The College of Professors in Nigeria (CoPIN) has unveiled an eight-year manual titled “The Abuja Papers: Manual for Short and Medium Term Development of Nigeria (2024-2032)” to address developmental issues.
At the unveiling in Abuja on Tuesday, Prof. Otoabasi Akpan, President, CoPIN, said that the college came together to shape decisions and policies that would benefit the country.
Akpan, who is also the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Administration, Akwa-Ibom State University, said that the group had observed critical gaps that made the country not to become a strong and powerful state.
“These can be attributed to a lack of agreement on common fundamentals; lack of principles; statesmanship; executive capacity; knowledge of the evolution of the Nigerian state and lack of ideas on the future of Nigeria.
“Added to these are the questions of the absence of elite consensus and ability to spice up democratic traditions with traditional Nigerian models which had been effective in the pre-colonial era.
“The challenges as listed, though not exhaustive, have combined to institutionalise Nigeria a weak state syndrome.
“It is our duty to help our country stop in its tracks the uncanny jinx pertaining to Nigeria writing its history backwards as a result of absence of resourceful leadership,” Akpan said.
He said that the college had made a commitment to reverse the jinx by periodically publishing ‘The Abuja Papers’ that would address the issues that concern the Nigerian federation.
Akpan said that the first edition was on immediate needs of Nigeria to retool and make way for political stability, social harmony and enthronement of justice and development of enduring economic development.
“In this first volume, 40 Notes are presented on the policies and decisions to be taken by Nigerian governments within the short and medium term periods.
“We have developed in Note 1 on the approaches to involve the spirits of statesmanship and citizenship in Nigerians such that they can rise to change the present narrative, and this implies payment of appropriate taxes.
“Only the formal sectors pay appropriate taxes, the least the country should have in taxes is N50 trillion but we have less.
“Also we want to speak to our leaders to do some evidence based policies, that is why in our submission we have expected outcomes,” he said.
He said that other notes (recommendations) included government turning the 9,555 political wards into National Development Districts (NDDs).
According to him, this will make sure that every odd year N10 million would be given as loans on low interest to citizens for capital formation and personal development.
On justice for Muslim faithful in Nigeria, he said that Fridays should be declared parts of weekends in Nigeria since Christians have Sundays free for worship and Saturdays for Sabbath faithfuls.
Explaining further, Akpan said that it had been scientifically proven that when you reduce the work hour you promote productivity.
Also speaking, a member of the college, Prof. Emeka Aniagolu, Consultant, Veritas University, said that not many Nigerians paid taxes, adding that if everyone paid taxes it would change the narrative of governance.
Aniagolu, however, called on the government to ensure that the little paid by the citizens is properly managed and deployed to provide critical infrastructure.
Earlier in his address, Dr Joseph Ochogwu, Director-General, Institute of Peace and Conflict Resolution, said that the creative knowledge on the document would go a long way in helping to achieve the Renewed Hope Agenda of the government.
The college also recommended that the Premier university and the first and second generation universities in Nigeria should be turned into Research Universities (RUs).
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ‘The Abuja Papers’ has 40 recommendations discussed under different headings, all scientifically researched to propel the country’s sustained development.
CoPIN, created in 2016, has membership that cuts across all disciplines in the Nigerian university system and research institutes to lend its voice to national and international developments. (NAN)