| Nigerians still suffering,
despite resources – CEI boss
By CHARLES NWAOGUJI
Saturday, February
23, 2008
Deputy Managing Director, Capital Express Insurance, Mr.
Yinka Bolarinwa has said that Nigerians were still struggling
for the basic survival needs, despite living in a country
blessed with both natural and human resources. He made this
observation recently in Lagos at the Bildev Nigeria’s
Leadership Awards.
Bolarinwa identified food, security and shelter, as the basic
needs of man that should be provided for before thinking of
others.
He said the fact that the country was importing vast amounts
of rice from Thailand and USA did not bode well for the nation’s
economy.
“What has happened to our Ofada rice and Abakaliki rice?”
he queried, “Is it that we cannot produce this to internationally
acceptable standard, feed our people and then export in order
to earn foreign exchange? If this continues, we may not be
able to move the economy of this country forward,” he
said.
On the issue of security, he stressed that it was a sad reality
that the Nigerian police was not well kitted to provide security,
hence several organizations and rich individuals have had
to provide private security for their operations and people.
“What happens to the common man who loses his life and
properties?” he argued.
On housing, he noted that most Nigerians still find it extremely
difficult to put a roof over their heads.
He called on the government to provide security for the nation
through a well funded police, provide affordable housing for
all Nigerians, fix the energy sector, give priority to providing
food, healthcare, motorable roads, including provision of
quality education to all citizens.
To achieve this, he said, “Nigerian government needs
sincere leadership that is willing to rise above the comfort
of office and intoxication of power”.
“We have to create a clean, more efficient, more secure
country, with quality infrastructure and good living condition.
Important for investors and economic growth is the rule of
law, implemented through an independent judiciary, an honest
and efficient police force and effective law enforcement agencies”,
he added.
In his welcome address, the organiser of the award, Mr. Gbenga
Ayeni, said that as long as Nigerians pamper their bad leaders
and fawn over them for materials rewards, corruption and mediocrity
would remain in the country.
Mr. Ayeni lamented that the country has transited to an era
of the glorification of obsessive materialism.
He identified the sycophancy of the followers as the reason
most leaders in developing countries like Nigeria indulge
in shameless acquisition of wealth at the expense of their
people.
“This phenomenon has resulted in a general lack of respect
for merit, for if you flatter those who supposedly matter
sufficiently, you can reach positions which you do not deserve,
while keeping out those who deserve them,” he said.
He said it was in line with this that the Nigeria Leadership
Award came to be; to recognise and reward Nigerians from different
works of life without attaching materialism or money before
giving such awards to individuals or cooperate bodies.
The Executive officer noted that the award is not sold but
used to recognize achievers
“We are committed to identifying and rewarding credible
Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in their chosen
careers or in their contributions to the socio-economics development
of the country in one way or the other, perhaps unnoticed,
may be because of their quiet nature”, he added.
According to one of the awardees, Executive secretary, Odi-Olowo/Ojuwoye
Local Council Development Area, Ilupeju, Hon. Adeyemi Taofeeq
Alli, this was the first time, he would be seeing an organization
giving out award without asking for material benefits.
“I think this is a welcome development to have organization
like this, who gives out awards based on integrity and silent
achievers who have contributed to the soci-economic of this
country”, he said.
He observed that democratic governance might elude the nation
unless it was built on the sound principle of democratic accountability,
along with social justice.
Mr. Alli noted that the challenge of nation building was multi-faceted
and required a multi-layered approach if the country must
make headway.
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