THE Association of Professional Bodies in Nigeria (APBN) has identified Nigeria’s underdevelopment and lack of basic infrastructure, as well as its political, socio economic and cultural crises as the aftermath of its leadership crisis. According to Mr Segun Ajanlekoko, APBN, who spoke at the investiture of the president and council of the body in Lagos last week, the country’s woes lies on a marked lack of committed leadership.
He noted further that successive leaders of the country had bequeathed to the people “poverty, failed infrastructure and social services and a distressed economy. Our economy is in such a shamble, today Nigeria’s this year, while the external debt was put at $4.3 billion, when only about four years ago we had $22 billion as excess crude after we succeeded in wiping off the Paris Club debt of $12 billion.”
Ajanlekoko stated that Nigeria had been able to record the rapid developments and achievements it had in its early years because “it was clearly evident that Nigeria at that time had capable and honest leaders, whose ambition was to build a strong and egalitarian nation where everybody would be happy.”
He however lamented that “today, several years after independence, Nigeria is in a sorry state. There is high level of indiscipline and corruption from top to bottom. Decay has set in, our infrastructures have completely collapsed.”
Urging Nigerians to ensure that the country undergoes a credible election process, he said “2011 offers a new beginning for free and fair election, I do hope it is going to be the beginning of a new journey in Nigeria. We must make sure that Nigeria witness credible election that will usher in credible leaders. We should not be discouraged by past failures.”
Ajanlekoko while stating that the gateway to breeding and selecting developmental leaders has to be found, said developmental leaders will create an enabling environment that  would “generate momentum and set parameters including economic management and acceptable governance framework for other economic and social agents from private sector to ordinary citizen to operate at their best.”
Speaking on APBN, which he described as the third leg of the organized private sector, the others being Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (Man) and Naccima, Ajalekoko said the vision of the association is to seek and integrity for all professional bodies in the country.
The association which currently has a membership of 24 professional bodies was established in 1983.