The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) says it would hold a national summit on stimulating elite consensus on tackling economic, political and socio-cultural crises facing the nation.
The institute’s Director-General, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman made this known at the opening of a workshop on Elite Consensus methodology Thursday in Abuja.
While speaking, Prof Abubakar Sulaiman, said Nigeria has been through thick and thin and navigated both glorious and difficult times in her journey towards nationhood.
“Our experience today represents another difficult period but as the resilient people that we have always been, I have the conviction that we will, like other times, overcome the current challenges if we take a courageous and bold step to do the right thing,” Sulaiman said, explaining why the workshop was organised which involved the academia, CSOs, media and the private sector.
He added that while all civilizations, nations, and creeds recognise the importance and need for progress and people all over the world from time immemorial have moved to advance their lots, the difficult part has always been for people to agree on the path or strategies that will produce the desired outcome with less negative consequences.
He stated that it is why they want a methodology to address Nigeria’s challenges.
Sulaiman said Nigeria’s challenges have created a divided society, particularly along economic lines consisting of a highly privileged few and a growing poor majority sustaining a widening gap of inequality.
“While the rich strive to jealously guard their privileged position, the poor have always struggled to change the social order mostly through violent revolutionary means as demonstrated by the May Anti-SAP Riots of 1989, the #Occupy Nigeria in 2012, #EndSARS will protest in 2020 just to mention a few,” he said, adding that NILDS armed with the legal mandate to support democratic institutions, and deepen democratic ideas and values has taken the proactive step to lead in this effort.
