Okon Bassey in Uyo
Lack of detribalised and patriotic leadership, weak democratic institutions, personalisation of state power and wide spread insecurity have been identified as factors that are undermining Nigeria’s productivity.
Those factors were contained in a communique issued at the end of the 2022 National Conference of Former Deputy Governors Forum of Nigeria that ended in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, yesterday.
The communique listed other factors like rapid population growth and high infant mortality, rising debt profile, poor administration of elections, polarisation of the Nigerian polity which has undermined National cohesion and unstable foreign policy.
The communique outlined strategies for overcoming the challenges to include, promotion of consciousness about core National values such as discipline, integrity, dignity of labour, social justice, religious tolerance and diversity.
Others were the promotion of culture of good governance, accountability and politics of development, appointing security chiefs and administrators based on competence and capacity, adequate funding of education and health for human capital development.
More strategies were sensitisation of the citizenry to cherish diversity, pursue and install a merit-based system for appointment and privileges, encourage massive youth employment, and restructuring the polity by devolving more power to the lower tier of government, among others.
It was noted that the forum is a critical platform of quality managers of human and material resources that must not be allowed to derail.
It was resolved that efforts should be sustained to reposition the forum to offer greater contributions to the quest of Nation Building.
That the forum should, as a matter of necessity, document its experiences for posterity; and Nigeria should always see its challenges in the context of global realities.
