The Convener of the Big Tent coalition of political parties, social movements, civil society organization’s and candidate support groups which make up the Third Force for reclaiming Nigeria, Professor Pat Utomi, has announced the list of members of the Big Tent Campaign Council, the Policy Review and Future watch team, and the Deep Dive Committees that support each of the 37 shadow focal persons of the policy team.
Indicating that the bottom-up grassroots based structure, that begins at polling booth level, but has operational anchor at the ward level, is based on a structure model of an organic bulb with complex redundancy, he said the Big Tent was favoured with so many support groups that it was able to design in several layers of coordinated parallel streams to ensure people were mobilized with deep coverage to vote and their vote protected.
The activist and politician who is Chairman of NCFront and Convener of the New Fabian Society of the Concerned Professionals said that because the movement is not just about winning elections but also about establishing a new way of accountable people-centred government, a group for policy choices to create the appropriate basis for rational public conversations that will make public choice evidence based and people centred was imperative.
In a statement by Austin Kemie, Head, Big Tent Secretariat, Prof Utomi informed the support groups present that the Policy team currently provides advisory input to the Labour Party candidates, in addition to inputs to them by several other Big Tent Committees such as that for Manifesto and for strategy.
The noted Political Economist also said the Big Tent Think Tank of senior Economists, Consultants and Retired Leaders chaired by Mr. Emmanuel Ijewere with Committees headed by such other leaders like Emmanuel Ikhazoboh, Nuhu Yakubu and Dele Farotimi were also part of the structure.
Utomi also praised the work already done by the Policy Review team also known as the Shadow cabinet. The shadow team has such leaders as Dr Usman Bugaje for Education, Prof Osita Ogbu, Prof Murtala Sagagi, Dr Chris Asoluka and younger people like Salamatu Yaradua, Halima Dada-Ahmed, Gbenga Ajayi as well as Diaspora based members like the lead Health focal person, Dr. Loretta Ogboro Okor.
Among the focal persons in the 36-member team are Prof. Auwal Aliyu for science and technology; Dr. Muiz Banire for law and order; Hadjia Bilkisu Magoro; Ambassador Joe Keshi; as well as Professor Ademola Abass.
Prof Pat Utomi also named members of the Deep Dive groups which for Defence has Major General Henry Agboola as focal person in the shadow team. The Deep Dive group is a committee of 34 retired Generals and four persons retired from the intelligence agencies, Utomi explained. He pointed out that there are special Deep Dive groups on Maintenance Culture; Values and Ethics in government; and Youth Entrepreneurship; outside of traditional Ministerial departments. He said a special one on education will be headed by a person who is not typically an educator to show that the purpose is for education that serves the social and economic needs of society. He was pleased that Foluso Phillips founder of Phillips Consulting would be providing leadership there.
He said the state coordinators in the nearly 200 person Campaign Council include Coordinators for North Central Oliver Torbunde; for Yobe , ACG Abubakar Wakili; Imo, Dr. Fabian Ihekweme; Abia, Hon. Tony Enweruzo; Gombe, Mohammed Borse Kurno; Akwa Ibom, Dr. Citizen Ini-Ekpo; and Kaduna, Ma Cynthia Tolativ Batuta.
Prof. Utomi’s list of spokespersons include Rashida Abubakar for Sokoto; FCT, Paul Obih, who will also serve as Director of Media research for the Campaign Council; and Susan Essiet for Akwa Ibom.
A full list of all the positions in the campaign council, including the liaison officers for the NLC and TUC state political commissions, and Fire teams, Utomi said would be made available through the office of the Director of Communications for the Big Tent, Charles Odibo.