The Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSChE) has tasked Nigerian leaders to reduce the cost of governance, reminding them that they are in office to serve.
The association lamented that some leaders were raping the nation’s economy by their extravagant lifestyle, which has greatly affected the standard of living of common Nigerians and drastically impeded economic growth.
National President of the NSChE, Anthony Uchechuku Ogbuigwe, stated this during the 31st Fellows Conference with the theme: ‘Professional Ethics In Training and Practice’ held in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Thursday.
Ogbuigwe said: “The leaders should lead by example. We adopted the presidential system of the United States of America (USA) ,yet we are not practising what is obtainable there.”
“ In the US, the president is responsible for his food and everything. But here in Nigeria, the government pays for everything government officials do”
“Government should stop raping the economy for their benefits. There is the need for total cleansing. Let’s reduce the cost of governance and let our leaders serve rather than consume.”
He also cautioned Nigerians to desist from greed and do the right thing always.
He said: “Poverty shouldn’t be the reason for being where we are as a country. The people who take bribe do not do it because they are poor, it is because of greed, insatiable greed. People want to live above their means. They want to enjoy things which, at the end of the day, have no value.”
“We agree that there is a tough economic situation now but we should do our work in such a way that will help to improve the standard of living of everybody.
He decried that lost of values and character was increasing insecurity in the system, saying: “Back then, you could send your child to school without fear that he/she might be kidnapped, but the story is different today.”
The President explained that the conference was a meeting of the fellows of the society aimed at ensuring that the most senior persons in the association carry out our work in ethical manner.
“We believe that the most serious challenge that is facing Nigeria today is unethical behavior and conducts which have bedevilled the entire fabric of the society. People don’t have values anymore and they are prepared to do anything. We must be committed to do the right things in the society,” he said.
Also, Chairman of the occasion, Prof Emenike Uche Wami, lamented the rising cases of corruption in the country, which according to him, has affected quality delivery of good and services.
He said, “All what we are seeing in Nigeria today is lack of quality projects due to non supervision, poor material yet, people that are supposed to superintend don’t care, they allow anything to go .
On the way forward, Wami said: “The way to tackle this is for us to put our feet down and have a government that will discipline erring professionals and contractors. Sanction them and imprison them.”
“There is need for long term imprisonment for contractors and professionals who fail to deliver quality projects. They should be banned for life. There is need for a draconian law against such act, if not, it cannot stop.”
The Guest Speaker and former Vice Chancellor of University of Port Harcourt, Prof. Joseph Ajienka, said: ‘’The purpose of education is to impact knowledge , acquire skills , attitude and values .
He stressed the need to re-emphasise ethical behaviour in school curriculum.
“Values are what we learn from homes, but the right value is the one we imbibe through the teachers that teach us, the mentors we interact with. We will be different if the mentors and teachers inculcate the right value.
“We need to be conscious of ethical behaviour and values. We need to rethink, not to allow the system to collapse by insisting on the right values.”
