Corruption and wasteful spending are killing development in Nigeria, the Ekiti Council of Elders has warned, calling on political leaders throughout the nation to embrace integrity, accountability and accountable governance.
Speaking in Ado-Ekiti on Friday at a information convention heralding the second version of the Joel Babatola Annual Lecture Series, the Secretary of the Council’s Board of Trustees, Bayo Orire, lamented that honesty was not valued within the nation’s political setting.
According to him, those that resist corruption are sometimes dismissed as missing political intelligence, whereas public workplace has more and more grow to be an avenue for private enrichment slightly than service supply.
He cited the excessive value of governance, the extravagant existence of political officeholders and the poor execution of public initiatives as proof of the rot.
“The situation is particularly disturbing as many communities continue to lack industries, adequate infrastructure and meaningful agricultural development despite huge public expenditure,” Orire mentioned.
On safety, Orire counseled President Bola Tinubu’s efforts at decentralising the navy and different safety establishments, describing the initiative as a strategic method to strengthening nationwide safety.
He defined that concentrating essential safety infrastructure in a single location may expose the nation to critical dangers within the occasion of an assault, including that decentralisation would promote native participation, employment and financial alternatives.
“On security, we have seen how the president is trying to decentralise the armed forces and other security services, and that is commendable. Security-wise, that is a very sensible decision because if you concentrate everything in one location, an attack on that location could have devastating consequences for the entire country,” he mentioned.
Orire additionally endorsed the institution of state police and the rising involvement of group vigilante teams and native safety outfits, describing them as essential measures in the direction of addressing the nation’s safety challenges.
He mentioned group-primarily based safety initiatives had been already recording encouraging outcomes, significantly within the combat in opposition to kidnapping and different felony actions.
Earlier, the Chairman of the Council’s Board of Trustees, Olufemi Adewumi, mentioned Nigeria’s safety challenges and fragile nationwide unity, pushed by mutual mistrust, non secular variations and ethnic divisions, had made accountable management extra pressing.
Adewumi mentioned the council, comprising people of integrity and patriotism, was dedicated to selling nationwide unity and contributing to efforts to deal with the nation’s challenges.
He defined that the annual lecture was designed to encourage up to date leaders to attract inspiration from the life and exemplary management qualities of Joel Eyinafe Babatola, significantly his honesty, selflessness and dedication to public service.
According to him, Babatola’s legacy stays a priceless mannequin for rebuilding public confidence and strengthening democratic establishments within the nation.
This yr’s lecture is themed, “The Paradox of Nationhood: The Struggle for Reinventing Nigeria’s Security Architecture.”
