure that they are productive in a safe and orderly environment.”

According to him, spending on education, healthcare and infrastructure should ultimately result in increased productivity and improved living standards.

“This is why we send children to school. This is why we send them to hospitals. We build infrastructure. All for the productivity of our citizens.”

“This is the mission of government. It changes the way we see the dynamics of government.”

According to him, governments should be ready to develop any legitimate economic activity that improves people’s lives.

“Once you have something that others legitimately want – and the word here is legitimately – then you are productive.

“If by making Afang soup we can make our people live a good life, not below the poverty level, do it.”

Duke also defended the philosophy behind the Tinapa project initiated during his administration, saying that responsibility for its subsequent fortunes should be separated from its conception and condition when he left office.

“Tinapa was something you built in Cross River. It was a dream. To the extent that it was commissioned a month before I left office, it was successful.

“Going forward I think the question should be asked of whoever took over from me.”

Turning to the Tinubu administration, Duke acknowledged the president’s political strength, but made a distinction between political capacity and governance.

“He is a formidable politician. My problem with him is governance, not politics.

“He was a senator, he was governor twice. Tell everyone. He is a formidable politician.

“My problem with him is governance, not politics.”

Duke said his concern is what he described as the continued deterioration of living conditions and safety.

“If we continue this way, where year after year poverty increases, statistically, not our statistics, international statistics, year after year we become poorer, year after year our security is compromised. I mean, look what’s happening in the North. And it’s spreading south.

“There are parts of the country that are becoming poorer faster than other parts of the country.

“And it’s not taking us in that direction.”

He rejected the suggestion that criticizing Tinubu’s government was tantamount to claiming personal superiority over the president.

“No. I didn’t say I’m better. I didn’t say I’m better. I didn’t say I’m better. I didn’t say I’m better.”

“I will put in place a better governance structure than Bola Tinubu. That is my belief.”

Duke said this is also why the emerging opposition coalition should not begin and end with finding someone capable of defeating the incumbent president.

“But we must also have sincerity of intent: it is not enough to remove one and put another face on it.

“The first thing is to achieve common goals. Where do we want to take Nigeria? Where do we think Nigeria should be right now?

“Who better among the coalition partners to articulate this vision?”

He warned that simply bringing together politicians dissatisfied with the incumbent president without first establishing an alternative agenda would be cheating Nigerians.

“It should not be seen as a group of people trying to oust a government or impose someone else. No, that would be wrong. And it would be cheating Nigerians.

“We need to agree where we should take Nigeria and find a suitable vehicle to take us there.”

Duke said that once the opposition agrees on what it wants to accomplish, it can determine who is best equipped to execute the program.

“First of all, once we have commonalities and goals, the next question is who is best suited for this purpose?”

For Duke, Nigeria’s circumstances make this test more urgent than before.

“I don’t think we should be testing,” he reiterated. “We are in such terrible shape right now.”