Date: 2019-04-09

A university don, Professor Hassan Saliu has advised the incoming government in Kwara State to organize a retreat before the formal take off of the APC administration in the state.

According to him, the retreat is meant to bring all members of the party together under one umbrella to analyze the party's electoral victory and its implications particularly on the electorate and to deliberate on how to ensure good governance in the state.

Professor Saliu expressed these views in Ilorin the state capital while answering questions on a Radio Kwara personality interview programme "Playing Host".

The don said most members of the party view the victory from different perspectives hence the need to involve technocrats at the initial stage more so that governance is now more technical and sophisticated and as well call for unity and understanding among the party members.

Though, the political scientist described the composition of the transition committee set up by the governor-elect, Alhaji Abdulraman Abdulrazaq has rather too unwieldy but appealed to the people of the state to join hands with the incoming administration as they were bound to make some initial blunders which would be eventually addressed.

He highlighted three major issues as major challenges facing the state which according to him, include poor economy, infrastructure, education youth unemployment, women matter and wealth generation and stressed the need for the APC to address them.

According to him , he does not forsee much problem with the incoming government in the state if they are adequately prepared for governance and the task ahead but expressed the hope that the government would be determined to reinvent the state but again warned against allowing political considerations to continuously override other considerations.

Professor Saliu, an expert in governance reminded politicians that politicking ought to have stopped after the declaration of the election results but lamented that those in power even see politicking until the next election and therefore called on Nigerian politicians to have a rethink , come together and build a viable nation and also warned against sycophants in government.

The don described the 2019 general elections as a good outing for the country but said it was full of lessons for the political class, INEC and security agencies that need to improve in the electoral process for future contests. According to him, ideally, the military have no business in elections, but said due to the desperation of the politicians, there is no way the military could be totally avoided or exempted from the nations political process.

Professor Saliu, an international relations expert, disclosed that the international community are favorably disposed to the 2019 election results in the country judging by the congratulatory messages the nation received after the elections and therefore urged President Muhammadu Buhari to seek the support of the international communities on how the nations economy could pick up.

The don appealed to the Federal Government and ASUU to close ranks and avoid any imminent strike while President Buhari should sign the thirty thousand Naira minimum wage bill into law without further delay and get it implemented by May this year.

Answering another question, Professor Saliu urged vice chancellors to be more up and doing in the discharge of their duties within the university environment in the aspects of planning and said there was no way politicking would not be involved in the appointment of Vice Chancellors more so in a political era but however, expressed reservations in the performance of some heads of universities.