Minister of State for Budget and National Planning Prince Clem Ikanade Agba stated on Sunday that the election of Dr Osahon Enabulele as the president of World Medical Association (WMA) depicted the Edo State’s industry, self-reliance, mental ingenuity, and intellectual distinction.
The minister, who spoke at a grand reception in honour of Dr Enabulele in Benin City, the Edo State capital, said the election was well deserved considering his “pragmatism, doggedness and commitment to a workable universal healthcare system.”
Agba noted that Enabulele had brought pride not only to Nigeria but also to Africa.
The minister, speaking on the topic: “Realigning Edo Value System Within the Precincts of Capacity, Invention, Diligence in Leadership and Continuous Learning,” noted that when his election was placed side by side with the historical antecedence of the return of works of art to the state “it offers incontrovertible evidence about Edo land as the cradle of science, technology and indeed, modern civilization.”
According to Agba: “This occasion serves as a convocation and renaissance of sorts, for us all to recall and reflect on our past, revive the industrial spirit of our ancestors, awaken our self-pride and faith in our country and be motivated to activate our creative ingenuity, in order to make the development of innovative capacity, entrepreneurial diligence, and continuous learning the centre-piece of all our activities.
“We cannot achieve sustainable development when we ignore or choose to relegate the very things that can take us to national greatness.
“We are at such a time when the value system of the country is experiencing a fast decline and concerted efforts are being made to address the drift.
“A lot of Nigerians now relish in talking down on the country and giving a wrong impression of our country to the rest of the world.
“The positioning of our own Osahon as a professional star on the global firmament and the return of our cultural assets provide materials for counter-narrative.”
Agba lamented that since the infiltration of western ideological persuasion in the nation’s life, traditional value systems had been relegated, neglected, abandoned, and had broken down almost irredeemably.
“Our traditional values of industry, integrity, humanity, personhood, cooperation/communal interdependence and the extended family are being relegated in preference to Western privacy and individualism.
“In this wise, the African concept of ‘Ubuntu’ might serve as a counterweight to the rampant individualism that’s so prevalent in the contemporary world which undermines our original tradition.
“In order, therefore, to guarantee the sustenance of peace in our today’s conflict-ridden society, there is an urgent need to preserve certain important aspects of our value systems and traditional social institutions that facilitated the performance of those memorial acts and the achievement of historic feats; and even the leadership recruitment process that will ensure the revival of creativity, safeguard the development of innovative skills, artificial intelligence and continuous up-skilling and reskilling as they relate to the growth and development of our country.”
The minister stated that value was a pivot of human behaviour.
He said: “The topic realigning Edo value system within the precincts of capacity, innovation, diligence in leadership and continuous development is indeed most appropriate and timely.
“I am therefore immensely honoured to begin the conversation. Coming in the wake of the return of some cultural assets and tokens of our intellectual greatness and industrial wealth as a people and pride as an ethnic nationality, there is no better time to start a conversation within the context of the subject theme.
“This, to me, is what should define the context in which we need to appreciate leadership and good governance, at this time.
“This is in the ability and capacity to translate ideas and knowledge into economic processes and productivity for the prosperity of our people towards national economic recovery, growth and development.
“Interpretation and translation of above potential across the country into productive economic enterprises and job opportunities is what we do in my ministry and what I believe the Edo Forum of Patriots seeks to achieve as an organization that is committed to the growth and development of Edo State. Thus, we have a common vision and are on the same mission.
“Although values and culture are often used synonymously, values are best understood as part of capacity which should enable or provide facility for anyone or even a country to achieve its vision.
“Doing so will ensure that values align with and help achieve vision. This means that all your values should align with our mission and vision.
“In all aspects of human endeavour, value dictates choices and choice influences behaviour.
“The need for evaluation and orientation is therefore important, especially as values have a lot of implications on human conduct and actions.
“It is therefore important to evaluate the value system of the Nigerian society vis-à-vis the prevailing social, political and economic challenges.
“This event and recent local developments around us in Edo offer us very convenient materials to start the evaluation….
“Therefore, in rebuilding our country’s value system, the people are the best and most assured resource materials for use. The first and most important step to achieving this is recreating a new image of the country in the minds of the people.
“The EFP has appropriately identified some core values which include capacity, innovation, diligence in leadership and continuous development. I add to the list: Patriotism, Personal responsibility, National Unity and Professionalism.
“Additionally the EFP, Nigeria and the world should focus on science and technology. Much of our world today is powered by science and technology.
“In recent decades, humanity has experienced change at a pace that few would have thought possible. Innovation with the advancement of technology, have brought about great economic and societal progress.
“Our country is a fast-growing hub for technology, film production, music, and fashion. Nigeria has become an exporter of culture, tourism and creativity.
“For instance, Nigeria’s tourism sector offers great potential for medium-term growth, building on the country’s rich bio-diversity and ecosystem, traditional cultural diversity, historical sites, and arts and crafts.
” The country’s creative sector, which includes sports, movies, music, arts, broadcasting and publishing, has immense potential for investment and growth.
“The Edos stand out in each and all of these areas and the EPF is positioned to provide leadership in driving the advocacy that would turn these potentials into economic opportunities.”
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