Former Prime Minister of Britain, Boris Johnson, yesterday, said Nigerians should have the right to choose their leaders saying that development can only thrive in a democracy.
He also charged Nigerian politicians to ensure that millions of Nigerians realise their potential, identifying education and equal rights as part of the major conditions for unleashing potentials of citizens.
Johnson spoke in Lagos as a keynote speaker at the 16th session of the Osigwe Anyiam-Osigwe yearly lecture series, with the theme: “Rehumanising Human Experience: A Synopsis of Anyiam-Osigwe’s Treatises.”
He noted that while millions of Nigerians are yet to reach their full potential, it behoves politicians to create conducive environment in which people can unleash their potential, “because not only that it is morally right, it is surely right if we care about human development and to give everyone the chance to express their potential.”
The British parliamentarian said citizens would unleash their potentials if they were treated equally before the law, noting that equality before the law made Britain what it is today.
He said: “First and most importantly, you got to have equality under the law because that is the foundation of freedom. Whoever you are, rich or poor, you will receive the same scrutiny, same protection in Britain.
“The next great freedom is the right to choose those who govern you and the right to remove them from office. It is called democracy,” he added.
He called for an open society where diversity can be tolerated, explaining that such made London a hub of talents.
Johnson, who made a case for a stronger mutually beneficial relationship between Nigeria and Britain, said it would further help both countries to unleash their potentials.
He said: “Now is the time. When the world is so uncertain, when some nations are disentangling, now is the time for Britain and Nigeria, two great democracies to work together. Nigeria can be a renewable superpower and still be a producer of oil and gas. We could be much more together.”
Other areas for continued collaborations, according to him, include free trade, free speech and free elections.
“You need a society that is open and that is tolerant to develop human potentials,” he said, adding that, “urban successes are built on freedom under the law.”
Johnson said what London is to Britain is what Lagos is to Africa. He, however, urged Lagos State Government to improve its transportation system, noting that spending long hours in traffic can be very frustrating. (Guardian)
