Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State says Nigeria’s political system was not designed to attract selfless service, as politicians only delve into it for financial gains.

Mr Obaseki stated that most high-ranking politicians invest in elections with funds obtained through illegitimate sources.

“What we have is a situation where politics mostly caters for actors with resources, most of which were not legally earned, who invest in it and expect huge personal returns,” he said.

The governor’s views were contained in a lecture with the topic: “Making Politics Work For Citizens And Development: The Edo State Experience”, delivered at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Lagos.

Mr Obaseki also stressed that many accomplished professionals run away from politics for reasons ranging from its negative perception, the high cost of the electioneering process and the proliferation of political parties with no clear ideology.

He added, “Generally, the hyper-commercialisation of the political process makes the system inaccessible to people with honest intentions and capacity to deliver value.”

Mr Obaseki also observed that Nigeria had, over the years, hinged political growth on the rise of influential individuals, who are expected to use their strong personalities to stir the nation in pursuit of progress.

The governor emphasised the need for Nigeria to build strong institutions that would protect the national interest, pointing out that solid figures in politics usually create the “godfather” syndrome, thereby limiting institutions’ strength and hindering productivity.

He also opined that the unitary federalism the nation was running had made many leaders lazy and solely dependent on the federal purse.

“With the concentration of resources and power at the centre, federating units become absolutely dependent on the centre, thereby losing creativity and drive to generate internal resources toward becoming economically viable sub-nationals,” he said.

(NAN)