Strong institutions are essentially the foundation for sustainable National Development. When they are considered to be strong, the institutions, which include most arms and agencies of government, such as, (in the case of Democracy), the Executive, the Legislature and the Judiciary and by extension, academic institutions, Security Agencies among many others, are being effectively managed.

It means that these organizations are managed according to the rule of law, ethics and mission statements. Hence, every official, worker or stakeholder, in the course of discharging his or her duties, applies due diligence and avoids any kind of corruption in the line of service delivery. This attitude builds the institutions stronger towards the actualization of their goals, which translates to workers’ welfare, organizational growth and national development.

When institutions are strong, the many faces of corruption such as nepotism, tribalism, bribery, diversion and stealing of public funds, injustice, impunity, among others will be reduced to a minimal level. There is effective division of labour, checks and balances.

Presently, one of the greatest undoing of Nigeria’s development is corruption in high and low places. Corruption manifests in gargantuan proportions in virtually all aspects of our national socio-political, socio-economic and even socio-cultural life. This unholy development conversely weakens institutions.

The Federal Government has launched a variety of programmes to help those in extreme poverty and boost entrepreneurship, especially for the Small and Medium Scale enterprises. However, much as some of these measures are plausible, they are not and can hardly be enough, if other governments, agencies and institutions are not integral part of the consciousness in their own constituencies. Every hand should be on deck to salvage this country and her hapless citizens. The various state governments are also in the eye of the storm and therefore should do more in the area of food security and critical infrastructure.

It is gratifying that Anambra state, in its uniqueness and governance assessment, is rated as state with the highest GDP, Human Development index and lowest unemployment rate in Nigeria. This is encouraging and morale boosting. The state was able to achieve this with the effective security, peaceful and investment climate existing in the state, courtesy of Governor Willie Obiano as well as his policy trust on agricultural value chain development, provision of critical infrastructure and other development enablers.

Generally, the Federal, states and other arms of Government should consider reinventing and strengthening the Public Service, which is fast losing its grip and grand norms known over the years for effective service delivery. There is no doubt that many political influencers have impacted negatively on the Public Service as an institution, consequently reducing the potency of functional bureaucracy.

Many Nigerians are apparently sitting on the fence, blaming others, while at the same time failing to discharge their own duties and responsibilities in institutions and communities they have the mandate to. Essentially, every leader, at whatever level, is expected to bring value to the table. Anything short of it can sadly lead it to becoming a failed organization or institution.

Nigeria appears to have strong leaders but weak institutions and this is the crux of our problems. According to Professor Chinua Achebe, the trouble with Nigeria is not the land or the people or the weather, but simply the problem of leadership. Lee Kwan Yew built Singapore as a country where institutions are the key to prosperity. He had the Singaporean in mind in his attempt at building those institutions.

Let every Nigerian leader, no matter his or her level, build and leave the institution better than he met it so that today’s generation and those unborn will draw from the milk of human kindness and Godliness for that is the essence of man.

DON ONYENJI

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