Political Leaders Urged to Stop Blame Game, Tackle Corruption Ravaging Economy
Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in Umuahia
As Nigeria’s political leaders continue their recriminations over the nation’s beleaguered economy, the President of Cosmo Base Consortium, Benson Ezem, has called for cease fire, saying that blame game won’t bring solution.
Speaking in Umuahia, the development consultant said that the root cause of the current economic woes of Nigeria “is corruption” which has permeated every every aspect of life and every sector of the economy.
“The issue of corruption is everywhere, we see it everyday, participate in it directly or indirectly,” he lamented.
“This hydra-headed dragon has killed this nation and is still killing it.We are all to blame in our different areas of endeavour, banking, federal ministries, churches, schools, offices just name it.”
Ezem said that there should be concerted efforts to save the nation from the pervasive economic quagmire instead of wasting time trading blames and looking for scapegoats.
“This is not the time to lay blame on anyone, not on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” he said, adding the present situation “calls for everyone, including the labour union, to think outside the box, and our academia, Asuu to stand and be counted.”
As a way out of the cesspool of corruption, Ezem said that Nigerians “can collectively as a nation, as individuals rise to the occasion by standing against it in our different spheres of life.”
He said: “Our governors must realise they are elected to ensure judicious use of our common patrimony for the greater good of the people.
“Those that are opportuned to be in power today should remember that some people had been there before and try to look and reflect where history has a place for them.”
He urged those plundering the nation’s resources placed under their care to look back and check what has become of those that had travelled the same route and the people they left behind.
“This life is very deep,God gives us opportunity to fulfill our purpose but some never get to use that opportunity but waste it for lack of understanding.
“I’ll always say that for everything you do in life, strive to make lasting impact and always live ready, (because) there might never be a second chance,” he said.
On the nagging issue of nonpayment of salaries and pensions by many state governments, Ezem emphasised that “we shouldn’t have any business owing pensioners, owing salaries”.
According to him, payment of salaries and pensions constitute “should be the least (of the things) the state should do”, noting that salary and pension problems have become recurring decimals mostly in the public sector.
He advised governments to borrow a leaf from the private sector in the management of salaries, gratuities and pensions as they are not rocket sciences.
Using his experience as a private sector employer, the Cosmo Base Consortium boss said that governments could overcome the salary and pension issues with appropriate measures and policies.
“I’ve operated my business for over three decades now as a private concern. We have people who are enjoying monthly pensions due to our partnership with Stanbic IBTC. Salaries are promptly paid because to us that is first charge before anything,” he said.
“Those in power should think less of self and family and build the states entrusted into their care, knowing that after power, they will come back to the same state as any other citizen,” he said.
Ezem, who is also a minister of God waxed biblical, reminding treasury looters that “vanity upon vanity all is vanity” hence the futility of amassing illegal wealth at the expense of lasting legacies.
