The Federal Government has reiterated the importance of rail transportation to economic growth of the country.
President Goodluck Jonathan said this on Monday while declaring open the 2013 Annual National Management Conference of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Jonathan said that this was the reason the government had put in a lot of resources in revamping the rail sector.
The Federal Government has reiterated the importance of rail transportation to economic growth of the country.
President Goodluck Jonathan said this on Monday while declaring open the 2013 Annual National Management Conference of the Nigerian Institute of Management (NIM) in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.
Jonathan said that this was the reason the government had put in a lot of resources in revamping the rail sector.
He said that the reform in the rail, airport and the maritime sectors were aimed at gaining the confidence of investors and to empower Nigerians.
He said that the government’s policy of economic inclusion was designed to empower the less privileged and the unemployed through opportunities in agriculture and skills acquisitions.
“We can emphatically say that as a result of our economic policy, there has been significant improvement in our economic transformation drive,” Jonathan said.
The President was represented by Alhaji Bukar Aji, the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.
Jonathan assured that the government would not relent in its endeavors to deliver the dividends of democracy through good governance.
The President described the partnership between NIM and Federal Government as “historic”.
The Governor of Akwa Ibom, Chief Godswill Akpabio, said that accountability and transparency were the key pillars to good governance.
The governor said that in good governance “nobody should be above the law".
“Good governance enhances democracy as well as efficiency in the economic, sustainable and developmental transformation of any nation.
“The rule of law oils the wheel of democracy and breeds transparency and accountability. The state must have sufficient legitimacy, power and authority to guarantee the enforcement of its laws,” Akpabio said.
Akpabio, who was represented by the Deputy Governor, Mrs. Valerie Ebe, said that he had reduced unemployment by creating jobs in the state.
Akpabio said he had declared free education, medical care for the aged, pregnant women and children under five as well as provided loans to small scale businesses.
The National President of the institute, Dr Michael Adewale-Cole, said that the institute had 200,000 individual and 400 corporate members.
Adewale-Cole said that the annual conference was to enable members brainstorm on the issue of leadership in Nigeria with a view to proffering solutions.
“The problem of Nigeria has never been that of paucity of funds and resources, but lack of the political will to execute programmes,” Adewale-Cole said.
He said that NIM was poised to, through conferences and other programmes support the government by providing viable roadmap to leadership problem to enhance good governance.
Adewale-Cole called on corporate organizations and individuals not blame the government for failure, but to contribute their quota by doing the right thing at all times.
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