APBN Bemoans Eleven Months Instability in Nation’s Policy Direction

The Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) has lamented against what it called 11 months of instability in policy direction of the economy as most of the policy makers, since January, 2015 were either on the field campaigning for electorates’ votes or awaiting Presidential appointments.

Speaking to journalists during the Associations’ meeting held at the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) national secretariat in Lagos, Foluso Fasoto, president/chairman of Council/board, Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), said that Professional Bodies in the country believe it is high time those in Government ditched the attitude of politicking with the management of the country’s economy.

APBN is the umbrella body of government recognized professional Associations in Nigeria set up to speak with one voice on behalf of its Member-bodies while at the same time gives professional advice to Government on matters affecting the professionals and their practices.

Fasoto said that the Association has been following recent events in the country, especially after four months of playing waiting game, the list of ministerial nominees was eventually submitted to the National Assembly which confirmed the appointments of all the nominees. “They were eventually sworn in last month and most of them are about now settling down to business. In essence, the year 2015 witnessed almost eleven (11) months of instability in policy direction of the economy as most of the policy makers, since January, 2015, were either on the field campaigning for electorates’ votes or awaiting Presidential appointments. Nevertheless, we thank God that the economy is now being expected to take shape”.

Treasury Single Account
The Association extolled the Federal Government for summoning courage and directed all the government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to close the multiple accounts already opened with Commercial Banks for their various operations and maintain the designated Treasury Single Account with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“This is a welcome development as the resultant effect has shown that the Federal Government is tremendously more liquid than earlier imagined. We however want to quickly caution that while the Government savors the positive result of this directives, the long-run adverse effect of it should equally be given prompt attention so as not to stifle the economy during any emergency,” he said.

Nigerian Economy
Fasoto said it is no longer news that Nigerian economy rely majorly on oil, but despite the oil glut in the recent past, there has not been appreciable breakthrough visible to ordinary Nigerians towards diversifying the economy.

“Our country is endowed with all the resources to be among the first world but for the effective and efficient management of this resources. That is why our governments at all levels cannot ignore the active participation of our members (the professionals) in the governance. Enough of politicking with the management of the country’s economy.

“There is need for setting proper objective for Nigerian economy – where do we want to be in say, 20 years’ time? Do we aspire to remain a developing country “until kingdom come” or we hope to join the league of the first world in say, 15 years’ time? There is need for this objective to be well defined by the Federal Government and widely communicated to all citizens. This will eliminate policy somersault syndrome which avoidably usually afflict us in this country,” the APBN President said.

Employment Generation

On employment generation for the teeming youths, he said, there is foremost need to secure enabling environment for the achievement of such objective as unemployment is a global albatross on most countries of the world, Nigeria not exception.

“However, most countries are strategizing to get out of the problem by creation of employment, using their internal resources. We have human resources experts (such as the Chartered Institute of Personnel Managers of Nigeria, Nigeria Institute of Management (Chartered) Chartered Institute of Administrators, etc.) in our midst who are ready to partner with government to address this problem also with a view to finding lasting solution.

“We therefore call on the government, especially the newly sworn-in Ministers and Governors to make use of these “Nigerian products”.

Against this backdrop, Professor Adesola Aderounmu, president of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), reiterated that the place of Information Technology (IT) sector as an agent of change and development cannot be overemphasized.

He emphasized that, worldwide, IT is a major driver of the economy. “Being the acknowledged professional authority in this sector, our aims are socio-economic growth, job creation, poverty reduction and deepened diversification of the economy. Indeed technology holds significant promise as a major revenue earner.

According to Aderounmu, to enhance the deployment of ICT to advance the values of wealth creation and effective leadership in the nation, NCS as a member-body of APBN has discovered the need for an Office of Chief Information Technology Officer of the Federation, approve the pending National Software Policy (NSP) as a blueprint aimed at providing a strategic roadmap to make Nigeria a competitive country in the area of software engineering and digital knowledge development and implementing e-Government strategy as imperatives for corruption-free, equitable, productive and knowledge-based society.

However, the submissions by the Professional Bodies centered on four core issues including Rule of law; Security; Economy and Promotion of professionalism.