The 2023 elections and peaceful political transition could be jeopardized and breed chaos if the economy of the country continues its downward spiral; as more citizens are pushed into desperation and become economic refugees in their own country.
This observation was contained in a communique issued at the end of the July 2021 edition of the Professional Development Series of the Rivers State Chapter of Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) with the theme “Managing A New Normal: Bank Staff In Nigeria Expand Stakeholder Role to Chase Loan Defaulters.”
This theme was inspired by the viral video of Heritage Bank staff gathering at a Nigerian Senator’s house on a self-help loan recovery effort, possibly in a bid to keep the bank afloat.
Amaopusenibo Bobo Sofiri Brown, CEO of GRAIN Consulting and former National President of NIPR, was the lead presenter on the subject-matter with participants comprising members of NIPR, public and private sector establishments, and the academia.
The program observed that economic instability is a “more pressing danger to national unity,” as the economy across the states is driving citizens to desperation.
“Participants expressed regret that while leading nations in the world are creating incentives to stimulate their economies to achieve high productivity and be more competitive, Nigerian government acts as if the economy does not matter,” while urging citizen to be “concerned because the economy is our present and future”
The communique added that the growing unemployment and mass poverty in the country show that the economy is being crippled by lawless behavior, self-centred focus and monopoly of public revenue by the few who hold political power.
Participants also called on Nigerians to rally round Heritage Bank staff by making urgent demand on both state and federal governments to keep the bank afloat by making people accountable for their reckless behavior with depositors’ funds which threaten the employment or security of law-abiding citizens, and survival of the banking industry.
The communique therefore urged the NIPR chapters in all the states of Nigeria to provide credible platforms for citizen groups, who appear to have no voice or feel powerless like the Heritage Bank staff, to stand as active stakeholder groups and learn to use legitimate means to ensure that business organizations are run with efficiency and competitiveness in order to guarantee employment and other positive benefits in the economy.
