Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Friday said the nation should create a system which allows her best trained people who have the required capacity to take over the public sector and make it work for the entire citizenry.
Saraki made the call while presenting the key note address at the inaugural National Chevening Alumni Leadership Summit organized by the Bristidh Hign Commission and the Nigeria Chevening Alumni Association in Lagos.
The Chevening scholarship is awarded annually by the UK Government to exceptional individuals who possess outstanding leadership potentials for them to pursue a one-year master’s degree in any university in the United Kingdom.
"...I wholeheartedly
invite you to work with us in productive partnership so that we can
journey together in this difficult but necessary task to build the
Nigeria that we all wish for, for us
and for our children," Saraki said. "We are here today to explore 'The Economic prosperity of Nigeria and the role of alumni in contributing to economic growth'.
"As we continue to partner with the private sector, we in the 8th Senate
believe that you have a significant role to play in contributing to
economic growth largely by engaging with us in government; either at the
Executive or Legislative level.
"We have seen from
our partnership with the National Economic Summit Group (NESG), the
benefits and we believe that with the caliber of alumni here, more can
be achieved. Let me reassure you
that we remain focused on achieving economic prosperity for all
Nigerians," he said.
While describing the summit as the "illustrious gathering of some of the best minds in our country," the
Senate President
said it is time for the best brains in the country to be put in
positions where they could contribute effectively to the development of
the country.
"As we continue to
grapple with the challenge of how best to manage our natural resources,
here yet is another dimension. We must urgently begin to develop a
system that puts our human assets
to best use.
"We must urgently
begin to create a system that enables us to put our best brains and
minds in positions that they can contribute effectively to the
development of our country. As
we continue to struggle to find new solutions to the old problems that
we face, people like you must be at the forefront, you must bring your
expertise and experience to bear," he added.
He noted that while
the economy is in recession with inflation at 18 per cent, "Chevening
Alumni in Nigeria must get involved in this quest for solutions to what
has effectively become the greatest
challenge of our time."
He stated that the
8th Senate saw very early on that the major challenge before the country
is the economy and remains convinced that the only economy that can
serve Nigeria at this point in her
history is that which is inclusive and is able to protect the weakest
among us.
"Our approach
therefore is to create the legislative framework for inclusive economic
prosperity to all our citizens. We believe that the kind of economy we
must build as we face the grim prospect
of a post-oil world; is that which is able to tap on the best of our
human capital, the creative energy of our youth and the diverse
resources of our land.
"Even as we try to
embrace this new thinking and solutions, we recognize the institutional
challenges. This is why one of the first legislative initiatives we
undertook as early as six months
from resumption of office was to review all the laws that have made it
difficult for people to do business in our country and frustrated
investors willing to come into our economy.
"The 8th Senate
is confident that these bills, once passed into law, would lay a solid
legislative and policy foundation
for the broad-based reforms that are so urgently needed to set our
country on the path of inclusive economic growth," he stated.
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