By Harry Awurumibe, Head, Abuja Bureau
Vice President, Professor Yemi Osibanjo (SAN) has commended the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) (NIM) for its consistency in contributing to nation building over the years especially in the area of capacity building.
Osibanjo who spoke Monday while declaring open a two-day 2019 Annual National Management Conference of NIM at the International Conference Center, Abuja, said that the Institute has been a pillar of support to successive governments by volunteering useful professional advice to them.
Said he, “I recognise that some key decision makers in our administration, who are members of the Institute, are making great strides and discharging their duties creditably. I wish to also point out that NIM has been contributing immensely to nation building over the years especially in the area of capacity building”.
According to Osibanjo who was the Special Guest of Honour at the conference with the Theme: Managing the Challenges of Democracy, “Having been a pillar of support to successive governments by volunteering useful professional advice to them, I urge the Institute to extend such hand of fellowship to all levels of government especially the Federal Government led by President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR”.
“I am convinced that government will appreciate the involvement of the Institute in the key function areas of governance where the services of professional bodies are needed. I also trust that you will avail my administration your professional services whenever you are called upon”, he stated.
The Vice President however lamented that “the Nigerian project is faced with several challenges on every facet of the society and the solutions to these challenges must be fast tracked if we must get the economy up and running again. I urge the Institute to sustain its current efforts in ensuring professionalism and good ethical conduct among its members and Nigerians in general”.
He concluded by saying that “with the antecedents of our great Institute, I am convinced that the outcome of this conference will be used to further support the good initiatives of government and leadership in the private sector.
“I want to use this opportunity to urge other professional bodies, corporate bodies and well meaning Nigerians to emulate the kind gesture of NIM by lending their support to this administration instead of sitting by to criticise every attempt at governance. It is by synergising with government that we can all build the Nigeria of our dreams.
Osibanjo assured the NIM that the Federal Government looks forward to receiving its communiqué at the end of the Conference.
Meanwhile, President of NIM (Chartered), Professor Olakunle Iyanda, FNIM, decried the glaring inequalities in Nigeria form of democracy even as he called for the review of thevroot causes of these challenges of Nigeria democracy. “We must find ways of adjusting the anomalies and ensure a system and structure that guarantee that the citizens, rather than their representatives, are the primary focus and beneficiaries of the dividends of our democratic system”.