A don, Prof. Aja Akpuru-Aja, says the implementation of the Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the Ease of Doing Business initiatives by the Federal Government are achieving the desired results.

Akpuru-Aja, a former Directing Staff in the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, said this in a paper titled: “Building Transformative Leadership for Nigeria,” presented at The Big Idea Podium lecture series.

The lecture series, held in Enugu on Tuesday, was organised by the African Heritage Institution (Afri-Heritrage), a socio-economic and political analytical institution.

Akpuru-Aja, who is currently with the International Relations and Political Science Department of Abia State University, said the TSA had helped the government and country to check multiple infractions in the country’s finances.

“I must laud the vision and dexterity of the present administration to implement the TSA initiative, which had brought sanity and discipline into the nation’s finances.

“For now, uncoordinated financial withdrawals and running of government finances without discipline and accountability has stopped. People are now more responsible financially,” he said.

According to him, with the TSA the country has been able to make substantial savings over time and can easily trace its monies.

On the Ease of Doing Business, Akpuru-Aja said the initiative had improved the country’s competitiveness as well as opened it up for business by relaxing all bottlenecks impeding businesses.

“The present government is moving with a vision to get things right and correct negative ways of doing business, especially as it concerns government service agencies and commissions.

“I believe we are making progress in the right direction, which needed to be sustained,” he said.

The don also lauded President Muhammadu Buhari for assenting to the Financial Autonomy to State Legislature and Judiciary Bill, which he said was another landmark reform of his administration.

“However, we wait to see the implementation of the law,” he added.

Earlier, Dr Otive Igbuzor, Executive Director, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), Abuja, in a lecture noted that “leadership is the pivotal point of every organistaion, society or nation.”

Igbuzor, who delivered the key lecture themed: “Building Transformative Leadership for Nigeria,” said the country was suffering from lack of quality leadership.

“True leaders are not selfish and have no interest in themselves or position but committed to influencing others for the common good.

“A transformative leader must be a change agent, one who develops capacity and trust on others as well as create an enabling environment to make a change for the common good,” he said.

The Executive Director of Afri-Heritage, Prof. Ufo Okeke-Uzodike, in his address, called for a change in leadership structure and philosophy.

Okeke-Uzodike said the country needed transformative leaders who would ask questions why things were going wrong and why lots of challenges were rising up daily in the country.

According to him, the issue of leadership is fundamental and it is one of the biggest issues facing the country.

The lecture series was attended by the academia, captains of industries, policy makers and government functionaries as well as the media from all parts of the country. (NAN)

– Jun. 19, 2018 @ 18:15 GMT |