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Nigerians have been called upon to adapt to the current economic realities to foster meaningful progress, as fuel subsidies have long hindered the country’s sustainable development.
This is as Nigerian professionals across various sectors of engineering, law, healthcare, manufacturing, and science, among others, have been urged to uphold ethical standards and contribute actively to addressing the many challenges facing the nation.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN) in Abuja on Tuesday, former President of the association, Akinloye Olufemi Oyegbola, emphasized the need for Nigerians to embrace a culture of good followership, noting that this is essential for fostering accountability and ensuring that leaders are held responsible to the people.
Oyegbola criticized the unsustainable practice of subsidies, arguing that it has led to financial irresponsibility.
He stressed that it is better to confront these issues now, rather than wait for them to escalate further, saying, “Right from when we had the COVID, things have been tiring, trying to fall apart, trying to fall apart.
“I think when we talk, we should be sincere to the people. When you have a family and each of the parents have a job, if one loses the job, there is a need for that family to adjust.
“And while that family is adjusting, we expect, for instance, the children who were earlier in private schools, now being put in government schools.
“These are basic things. So I think we are adjusting already. We didn’t want to adjust before.
“That’s why it got this bad. If we had adjusted as we are adjusting now, in the past, it wouldn’t be this bad for us. Whatever we call subsidy, you subsidize with what you have.
“The moment you are borrowing money to put into something that you shouldn’t put it into, it is no more subsidy. You are being lavish. You are being irresponsible.
“So what we used to call subsidy in the past was not subsidy because Nigeria had no money to subsidize. You subsidize because it’s believed that you have that money and you are helping a situation. We are not subsidizing.
“We are only being lavish and we are telling ourselves lies, being insincere with it. And a lot of people, very few of them who had that opportunity, directly or indirectly, are making money from it. Now the reality is on us.
“It’s unfortunate. All of us are feeling it. But I think it’s earlier now.
“It’s better now than never. Because it was going to really fall apart if we didn’t face it the way we are facing it. If we had faced it four or five years ago, it wouldn’t be this bad now.
“We would have been picking up our pieces by now. So whether we like it or not, by the grace of God, we will pick up our pieces. It won’t get too bad for us, by the grace of God”.
In his farewell remarks, the outgoing APBN President, Manason Garkuwa Rubainu, urged professionals from all fields to stand firm against unethical practices, stressing that working for the benefit of the country is in the interest of every Nigerian.
He highlighted the pivotal role professionals play in shaping policies and ensuring accountability, saying, “When professionals support bad practices, they weaken society.”
Rubainu also called for ethical leadership across all professions, urging professionals to uphold high standards and mentor the next generation.
He emphasized the need for collaboration in addressing challenges and ensuring that Nigeria achieves good governance.