Eminent Economist and Founder of the Centre for Values in Leadership, Prof. Pat Utomi, has said that Nigeria is in dire need of strong institutions such as those being built in Osun State by the administration of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola rather than strong personalities.
This was even as the governor of the state suggested that engaging the alienated youths as is being done in Osun State will end the scourge of insecurity in the country.
Both Utomi and Aregbesola spoke at the weekend in Ilesa, Osun State at the BusinessWorld newspaper award presentation to the governor as the Most Innovative Nigerian Governor in First Term.
Utomi, who was the Guest Speaker at the event, observed that what the nation needed are strong institutions and not strong men, saying only a strong institution can provide good governance for the people of the country.
The Don, who titled his speech: “Innovation in Governance: Regarding Good Government,” said until government serves the interest of the common man, it is not a good government.
He pointed out that the kind of government the country needed to progress was what Aregbesola was offering the people of the state.
He said Aregbesola’s commitment and excellence in governance is not in doubt as the performance bears clear testimony to his focused administration.
According to him: “What Africa and indeed Nigeria need are strong institutions and not strong men.
“A strong institution has the capacity to provide good governance for the people.
“Lack of strong institution is what is contributing to the stagnation of the nation’s fortune both politically and economically.
“Therefore, our country is in bad shape because our leaders are not told the truth they need to know about their performance in government.
“Government has a primary duty of creating conducive and enabling environment for the realisation of people’s dreams and aspirations.
“Government that fails in this regard has no business being in power and it doesn’t deserve to be honoured to continue in power.”
Utomi described Aregbesola as a leader with a strong commitment to serve his people, hence the people-oriented and people-centred policies he introduced in the area of education, health, infrastructure development.
He identified the introduction of the innovative e-learning device, Opon Imo, as solution to poor teacher quality, which had hitherto contributed to the slow growth of education, noting that the tablet has contributed to rise in the increase in enrolment figures in the state as well as eradicating deficiency in teaching method.
In his own remarks, the Interim Chairman of the All Progressives Congress and Chairman of the occasion, Chief Bisi Akande, said that the award demonstrated that Aregbesola is one of the best governors in the country.
Akande noted that the award is not coming as a surprise because the positive transformation of Osun State under the administration of Aregbesola is visible for all to see.
According to him: “This award in no way surprises me because you deserve it.
“I am only waiting to come to Osogbo for the celebration of your victory at the coming August 9 election.
“Your works in the state is a clear testimony that your victory is certain.
“It is an election which we have won before the contest.”
Earlier in his address, the Chairman of BusinessWorld newspaper, Daisi Omidiji, pointed out that a total of 12 states were considered in the innovation award initiative, with two states in each of the six geopolitical zones of the country closely examined over a period of three months.
Omidiji added that it was from this effort that Osun State emerged as the overall winner, saying some of the factors that enhanced the decision was the turnaround projects embarked upon by the governor.
He said: “We came to this conclusion because of the turnaround projects embarked upon by the Aregbesola administration, which represents a tremendous improvement on what he met on ground about four years ago.”
In his appreciation remarks, Aregbesola charged people in authority to create jobs for the youths, saying this is the only sure way of ending insurgency and terrorism currently unleashed on the nation by Boko Haram.
The governor said power is meaningful only when it is used to change the life of the people, adding that power is nothing but responsibility.
In his words: “A sure way out of our national instability is the provision of jobs to the youths along the OYES scheme in Osun.
“Engaging the alienated youths as we did in Osun will end the insecurity and terror unleashed on the nation by Boko Haram.
“This is why we made education our number one priority in the state as this is our passport to that secured future.”
Nigeria needs stronger institution, not personalities for development – Utomi
