NIPSS MAIDEN DISTINGUISHED AANI LECTURE SERIES: GOVERNANCE, STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP, ECONOMY AND SECURITY ARE FOUR THEMATIC AREAS DRAWN FOR LECTURE SERIES- PROF AYO OMOTAYO, DG NIPSS

NIPSS MAIDEN DISTINGUISHED AANI LECTURE SERIES: GOVERNANCE, STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP, ECONOMY AND SECURITY ARE FOUR THEMATIC AREAS DRAWN FOR LECTURE SERIES- PROF AYO OMOTAYO, DG NIPSS

...NIPSS WITH AANI TO ORGANISE CENTENARY OF POLITICAL PARTIES FORMATION IN NIGERIA - COMRADE ISSA O AREMU , DG MILLS 

... NIPSS IS APPRECIATED FOR FIRST AANI LECTURE SERIES IGP M.D ABUBAKAR (RTD) & AMB EMMANUEL OBI OKAFORMI. 

By Justin Jattim 

Prof Ayo Omotayo, Director General of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru,near Jos has confirmed that Governance, Strategic Leadership,Economy and Security are the four thematic areas arrived at from which lecture themes and topics would be drawn up for subsequent lecture series.

The Director General made this assertion at the NIPSS maiden lecture of the newly introduced Distinguished Alumni Lecture Series from which it is intended to tap from the wealth of knowledge of great products of the institute at the Main Auditorium, Directorate of Studies, NIPSS Kuru on Thursday,14th July, 2022 before the Course 44 of the institute and respected guests. 

Omotayo went further to say this newly introduced programme was captured within the frame of activities and programmes planned upon his resumption of duty

as the Director General for integration into the institute's various Directorate's plans, not just for the year but also for the future. 

He continued that " this is of utmost importance if we are to maintain our stance as the nation's foremost 'think thank' ".

Prof Ayo Omotayo hinted that the four thematic areas arrived at equally gave rise to the theme of the Inaugural Lecture titled, Good Governance and the Consolidation of Democracy in Nigeria: Issues and Challenges. He graciously appreciated the resource persons for the inaugural lecture but insisted that "it is pertinent to state that to qualify to be a resource person for these lecture series , such persons must not only be alumnus of the institute but must also be specialist or a practitioner in the thematic area for the proposed lecture.Additionally,the person must posses an accomplished and proven track record on the subject area. I therefore commend our resource persons for distinguishing themselves out of the so many persons considered by meeting these eligibility criteria ".

The DG urged the distinguished audience, physically and virtually to contribute constructively and positively to discourse. He subsequently and succinctly tasked the staff of the Directorate of Research to pay utmost attention to the proceedings and future lectures to come up with policy briefs which the institute would forward to appropriate quarters.

Comrade Issa Obalowu Aremu,mini, Director General Micheal Imodu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) and leads presenter at 2022 Distinguished Alumni Association National Institute (AANI) while delivering his 16 page paper on the topic "Good Governance and the Consolidation of Democracy in Nigeria: Issues and Challenges" suggests that NIPSS in collaboration with AANI should organise a centenary celebration of political parties formation in Nigeria from 1921-2022 because Herbert Macaulay formed the first political party in Nigeria in 1921, thus, we must keep the memory alive.

Aremu,mni suggested that it will be good for NIPSS to use the centenary celebration to do the SWAT analysis on the 18 political parties in Nigeria because civilian democrats fought for the country's return to democratic rule.

 He said Nigerians were praising China who started political party process in 1922 and the Communist Party has taken China  to the moon, though there are other smaller political parties. 

The accomplished labour leader said where it not for the 1966 and subsequent coups in Nigeria, the country would have developed better than what we have today. He equally posited that Nigeria has a rich democratic process and that the road to good governance is through democracy,no more, no less.

 Comrade Aremu,mni lamented the closure of textile industries in Nigeria which has led to loss of massive thousands of direct and indirect jobs. 

He urged participants, guests and government to walk the talk after writing a lot of papers and not be pessimistic but optimistic as lots of policies have been formed from NIPSS Reports such as the 2017 Executive Order 003 signed by President Muhammadu Buhari which makes it compulsory for federal government agencies to buy locally made products.

 The effect of this order, he said, is the reason why uniformed agencies are now using materials that are locally manufactured by textile industries.

The lead presenter also revealed that over 3000 papers have so far come out of NIPSS towards making Nigeria, the most populous black nation in the world, a better place to live in (towards a better Nigeria) just like the motto of NIPSS AANI "Towards a better Society". 

He said Nigeria is a good promising developing country which with time will be amongst the best in the world because nation building is an unending business. 

Aremu,mni continued that the nation building cup is always growing thus, it can not be empty therefore, Course 44 Participants must try to be members of the AANI by not agonizing but organising.

The DG of MINILS admonished Nigerians to be compatriots who will walk the talk by the quotes of Karl Marx, the German Philosopher.

 Speaking on Nigeria's constitutional development, Aremu,mni hinted that thus far, 11 National Constitutions have been produced from 1922 to date to change Nigeria for the better.

The lead speaker posited that since NIPSS participants are a product of Nigeria that once worked- good primary schools, good secondary schools, good universities and a good Nigeria, thus we must Nigeria work again. 

He referred Nigerians to a book titled "How Nigeria Died" and insisted that every nation must look at the concept of good governance in our reality and conceptualise the definition of democracy in our own context in Nigeria, unlike the Sri Lanka experience who stormed the Presidential Lodge,but that is the beauty of democracy. 

The road to good governance is through democracy, Aremu,mni asserted and that democracy is the heritage of Nigeria but military intervention made Nigeria to discend instead of ascending.

Aremu,mni advised that henceforth NIPSS should organise a workshop for all candidates of political parties on specific development plans. He also recommended that we must make it mandatory for elected officials to memorize section 4 of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution as amended as well as section 16 which talks on state policy ,planned and balanced economic development policies.

 Section 23 which talks on National Ethics, Self Reliance etc must also be enshrined in the hearts of leaders and followers. We should also look at the things in the constitution that we have not done and be judged by what we didn't do in the constitution. 

The lead speaker described Nigeria as the largest democracy in Africa because INEC has registered 84 million voters with 18 political parties, 180,000 polling booths, 22 years of uninterrupted democracy, 7th democratic transition, 2 President's that completed 8 years in office, 1 President who lost election in office and 1 President who died while in office.

The Director General of MINILS appreciated President Muhammadu Buhari for allowing June 12 and urged that never again should anyone annul election. It was criminal and saddening that democracy was truncated. We should say no to interim government or any contraption because our democracy need quality control.

Aremu,mni advocated a female President and Vice President for Nigeria or a female Governor. He continued that we use gender and forget a situation where the ruling class uses geography, religion and class distinction. He frowned at the situation where election is for the highest bidder and for sale because the rich is only for the rich in Nigeria with poor being at the mercy of the rich.

The lead speaker at the AANI lecture series also warned that political parties in Nigeria must return to political ideologies as in the past where GNPP was known with politics without bitterness, the PRP is known with the redemption for the poor and the NPP is known with emancipation etc. He said, it is unfortunate that what we have now are butterfly politicians who in the morning belong to one party and in the evening they run to another without ideology.

The DG of MINILS described NIPSS as the institute of development plan for Nigeria. He said 14th 4 year development plan is what is happening in China but Nigeria hardly stick to a development plan, thus, we must return to planning.

Speaking on leadership, the lead speaker insists that Nigeria is not short of leaders as late Gen.Murtala Mohammed is the best from the military thus, we must create leaders that are accountable to us. He said like late President Nelson Mandela who the United Nations slated 18th July of every year to be celebrated because no country in the world has the resume of Nelson Mandela who should be our guiding post. We should encourage sacrificial leadership who know when to step down, he added.

There were two discussants at the lecture series namely Hajiya Jummai Bappah, mni of SISdev and Pharm Ahmed I Yakasssi of Pharmaplus Nigeria Ltd.

In her presentation, Hajiya Jummai Bappah,mni advocated that the system must not be pure but it must work because democracy is peopled centred, this focus must be on the citizens.

Bappah,mni discussed the three issues that describes democracy to include equity, diversity and inclusion. She insisted that democracy must have a human angle therefore, we must talk on equity,diversity and inclusion where we start small and build on that beginning with our homes and where we work.

Equally, Bappah,mni posits that we must walk the talk by knowing and using the stakeholders to focus on how the policies work on the people, women, children and the disabled.She appeals that we need to concentrate on the core poor in policies.

For democracy to succeed, Bappah,mni believes that there must be checks and balances,internal democracy with the realisation that first and foremost, democracy is a game of number, participatory followership , leadership and our constitutencies where we work.

Bappah,mni concluded by paraphrasing Aristotle who posits that in a democracy, the poor will have more power than the rich because of their population. She said a good democracy is what blood is to the body.

In his presentation, Pharmacist Ahmed I Yakasssi,mni if course 42 also agrees with the lead speaker that "don't agonize but organize " and that there is failure of leadership in Nigeria, thus we need good leaders who do not lie, need leaders who have compassion, patriotic and selfless.

Yakasssi,mni feels so bad about Nigeria politics with delegates election where few determined the fate of the majority after financial inducement. He believes in inclusiveness and participatory democracy. Yakasssi, mni said it is shameful when sharing money they don't think of religion but politics. He hinted that it is one thing to have democracy and it is another to practice democracy.

He concluded that it is quite unfortunate that corruption is moving naked in Nigeria and nobody is saying anything as it is no more 10% but sometimes 40% gratification. He insists that politicians are servants and thus must fight corruption which breeds hunger, unemployment, poverty and retardation from weak democratic institutions.

IGP M.D Abubakar (rtd), mni, Chairman of the occasion ably represented by Amb Emmanuel Obi Okafor,mni appreciated the Director General, Directors and management of the Institute for organising such an epoch making event with brilliant lead presenter, discussants and zoom respondents. He urged NIPSS to continue the good works it is known for and a new Nigeria will emerge.

Prof Olufumilayo Para Mallam,mni, the Director of studies, NIPSS in her remarks thanked the panel for doing justice to the topic and it gives credence to the Director General's effort at bringing AANI together and conversational.

The Director of Studies insists democracy is the best bet for Nigeria and we must have a mental stability to take the country out of the woods. Like the lead speaker and discussants, the Director of Studies posits that NIPSS must hold its members accountable wherever they may be in defining the role of NIPSS in political parties by walking the talk in producing ethical leadership, people centred leadership and doing away with hellish political terrain.

 The erudite scholar believes it is time to fashion democracy that is reflective of diverties. She wants issues of structured development addressed, strengthening of key institutions, governance trust, nation's greatest assets should be it's people who must be valued, protected for participatory democracy for a good culture, produce policies that are actionable and fixing the missing link of nation's strategic out look.

Prof Pam Sha, the Director of Research, NIPSS in his remarks, spoke on the crisis of accountability and consolidation as well as experiencing democracy of inflation.

On the 100 years of party formation in Nigeria, comparing China with Nigeria is not good enough because we are not practicing communism, hinted Prof Pam Sha.

Brig.Gen W B Nasiru,a Directing Staff of NIPSS in his remarks said 23 years of democracy in Nigeria yet no development plan that will transform the country. He said 230m Nigerians without planning will lead to malnutrition, poverty, violence and crisis.

There were many AANI members who reacted on the papers presented via zoom . They included Joseph Duda, mni, John Oda, mni, Prof Abdulrazak Alaro,mni,Nini,mni, Director, Foreign Affairs, Zalia Ahmed,mni, Boboye Oyeyemi,mni, Ibrahim,mni, Danlami,mni, Abdul Garba,mni amongst many others.Credit goes to Prof Sola Adeyanju and the Public Affairs Department of the National Institute of Policy and Strategic Studies Kuru.