By Jude-Ken Ojinnaka
Former Chairman of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON) and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Dr. Muiz Banire on Thursday highlighted some factors that affect the performance of technocrats in public offices, adding that for them to perform optimally while in service,
they must be conscious of the environmental and legal restrictions that limit their abilities while in office.
“In order to avoid some bottlenecks that may affect or hinder their performances while in public service, the technocrats should persistently interact with the legal community if they are to survive the murky waters of politics in the country,” he said.
The Senior Advocate made the assertion on Thursday while delivering a lecture titled “Navigating the Delicate Balance Between Politics, Law, Media Pressure and Public Perception: The Burden of a Nigerian Technocrat in Public Office” organised by the National Association of Judiciary Correspondent (NAJUC), Lagos chapter.
Some the the highlighted factors include due process, red tapesm, administrative bottlenecks, cultural and religious considerations, public perception, legislative interference, and media pressure.
Banire who was a commissioner of environment and transport in Lagos State said the above mentioned factors place great burden on technocrats in public office in Nigeria.
Citing the case of in-house technocrats (Civil Servants), Banire said these brand of technocrats are now in more precarious situation.
“ln house technocrats are now in more precarious situation. They are not only demoralised by insecurity of tenure; terminal growth for them is becoming an illusion. They therefore hardly have much to look up to again. Worse still is their renumeration package that has pushed them
into penury.
“Politicians treat them as dregs, affording them no serious recognition. Consequently, not the best in recent times is derivable from the in-house technocrats who now have joined the bandwagons of politicians to scoop whatever they can access while in office. This is the country’s story”, Banire posited.
According to the Guest lecturer, to overcome these challenges, technocrats in public offices must be vigilant and make sure that they ‘put their nose, and ensure that they make inputs when laws concerning their areas/offices are being enacted.
“In doing this, technocrats must work and collaborate with the legal community, be above board and ensure that their dealings in office are ethical and transparent”.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, Mr. George Etomi said that for democracy to thrive in any democratic setting , the country needs strong and vibrant media and the judiciary.
Etomi said looking at Nigeria, the level of patriotism is very low, adding that hardly can one see an American/European running down their countries in the social media, while the contrary is the case in Nigeria.
“It’s we Nigerians that can build the country, and we cannot build the country by running it down in the media”, Etomi stressed.
He said media, politics and the judiciary are interwoven in the building of a strong democracy.
At the event human rights lawyer Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN) received an Award of Excellence for his outstanding contributions and dedication to legal practice, media freedom, and human rights enforcement in Nigeria.
Also, at the event , two versatile journalists, Joseph Jibueze of The Nation Newspaper and Joseph Onyekwere of The Guardian Newspaper, who have since become editors in their respective organisations, were also honoured for their contributions to the media profession and the association.