The National Association of Catholic Lawyers (NACL) has stressed the need to implement sanctions for corruption and non-performance by public office holders.
They also urged leaders to deploy measures to eliminate tribal and cultural biases for the development of Nigeria.
This was at the inaugural yearly Conference and Fundraising Dinner of NACL, Lagos Archdiocese, themed: ‘Leadership with Responsibility.’
Conference Chairperson, Dr Nike Akande, said the socio-political and economic facets of our society must synergise to deliver on the promises made by Nigerian leaders; hence the call to responsibility and accountability.
According to her, given our democratic history as Nigerians, the milestones we have achieved as a nation in relation to where we want to be or should be can only be measured in terms of our economic development and the resultant effect of our policies at the grassroots.
“A look at the sub-topics of this conference shows an attempt to tackle the question of leadership from an all-inclusive viewpoint. This seeks to identify the unifying factors in our diverse socio-ethnic heritage; call holders of political office to account by implementing sanctions for corruption and non-performance; revamp the manufacturing and infrastructure sectors of our economy to strengthen the competitive edge of our local service providers in international markets and attract foreign investment.
“Achieving this will, of course, require mending the rifts that have steadily widened through tribal and cultural differences,” she stated.
Pioneer Vice Chancellor, Dominican University, Prof. Anthony Akinwale, while amplifying the need for citizens to hold public officers accountable, said centralisation of power, which occurs in Abuja, renders public administration at state and local government levels ineffective and inefficient.
To make a positive impact, Akinwale, who is also a Reverend Father, said leaders must have ethical, intellectual, educational and technical foundations.
He called for the restoration of the 1963 Constitution of Nigeria, describing the 1999 Constitution as a “fraudulent piece” of document.
President, NACL Lagos Archdiocese, Florence Atuluku, said leading with responsibility starts with each of us playing our roles effectively in whatever environment we find ourselves.
“We must take responsibility for our actions and holding each other accountable, being our brother’s keeper, upholding the principles of equity, fairness and justice at all times, appreciating the sanctity of human life and understanding that our actions or inactions impact negatively or positively on the lives of others,” she said.
Managing Director, Kairos Kapital, Dr Sam Chidoka, called on the government to find creative ways of using the capital market to make money within and outside Nigeria to fund projects as they cannot fund the entire infrastructural deficit in the nation.
He said the private sector should be involved in infrastructural development in the nation for best results.
