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The Director of the Centre for Social Justice, Eze Onyekpere, has called on Nigerian leaders at all levels to cut down on wasteful spending as Nigeria is broke.
He made this call during an interview on Channels Television’s Newsnight which aired on Monday.
While asking leaders to set an example for citizens to follow, Onyekepre insisted that the present security challenges are a sign that the led are seeing the lifestyle of the governed.
He noted that such a lifestyle does not see any seriousness in adjusting to the current realities, adding that the citizens are seeking their own ways of survival.
“The leadership should themselves the naked truth that we can’t continue spending or wasting resources at the level we are doing before,” Onyekpere said.
“And that is why I made the point that we are broke. If we are a private company, maybe somebody could have said liquidate the company. Now when a company or an individual is broke is as poor as Nigeria today, has a fiscal crisis, what I think should be done is that starts with the leadership.
“The music and the song have changed, so we need to change our dance steps. When they how cut down their spending, it will be easier for them to market the idea of tightening your belt to Nigerians.
“The days are gone when you sermonise and sit on Moses seat like the scribes and Pharisees used to do and the expect me to do what you say and not what you do, it is not going to work.
“Nigerians are seeing the lifestyle of their leaders. So any sermon about our tightening our belt or cutting down does not fly. When we see them take that first step, it is easy for the masses to cue in.”
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