Raheem Akingbolu
Experts across different sectors of the nation’s economy have stressed the need for individuals and corporate organisations to uphold high ethical standards, to enable them survive the trying economic times in Nigeria.
Delivering a keynote address on, ‘Upholding Ethical Standards in a Challenged Economy’, Tomi Vincent, argued that the myriad of challenges, faced in the country, had made individuals and corporate organisations, desperate for survival.
According to him, since times were becoming increasingly tougher, a lot of corporate organisations and individuals had resorted to getting things done through conventional and unconventional means.
The Law, Taxation and Policy lecturer of the School of Media and Communications, Pan-Atlantic University, however, expressed the belief that the permanent solution to the challenges plaguing the economy would never be found in indulgence in such unwholesome responses.
“The truth remains that we must make a conscious effort to change the narrative otherwise economic growth will continue to be a dream.
“A veritable way of doing this would be found in the channels of ethical standards,” he argued.
Defining ethics as a moral philosophy which studies right or wrong behavior and actions, the legal luminary counseled on the need to be value-oriented to be able to uphold ethical standards in challenged economy.
In his contribution, the Group Chief Executive Officer, Prima Garnet Africa, Mr. Lolu Akinwunmi, attributed the reluctance to uphold ethical standards, by individuals and corporate organisations, in Nigeria, to societal pressure.
Giving personal examples, the former Chairman of the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) narrated how he was once faced with such pressure from friends and acquaintances, who saw the statutory three-year term, as the head of the apex regulatory council in the nation’s marketing communications space, as an opportunity to better his lots.
“To ward off such pressure, I deliberately made sure I was never a signatory to any of the Council’s accounts, while ensuring that due processes were followed in every of the agency’s activities,” he added.
The former APCON boss added that, insisting on ethical standards could have its own consequences.
He, however, believed that the enormous benefits inherent in such action quite outweigh the disadvantages.
The Managing Director, Proshare, Mr. Femi Awoyemi, attributed lack of ethics, in most individuals and organisations in Nigeria, to trust deficit.
“We choose what to believe as the truth in this society. We have created a new model of assessing people in the society, and nothing is being questioned. Upholding ethical standards in such society might be a challenge,” he stated.
He, however, commended Rotary District 9110 for coming up with an event, aimed at addressing such environmental challenges and serve as role models for ethical standards in the society.
The District Governor, Dr. Jide Akeredolu, explained that the decision to organise the business seminar was informed by the need to bring to the fore some fundamental issues hampering the growth of the nation’s economy.
While expressing the organisation’s commitment to positively impact lives of the people in its operating environments, Akeredolu added that one of the ways is by ensuring that every member of the organisation walk, ‘the integrity talk’, to enable them serve as role models wherever they find themselves.
