Nigerians, especially members of the opposition parties, have been urged to desist from making statements that could incite the masses against the government.
An Osun All Progressives Congress, APC, chieftain, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, gave this advice while speaking with journalists on Sunday in Osogbo.
Oyintiloye said that, while it is the right of the opposition parties to act as watchdogs for government policies and programs, making comments that could destabilize the country was not the best approach.
He noted that unchecked negative comments and criticisms by the opposition could cause unnecessary distractions for the federal government.
Oyintiloye, a former lawmaker, emphasized that what the government needs from the opposition at the moment is constructive criticism, which could help the government concentrate on delivering good governance.
The APC chieftain argued that the politics of bitterness and hatred by the opposition would not promote unity in the country but would instead cause division and ill feelings among Nigerians.
Oyintiloye stated that anyone hiding under the umbrella of the opposition to incite the masses against the government through their comments should be treated as an enemy of the country.
The former lawmaker also pointed out that recent comments by some opposition members against the president had caused unnecessary uproar.
“The truth is that we don’t have any other country except Nigeria, and that is why we need to play the role of the opposition reasonably.
“Making comments that could incite the masses against the government in the name of politics is unpatriotic and should be avoided.
“Members of opposition parties have the right to criticize the government, but such criticism should be constructive to assist the government in achieving its best for the people.
“Constructive criticism is about appreciating the good policies and highlighting the drawbacks, not despising the policies and programs of the government.
“If done in good faith, it will keep the true essence of democracy alive, give it a chance to improve the quality of good governance, and create a better society,” he said.
Oyintiloye, however, stated that the government, with all sense of responsibility, should take seriously constructive criticism that would improve the country and make it enviable among the comity of nations.
“Furthermore, the government should embrace the culture of engaging critical stakeholders during the policy formation stage to reduce unnecessary criticism of the policy during implementation.”
While urging Nigerians to always contribute their quota, he insisted that what the president needs at this point in time is support and prayers to succeed in his assignment.
