Former Anambra governor cautions opposition parties
Barth Ikiebe, Abuja

Nigeria's opposition parties have been advised to give a chance to President Goodluck Jonathan to actualize and implement his transformation agenda for the overall development of the country.

A former Governor of the Southeastern Nigerian State of Anambra, Dr Chinwoke Mbadinuju, said in a Voice of Nigeria programme, In The News, in Abuja, that the agenda is a well thought out programme geared towards tranforming Nigeria.

Dr Mbadinuju noted that the opposition groups in Nigeria should not engage in the politics of bitterness.

"Let us play politics in Nigeria without bitterness and allow the people you have elected into office to do the things you elected them to do" he explained.

Dr Mbadinuju, who recently presented his book to the public, entitled, "How I Governed Anambra State, Stewardship and Accountability”, advised all elected leaders at all levels to learn to minister to the needs of the people.

On Constitution review, the former Governor popularly known as "Odera" said there was nothing wrong with the current terms of tenure for the President and Governors, but the problem, he said, was that Nigeria copied the American Presidential system of government without getting and imbibing the spirit behind it.

The clamour for State Police, according  to Dr Mbadinuju, is in order because from experience " I created the Anambra Vigilante Services, then known as Bakassi Boys, to tackle security problems” .

He explained that the unorthodox method was employed to achieve what the conventional way could not achieve in terms of peace and security.

Without law and order, the society cannot function, so there is need to amend the Constitution as it is long overdue.

Dr Mbadinuju noted that whatever can be done to assist the Governors  in maintaining peace and security as the Chief Security of their states, should be effected in the proposed Constitutional review.

Ugo