Corporate governance, solidarity and Godly change

Samuel Ogungbemi

CORPORATE governance is the establishment of visionary leadership to ensure eradication of poverty and hunger, promote quantitative and qualitative education, good health, combat HIV / Aids, Malaria and other communicable diseases. Promotion of security of lives and properties, sustainable economic growth, provision of basic needs such as shelter, clean water and sanitation services. Generation of constant electricity, creation of conducive environment that ensures fundamental human rights, promotion of egalitarian society between the rich and the poor as well as eradication of bribery and corruption that has become endemic in our society.

Corporate solidarity means unity, agreement and support resulting from shared interest, feelings, actions and sympathies across gender, religions, tribe, ethnic group and profession.

Change on the other hand means making somebody or something different entirely from what the person or thing used to be. We experience change in a variety of ways, our growth is a product of change. Change can occur supernaturally, physically and technologically. Godly change is a progressive journey from one point to another in one’s life existence. “Life is a journey, life is not a station. Those who want to make’ it a station end up in frustration proving that life is designed for motions and dynamic changes”.

Nurturing the nascent democracy and actualising the benefits of good governance demands attitudinal change in the behaviour of all citizens in this nation. All good citizens of this nation who care for people with good attitude, behaviour, virtue and ethos should continue to live a life that will challenge and influence others in order to promote productivity, national consciousness and peaceful co-existence with one another.

Thus, unity is paramount in our achieving and enjoying the full sovereignty of our National Republic of Nigeria. How good and pleasant would it be for all Nigerians to dwell together in unity and harmony? Nigeria is ours and she deserves the best governance. It is necessary for us to learn from the locusts which have no king, yet go forth by group. 

They are such a harmonious creation that can teach every Nigerian the need for unity in life’s endeavours.

Strengthening our unity through cooperation, tolerance and understanding one another entails individual and partners working together as a nation. Friends to stand together and like minds to think together. Ethnic groups are to meet and share common interests in the spirit of harmony. Leaders with a common goal/vision must work together with commitment, determination, speed sustainable ways of building a more humane, just, peaceful, cohesive, self-reliant and strategic partnership among tribes.

There is need for good governance to promote peaceful co-existence that will bind us together as one nation despite our diverse cultures, multi-ethnicity, geographical locations and different religious leanings.

We must see ourselves as one and indivisible entity with brotherly love and commitment to the fulfilment of the dreams of our founding fathers. Our national anthem focuses on unity and oneness. This cannot only become a mere rhetoric. It must be practised and expressed in action and belief. Righteousness exalts a nation while wickedness is an ingredient of reproach to any nation.

There is no doubt that shedding of innocent blood through Boko-Haram’s inhuman and nefarious attitude, injustice, bribery and corruption, election malpractices, non-payment of pensioners and other workers’ salaries as and when due, lobbying/settlement with public funds, oppression of the masses, high rate assassination, fraudulent practices, among others, are sins that have caused a lot of hazards and reproach on our land and economy.

If we must have a society that is void of armed robbers, touts, political thugs, Boko-Haram, examination cheats, smugglers, drug addicts e.t.c., adequate training and moral upbringing of our child(ren) must be put in place firstly at home because “Charity” they say begins at home, not leaving out such training schools and other social institutions. The spiritual and moral trainings at home will later metamorphose to good behavior and discipline in our society.

Righteousness, accountability and transparency are almost gone in our society and other religious homes. The time has come for the church to use the pulpit to preach the truth and expose all art of wickedness on our land.

What then can we say about those so called leaders who failed to render their stewardship accounts before the investigating panel? “Any way, all animals are equal but some are more equal than others “. What can we say about our public officers who do spend millions of naira to bribe their ways out at the House of Senate or house of Assembly? What can we say about those public officers who do deposit money meant for the payments of eo-workers salaries or pension into their personal bank account for their selfish benefits? 

One day will be one day when we shall all give accounts before the Almighty God.

What can we say about the parents, aiding a child to cheat in an exam or purchase question papers even certificate with either teacher or mercenary writing the exam in their places. Eradication of examination malpractices, certificate forgery and cultism are among the ills now hampering the maximum functionality of our institutions.

Officers in varied cadres have already been entangled in syndicates which rebuff attempts to stop these evil. The syndrome calls for sober reflection and Godly change of attitude.

For Nigeria to become a great nation like United States of America, Britain’, Japan, France e.t.c., can only come to reality if we corporately change our attitude and perception and put the country first in all that we do. All tiers of government, NGOs, Corporate bodies and individuals should be involved in the revolutionary change forgood governance in our society.

Ogungbemi, a cleric, writes from Ibadan.