Build institutions to strengthen democracy – PGF boss

By Jide Orintunsin, Abuja

The Director General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF), Salihu Moh. Lukman has challenged the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) to set the pace by building its bureaucracies and political institutions in order to strengthen democracy in the country.

Lukman noted the opposition Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) (PDP) failed to utilise its 16- year reign to develop democratic institutions capable of strengthen the democratic ethos of the country.

The PGF boss, in a statement in Abuja, noted that bureaucracies and institutions in the country in private and public organisations are weak,.giving rise to disregard for rule and laws by leaders at various levels of our national life.

Lukman argued but for the strong bureaucracies and institutions that enabled Vice President Mike Pence to uphold the election of President-elect Joe Biden, the solution to the fallout of the United States of America 2020 election would not have been achieved.

Lukman, who is a chieftain of the ruling party, said in developing bureaucracies as rules guiding decision making and implementation the party will need to strengthen such rules in order to produce good leaders not only for the party but for the country.

“A very significant priority is the development of bureaucracy within our political parties. This is largely because given the role of political parties in producing political leaders, once our parties are unable to recognise and respect the value of bureaucracies to guide processes of decision making and implementation within the party, elected leaders that they produce would most likely go into government with a mindset that at best disregard proposals and recommendations from civil service and other government bureaucracies. This can only breed administrative authoritarianism,” he said.

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To actualise this, the Director General said the party would have to undertake a total overhaul of the party Secretariat to enable it perform the desired role.

According to him: “The need to undertake audit of what currently exist as the party’s Secretariat, its functions and personnel. For instance, how is it structured to provide services to the APC as provided by the constitution of the party? Are there supportive rules provided for the operation of the party bureaucracy? How effective has the applications of those rules been? What is required to strengthen the rules guiding the discharge of functions of the Secretariat?

“How are the personnel of the Secretariat recruited? Are there standard recruitment guidelines, highlighting qualifications requirements? How can the process be strengthened?”

He then advised scholars, analysts and Nigerians to not only point out the problems of government but suggest solutions and enjoined political leaders to be open to suggestions and recommendations from individuals and organisations.