ODAHIEKWU OGUNDE, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has asserted that Nigeria is in dire need of competent managers of human and other resources to achieve sustainable national security and development.
Diri made this assertion on Tuesday while presenting a keynote address at the South-South Zonal Management Summit.
The summit was organised by the Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) at the Golden Tulip, Onopa in Yenagoa.
The summit, tagged Bayelsa 2021 had as its theme, ‘Managing Security Challenges for National Integration in Nigeria: The South-South Paradox.’
Diri, who spoke through his deputy, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, pointed out that the level of insecurity currently plaguing the country was unprecedented.
He said apart from insurgency, kidnapping and other kinetic security challenges, the country is suffering what he identified as political, social, health and food insecurity.
According to Diri, the country is more divided than ever before because of unnecessary partisanship, tribalistic and unpatriotic management of both human and natural resources.
He lamented that the country is politically insecure as most politicians in contemporary Nigeria only play politics of self aggrandizement without any interest in pursuing the common good.
Describing the management profession as pre-eminent and God ordained, he charged managers to challenge the political class by running their organisations more efficiently and effectively.
He stated: “Insecurity comes in various forms. It is not only the kinetic insecurity our security agencies are dealing with such as armed robbery, insurgency, kidnapping and other criminal activities.
“We have insecurity facing our political system. In this country, we have a situation where most politicians no longer have values but only pursue their selfish interests.
“As far as their interest is protected or fortified, they can damn any consequences and even the interest of the people they are leading. That is why some of them can change like the chameleon and jump ship easily.
“Do we have enough social security? Again, the answer is no. Our moral system has been affected by both ‘coastal and gully erosion’. The love for a brother is no longer a sine qua non in Nigeria.
“No wonder, Nigeria is more divided than it used to be because those in charge have mortgaged our social security. And so, we are now tribal champions instead of being national champions.”
Also speaking, the President and Chairman of Council, Nigerian Institute of Management, NIM, (Chartered), Mrs Patience Anabor, observed that the current level of insecurity had caused collosal damage to the national economy.
While thanking the South-South zone of NIM for always organizing programmes to update its members of current trends in the profession, Mrs Anahor urged government to redouble its efforts at tackling security challenges in the country.