36TH AANI AGM: Towards A Better Nigeria

Precisely because yours truly was involved, I bear witness that on Saturday, 5th of March, 36th Annual statutory non-election General Meeting (AGM) held in Kuru, Jos, Plateau state. It was AGM unusual. AANI’s Consitution mandates the Association “to interact and collaborate with the Federal, State and Local Governments…to establish the means of contributing positively and […]

Precisely because yours truly was involved, I bear witness that on Saturday, 5th of March, 36th Annual statutory non-election General Meeting (AGM) held in Kuru, Jos, Plateau state. It was AGM unusual. AANI’s Consitution mandates the Association “to interact and collaborate with the Federal, State and Local Governments…to establish the means of contributing positively and objectively to national discourse on any issues affecting the development of Nigeria and proffer appropriate recommendations and implementation strategies to Government and serve as think-tank to the Federal, State and Local Governments of Nigeria on all matters of national development”. AANI Executive Committee under the leadership of President Maj. General (Rtd) Lawrence A. Onoja, had extended an invitation to the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed. True to expectation the minister made it an historic and remarkable AGM by delivering a comprehensive report on Buhari Change Agenda; The Journey So far. 
The report was as informative as it was well applauded. The quantity and quality of comments and suggestions from hundreds of members certainly that followed would complement the current commendable efforts of Buhari’s administration towards a new Nigeria. So far AANI’s 1,784 membership list parades three former Heads of State, three former Vice Presidents, two serving Executive Governors and other notable Executive, Corporate and political leaders. NIPPS was established in 1979 by General Olusegun Obasanjo, GCFR. Paradoxically the founding head of state of NIPPS turned 79th on the 5th of March which was also the day of our 36th AGM.
AANI president, Maj. General Onoja, who paid glowing tribute to him said; “one of the greatest achievements of General Obasanjo to nation building is the establishment of NIPPS in 1979”. He recalled that the Institute was conceived as a high-level centre institution with the primary objectives of serving as the nation’s foremost policy Institute, developing a crop of top-class technocrats of high intellectual capacity, who will conceptualize and anchor the implementation of innovative and dynamic policy initiatives and strategies critical for national development. So far over a thousand policy research papers have been commendably generated from NIPSS. These research papers have added tremendous value to Nigeria’s development agenda. Currently NIPPS runs Senior Executive Course (SEC 38) after 37 years of existence. The 36th Annual General Meeting (AGM) reviewed the Association’s activities in the past year and set the agenda for the future. The AGM featured the Annual Report of the Secretary General and the financial Report of the previous year. Members debated and adopted the reports presented with reaffirmation of votes of confidence in the leadership. The highlights of the Address by the President, Major General Onoja as accepted by the 36th AGM included; AANI support for the three point Agenda of President Buhari Administration namely security, anti-corruption and economy with a call on the Federal government to put tested AANI members in position of responsibility to enhance public service delivery and compliment President Buhari change agenda. On Security AANI agrees with the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, that the Nigerian military had significantly curtailed the menance of the Boko Haram terrorists. 
AANI salutes the great sacrifices of the soldiers and calls on all Nigerians to compliment the efforts of the military by ensuring the ownership of the war through vigilance to apprehend some renegade suicide bombers on the loose. AANI also commends the decision of the military authorities in reviewing the sentences of some of the officers who because of inadequate weapons had in the past could not live up to official expectation.  In addition, AANI supports the public prosecution of those who criminally divert scarce resources to protect Nigerians into private individuals.
AANI fully backs the government’s war against corruption adding that, monies stolen cannot be available for the much needed development. On the Economy, AANI appreciates the ongoing efforts to block the leakages in public financing, pointing to the fact that the introduction of Treasury Single Account (TSA, has more transparency in public accounting.
AANI agrees with President Buhari that its time Nigeria diversified the economy to value adding activities in manufacturing sector of the economy. Nigeria, AANI says, should stop exportation of God given raw materials but the country should produce most if not all the goods it consumes and consumes what it produces through patronage adding that that is the only way to create sustainable jobs for the teaming youths. As as part of AANI’s contribution to Nigeria’s industrialization it decided to buy a made-in-Nigeria car (IVM saloon car) from Innoson Vehicles Manufacturing (Nigeria) Limited.