NEWS
At National Summit, NIPR Identifies Trust, Dialogue As Key Nation-building Elements
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By Blessing Bature-Akpakpan
The president, Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Mukhtar Zubairu Sirajo has said the Institute has identified trust as a key element in nation-building and the role of dialogue in societal well-being and development, hence the decision to take up the challenge.
The president, who spoke at the Citizens Summit for National Integration, peace and security in Abuja on Tuesday, disclosed that “We need not to look far to see that relationships amongst our people have broken down, resulting in mutual suspicion and diverse forms of antagonism, and driven by ethno-religious and other primordial differences that have become the face of our common heritage.
”Sirajo said, realising that at the core of the mandate of the Public Relations profession is the birthing and sustenance of mutually beneficial relationships and mending them where they crack or even break down, Institute came to the conclusion that Nigeria needed more than a shot in the arm in this regard.
“No nation thrives and progresses in an atmosphere of hatred and distrust,” he stated in a speech at the opening ceremony of the Summit.
According to him, seeming rapid loss of hope in our nationhood by the youth calls for a new approach, based on citizens -participation that is solution- driven.
“It is said that “every society should discover its dream; either to betray or fulfil it.” Hence, Nigerians as a people should constantly re-assess the focus of our dream, x-ray the dynamics in the system, for the continuous evolution of a better way forward to our glorious destination, since nation building is always a work in progress.
“Our nation, no doubt has witnessed some serious challenges in the past few decades in the process of our social evolution and democratic consolidation. In the midst of these contradictions have been the seeming rapid loss of hope by many, especially the youth, in the promise of our nationhood; challenging economic realities, social distrust, exclusion, weakening of social cohesion, and presently the challenge of insecurity in different parts of the country.
“We therefore, cannot continue to fold our arms and watch as these ugly trends keep unfolding. Something has to be done urgently.
“As a professional and patriotic body, part of whose mandate and area of expertise is relationship building and mending, the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations understands the enormous task incumbent on it in playing strategic roles in achieving national development through objective scanning of the environment, identifying challenges, and constructively engaging all relevant stakeholders to try to reverse this ugly trend.
With this in mind, the NIPR with the support of our esteemed partners came up with the idea of this Citizens Summit for National Integration, Peace and Security, which has as its theme: “Reopen Conversation , Rebuild Trust.”
Chairman of Access Bank, Dr. Ajoritesere Awosika, who spoke at the occasion said there were a plethora of issues that have bred the slow disintegration of the Nation, pertinent among which he said was the lack of communication and trust deficit on the side of government and its citizens and amongst individuals.
“A quick glance at the current situation of the nation tells an all too familiar tale; the vigorous campaigning of politicians for political offices amidst the heavy siege of kidnappers over the people, while the economy declines even further into an abysmal situation shows the dire situation of things.
“We need to leverage every tool and every sector to foster national integration. The crucial role of the economy, for one, in fostering national integration has been thoroughly undermined. In a country where the economic resources are scattered across the various regions, there is a dearth of regulations and regulatory bodies that will aid the movement of goods and services”.
“The overriding goal of national dialogue processes is to promote peace, unity, reconciliation and a shared sense of identity – all critical elements of sustainable peace, but all in short supply in the Horn of Africa. Having wide-ranging mandates including political reforms, constitution making and peacebuilding, national dialogues are political processes that aim to reach a new social contract between interest groups and communities in a country”.
“In Nigeria, however, national dialogues have not always been well implemented; and at other times citizens have wanted them, but governments haven’t recognized their importance. In instances where their importance has been recognised, the resolutions or promises haven’t been followed through
“This has to change, and it starts with us – holding each other accountable and challenging the status quo” he stresed.
NEWS
NNPC Indebtedness to Suppliers not Good Image for Nigeria – Economist
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An Economist, Dr Chijioke Ekechukwu says the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) indebtedness to fuel suppliers is not good for the country’s credit rating globally.The expert says the chaos that the debt may cause could be devastating to Nigeria’s already fragile economy.
Ekechukwu, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Dignity Finance and Investment Ltd. said this in an interview on Sunday in Abuja. The NNPC Ltd. had recently acknowledged that its six billion dollars debt to petrol suppliers is a financial strain that has placed considerable pressure on the company and poses a threat to fuel supply sustainability.Reacting to the development, Ekechukwu said for credibility and credit rating of Nigeria in the global arena, the NNPC Ltd. should as a matter of urgency and necessity find means of paying their creditors.He said the NNPC Ltd. should not be seen to be defaulting in its obligations to contractors.“The chaos that may be caused by NNPC Ltd. continuously owing these suppliers may be very devastating to our already fragile economy and state of affairs.“It makes a mockery of the so-called profit declared.“However, it can still have and still make profit. Such liabilities should be considered before declaring profit,” he said.The NNPC Ltd. Retail Management on Tuesday approved upward review of pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and adjusted it to N897 per litre as against N617 per litre.The independent marketers are selling between N930 and N1,000.Speaking on the sudden increase in PMS pump price amidst scarcity of the product, he said the country should be ready for attendant increase in inflation rate.“Nigerians are heading toward a more severe economic hardship.“We have been trying to curb the continuous uptick in inflation rate using monetary policy tools that have not succeeded optimally.“With this current increase in petroleum products, we should get ready for a major hike in prices of goods and services and attendant increase in inflation rate.“Hardship will continue to pervade the system, which will have a direct link with a higher criminality rate,” he said. (NAN)NEWS
Tinubu Trying Hard, Inherited Near- Bankrupt Nation— Tafawa-Balewa
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Dr Abdul-Jhalil Tafawa Balewa, a former PDP presidential aspirant, has urged Nigerians to be patient with President Bola Tinubu,saying he inherited a near-bankrupt nation ,but trying hard to put things right.Tafawa-Balewa made the statement in an interview on Sunday in Lagos.According to him, if a nation is near zero, rescuing it and setting it on a path of recovery is always very hard.
He,however,said the president needed to do much more to reposition the country and address its many challenges. Tafawa-Balewa urged Tinubu to reduce the cost of governance to free up resources for development as a step towards putting things right.The politician also urged Tinubu to strengthen his cabinet with technocrats that could help actualise his development agenda for Nigeria.“He (President) needs to be able to move with the times and put people that have moved out or have learned new technologies to be able to manage the different ministries.“I think we have too many ministries, about 48, that need to be slimmed down because a lot of money is being used to run these ministries.“We just need to be able to slim down the number of ministers,” he added.Tafawa-Balewa urged the president to work harder on security to end kidnappings ,insurgency and other threats“We have to improve our security so that our farmers can go to the farms. We are going to have a burst of food production.“Without security, we cannot improve our food production right now. We also have technology for preservation and distribution of food.“We have written so many times about using the gamma radiation facility to be able to improve our food preservation and distribution but nobody wants to listen.“We have one of the largest gamma radiation facilities in the world and definitely the largest in Africa.“We are not using it,” Tafawa-Balewa,a Consultant Nuclear Chemist ,specialising in food preservation, said. (NAN)NEWS
Don’t Give up on Nigeria, Atiku urges Nigerians in Diaspora
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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged Nigerians in the diaspora to remain strong and optimistic for a better future for Nigeria.Abubakar made the call at a virtual interactive session with some Nigerians in the diaspora on Saturday, according to a statement.The statement was issued on Sunday in Lagos by Prof.
Gold Emmanuel, Senior Special Assistant , Communications & Intelligence and Diaspora,Office of Atiku Abubakar. Abubakar called on Nigerian citizens not to give up on the nation ,regardless of the current socio-economic challenges. According to him ,the state of the economy has led to untold hardship for millions of Nigerians and the poverty index has continued to rise.“I urge you not to give up just yet. Your strength and resilience are crucial to Nigeria’s future,” Abubakar said.Abubakar said Nigerians in the diaspora played a big role in shaping the country’s future.He said: “As Nigerians living abroad, you have a unique perspective on what good governance and economic management look like.“I encourage you to continue to pray for Nigeria’s deliverance .“Your prayers and support can help bring about the transformation we need.“I believe in the potential of our great nation and I know that with collective effort, we can overcome the current challenges and build a prosperous Nigeria for all.”The former vice-president also encouraged them to continue to support their families and friends back home.“Continue to engage with your loved ones, offering support and encouraging peace and unity in these difficult times.“Your contributions to the Nigerian economy through remittances and investments are quite crucial,” he added.Abubakar, the 2023 PDP Presidential Candidate ,also urged the Federal Government to release detained protesters being charged for treason.According to him, the right of any citizen to protest policies of government is entrenched in the constitution and can not be denied.Abubakar said: “I will advise the government to release these young Nigerians and without trial immediately.”He urged Nigerians in Diaspora to continue to embrace acceptable civilised strategy in calling the attention of the government to policies missteps.” I will appeal to all Nigerians in the diaspora to continue to support Nigeria and project it to the world as the country with great potential,” Abubakar added. (NAN)