Director-General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, yesterday advocated policy consistency to drive development.
“Maintaining good economic and social policies; maintaining policy consistency and adding more reforms on top of that will lead us along the path of good progress that we all desire,” she said.
The former finance minister delivered a keynote address at the opening of the week-long Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) in Lagos.
Its theme is: “Pressing forward: a national posture for rebuilding Nigeria.”
Okonjo-Iweala decried a phenomenon she labelled as the “not-in-my-administration syndrome” of jettisoning policies.
The economist believes certain sacrosanct policies should not be changed whenever there is a change in administration.
Okonjo-Iweala said: “Nigeria today is not where it should be, and our country has not progressed as it should have.
“That is why, more than 60 years after independence, we are still discussing nation-building.
“But we must shift our focus from blame games to concrete actions that tackle present and emerging challenges.
“I said this not in recrimination or even in futile regret, but rather as part of moving our country and advancing its interests.
“We are living in very difficult times, locally here in Nigeria, but also globally.
“I’m not here to castigate or blame anyone, I’m here to speak to all governments of my country, all political parties, all Nigerians, about a positive way forward for the country.
“We all understand that where policies are bad and not working, of course politics should intervene.
“But where things are working to the good, we ask, why fix what is not broken?
“By social contract, I mean a fundamental cross-party, cross-society agreement that certain things in the economy, in the country, in policy and in society are sacrosanct and shall not be touched or changed when administrations change.
“The social contract is about how we pool our resources to provide the public goods we agree are needed and how we support those affected by adverse shocks.
“I’m saying is that all major actors in the governance of our country should agree on some basic parameters for security, macroeconomic and social stability, and the enabling environment for future dynamism and growth of our country.
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“Once agreed, these parameters and policies should be institutionalised or enshrined in law or even be made part of our Constitution, not to be tampered with, except perhaps through a national referendum involving the entire country and society.
“Maintaining good economic and social policies, that is, maintaining policy consistency, and adding more reforms on top of that will lead us along the path of good progress that we all desire.
“As we know, our political leaders have thus far never been able to agree to stick to a common set of principles and policies that deliver on a consistent basis for citizens, irrespective of ethnic group or political persuasion.
“A social contract could become a basis for the virtuous circles of reform, growth, peace, security and trust that have too long eluded us.”
She added: “No one should tamper with the Central Bank asking for the manipulation of interest rates or exchange rates.
“Do not use the Central Bank as a fiscal agent asking for the printing of naira beyond agreed Ways and Means limits as this can fuel inflation.”
Okonjo-Iweala warned against the politicisation of insecurity.
She said: “Security has been weaponised in our country for political purposes, by political actors, leading partly to the difficult situation we have now.
“We have politicians who believe that the best way to make their opponents look bad is to instigate insecurity, making it look like they can’t govern.
“Regardless of whether this leads to loss of life and property of innocent Nigerians, this has to stop.
“A second aspect of security relates to security of national assets.
“Nigerians have seen for years how organised crude oil thefts on a massive scale seriously undermine the economic and financial health of the country.
“All Nigerians must agree that stealing of our national assets of any type is intolerable and must be stopped.
“How can we be struggling to see how to strengthen our foreign exchange reserves with the government of the Central Bank working so hard on this when so much is being lost through oil thefts?
“There is so much technology available now to track such thefts, and there must be no more excuses for inaction.”
Tinubu recommits to rule of law, separation of powers
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to upholding the rule of law, adhering to the principles of separation of powers, and tolerating dissent within the bounds of the law.
Speaking through Vice President Kashim Shettima at the NBA Annual General Conference, the President emphasised his administration’s dedication to these fundamental principles.
President Tinubu acknowledged the association’s sterling history of championing democratic ideals, as well as promoting the rule of law.
“Let me reassure you all that this administration will continue to promote the rule of law, adherence to the principles of separation of powers and tolerance of dissent within the bounds of the law,” he declared.
The President implored Nigerian lawyers and other citizens to join hands with his administration in resolutely working towards a Nigeria of everybody’s dreams, saying the nation cannot continue to toe the path threaded in the past, if it must achieve sustainable development.
He assured that though making difficult decisions to change the way things were being done in the past would produce hard results, his administration’s policies and actions will bring relief to Nigerians very soon.
President Tinubu noted: “While I acknowledge the temporal existence of some daunting challenges besetting us as a nation, I would like to urge you all not to adopt a defeatist approach; rather, we should remain resolute in working for a country of our dreams.
“It is obvious that Nigeria as a nation cannot continue to sojourn on the trajectory of the past if we must be assured of sustainable development; hence, the need to sanitize the Augean stable and chart a proper course of rebuilding the nation.
“I acknowledge that altering the status quo requires difficult decisions and changes, which also inevitably come with hard outcomes.
“However, I am confident that this is a passing phase and our policies and actions, as an administration, are bound to usher in relief in no distant time.”
The President thanked the Supreme Court for consistently sustaining good governance and the tenets of democracy in Nigeria, citing the recent verdict of the highest court in the land which granted financial autonomy to the local government councils.
