The President and Chairman of Council, Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) chartered, Professor Olukunle Iyanda, has said that Nigeria is passing through difficult times because it lacks good leaders.
Iyanda, however, said that there is the need to re-engineer economic management for national transformation, for the country to wriggle out of developmental challenges that are hinged on inept leadership among other ethical and national issues.
“As we know, transformation covers restructuring, review of policies, and review of the type of government we run among others. Re-engineering means reviewing your total operational model with a view to optimising objectives. That is the issue we want to look at, how we can change this country for the better by looking inward at ourselves, at our leaders, their responsibilities, their behaviour, their adherence to laid down principles.
“This is what the 2018 annual national management conference of the institute would be looking at this particular point in time. At the end of the conference, there would be a communiqué on what we need to do as a country, in order to get Nigeria where we want it to be. That our country operates for the benefit of the wellbeing of the people, rather than just of its leaders.
“The institute would continue in its efforts to improve management practices both at the micro corporate level as well as at the macro governmental level. As we journey into the future, we will neither relent in our quest to bequeath a well-trained and productive workforce to the nation nor will we be tired until mismanagement, maladministration, corruption and other social vices, which have hampered Nigeria’s development, are exceptions rather than the rule in our country.
“Nigeria as it is today, serves its leaders and not its leaders serving it. If we sum the bogus money spent on the legislators for the jobs they do for less than 150 days a year, for which they collect in one month what some people collect over a life time, it is just indispensable, and this country needs to be restructured towards the benefit and consideration of its people, not its leaders.
“There is too much power distance in this country, followers hold these people in too high esteem. Unless the people are educated and they begin to look at issues very well, the nation cannot be transformed. Until we begin to shun these people, we won’t get the kind of leadership we deserve”, he said.
He also said praised the Federal Government’s effort on the Ease of Doing Business, as well as its Economic and Recovery Growth Plan (ERGP).
“I believe the government is sincere, but there is always a problem with the implementation, which is our headache. The policies of ease of doing business in the various sectors of the economy, particularly in the public sector are well intentioned. The President signed the Presidential Executive Order, but it is not being obeyed.
“This country has good policies but our problem has always been implementation, and unless serious sanctions are imposed on people that disobey lawful instructions, we won’t move forward.
“These things can work but for them to work, a little bit of pressure and of course serious sanctions are necessary, because until people are made scapegoats and people now see that government means business, they will refuse to change. We have not seen much of sanctions and penalties and a bit of pressure in this country.
On measures to be taken to ensure investors’ confidence is retained in the economy as politicking for 2019 general election intensifies, he said confidence should be restored in the nation’s political landscape.
“When you are investing, you are committing yourself in today’s environment to tomorrow’s environment, which you don’t know. If you cannot reasonably predict what the environment will be tomorrow, you cannot invest, that is the reality.
“People creating unnecessary political tension for their personal self-aggrandisement are doing us all a lot of damage. It is not that they are not aware; it is just because their greed and selfishness override their piety and morality. People should analyse all these people causing us problems and vote them out. Nigerians proved three years ago that an incumbent President could be voted out; when a government does not perform, that government must be changed.
“Until Nigerians do not operate by sentiment, hold government responsible, and evaluate it objectively, we will not make the desired progress. Nigerians need to develop a long-term perspective in exercising their franchise and not looking at instant gratification. Why is the country tensed? Can anybody boast what will happen to the country after May 2019? Will there be peace in the country?