Vice President Kashim Shettima has said that an ethical and morally upright society is essential for attracting investors and promoting economic development.
Shettima, who was represented by Bashir Maidugu, Senior Special Assistance to the President on Legal and Compliance Matters, Office of the Vice President, said this at a Webinar tagged: “Let’s Talk Ethics’’ on Tuesday in Abuja.
The theme of the Webinar is: “Community Engagement for Ethical Transformation, Leadership and Integrity.”
It was convened by the Civil Society for Ethics and Values Development Initiative (CSEVDI) to mark the Independence Day anniversary.
According to Shettima, the call was imperative because a nation’s morals are like the teeth, the more decayed they are, the more it hurts to touch them.
He said that President Bola Tinubu had a lot of agenda for the growth of the nation.
He said that the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current government could not be an effective transformative policy without a sincere ethical transformation, authentic leadership and uncompromising integrity at all levels.
He added that Nigeria was in dire need of a reorientation, a repositioning of Nigeria and Nigerians with respect to the values they should hold dear in order for the nation to be where it ought to be.
“I am impressed with the organisers of this webinar because this is a responsibility of all Nigerians, as mothers, as parents, as teachers, to ensure that ethics, morals, are imbibed in ourselves, in our youth, so that we have a better society.
“This is because without a morally upright society; without an ethically upright society, there won’t be a positive economic growth.
“Investors will be very unwilling to invest in such a society.
“So, it is our collective responsibility, not only for government, and the private sector, but the responsibility of every Nigerian, to ensure that we do things according to how they should be done.
“Not because people are looking at us; not because we want people to notice it, but because these are the right things to do. Do the right thing at all times, and then we will have a better society.’’
He reiterated that Nigeria’s seven national ethics as prescribed by the 1999 Constitution were discipline, integrity, dignity of labour, social justice, religious tolerance, self-reliance and patriotism.
“The teeth that are our morals are hurting because this code of national ethics has been observed more in the breach than in true and good faith.
“We have sunk into an ethical wilderness of despairingly unimaginable proportions.
“The totally negative value system that has resulted from abandoning the noble path of ethical conduct has had serious consequences for our individual corporate image and reputations both home and abroad,” he said.
Shettima said the first step towards the overhauling of the national ethics would be a revolutionary re-orientation of the value system of the society.
He said there was a need to embark on an authentic search for that genuine national culture that would reshape Nigeria’s core value system, national character and national image.
He urged Nigerians to be very patient with the government because it had positive programmes for the country but it required sacrifice.
