The Federal Government has been charged with motivating its workforce as a step towards ensuring high productivity. This charge was given on Monday by the Chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions(NASU),University College Hospital(UCH)branch, Ibadan, Comrade Kehinde Abiona.

''The Federal Government should do the needful when it comes to the motivation of its workforce. The government should also make the work environment conducive. But sadly, gardeners still make provisions for provisions, cutlasses them, they buy it themselves. Medical laboratory staff make do with outdated equipment, the same goes for those in accounts, who still apply old methods,,'' Comrade Abiona stated.

He advised members of the union to be contented with their present situation, saying, '' take things easy, don't expect too much, accept what life brings to you and make do with what nature allows you to achieve in life''.

Comrade Abiona appealed to the Federal Government to wake up to its responsibilities, adding,'' we were assured that we would receive the new hazard allowance in January 2022. That is September. We have yet to receive it, we have continued to borrow to sustain our families.''

Similarly, members of NASU at the University of Ibadan have condemned the decision of the Federal Government not to pay them for the period that they were on strike.

They made this position known through their chairman, Comrade Malachy Etim. ''Despite the fact that we fulfilled all the processes before proceeding on strike and despite the fact that we have called off the strike and have since resumed work, the Federal Government is still insisting that it would implement the No Work No Pay rule. This is condemnable. The government is still holding on to our salaries. This is inhuman and insensitive.''

In the same vein, a former Vice President of the Senior Staff Association of Universities(SSANU), Western zone, Comrade Alfred Jimoh advised the government to desist from inducing strike actions, saying, ''human beings are not made for law, law is made for human beings. The Federal Government should apply the law with a human face. Even though we have called off the strike, the government is still holding on to our salaries. How does the government want us to continue working when there is no money?''

In a related development, members of the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria(ASCSN) have again called on law enforcement agencies to put an end to the cases of corruption going on in the union.

The concerned members lamented,''we bring to your notice some of the challenges confronting us. Deductions have been made from our salaries by our union and there is nothing to show for it. The rising high cost of living and inflation that we are experiencing in Nigeria HAS NOT HELPED MATTERS. It has been extremely very difficult for us to make ends meet and, as such, workers have gone borrowing. Kindly look into the account of ASCSN.''

Organization and professional ethics are important elements of governance or corporate governance.

The elite now trample upon the Fundamental Human Rights of the impoverished masses, who have become mere pawns in their(elite) hands for the ease of manipulation to win elections.

The present dividends of democracy include insecurity, poverty aggravation due to unemployment and high prices of commodities beyond the reach of the teeming population, avarice and greed exemplified through the blood of Timocracy running through the system of our politicians driving them crazy into Kleptocrarcy and deceptive plea bargaining; increasing the fold of cabal, cartel and the vicious cycle of the corrupt people's clubs in Nigeria.

In all processes involving governance, leadership by appointment, promotion or election, the effective participation of the people matters at all levels of identification, selection, and electoral processes involving voters' registration and the collection of the Permanent Voters Cards(PVC), party manifesto, campaign training and the voting exercise and monitoring, election results, collation of results and the declaration of results.

The aftermath of this continues to call for effective participation of people in keeping the environment of peace for ease of governance.

Leaders must be above the parochial sentiments of statism, ethnicity, tribalism, ego-centeredness, materialism, but be spiritually rejuvenated in due process without religious bigotry in dispensing power and service.

Governance and leadership cuts across all systems for idea and product generation for the purpose of enhancing productivity and sustainable development. Whatever your professional discipline- religion, politics, media practice, broadcasting, business or entrepreneurship, entertainment, medicine, engineering etc.

We must all be skillful as professionals for us to be able to serve with ethical guidance that will eventually give competence in leadership and credence to due process in governance.

This will equally enhance effective participation of people for a better society. Leaders must be prepared and trained through the agents of socialization-the home, school, vocation and right empowerment.

Our educational orientation must be geared towards realizing this for leaders with all authority and confidence to be on the field when challenged to assume office and with outstanding and credible performance.

However, when we take for granted leadership training needs by allowing people to assume leadership duties, roles and responsibilities, they will lack the ethics and procedures of due process to end up disappointing the people in the discharge of his or her duties, as would be evident in the lack of the rudiment of Management, Administration and Governance.

Corporate governance under democratic norms is, therefore, recommended since it will instill discipline to enhance efficiency in productivity with high goodwill of peace and sustainable development in an environment that is safe and secured where nobody is denied of his/her right of access and right of justice.

Prof. Olagoke delivered this paper on Wednesday September 7, 2022 at the Jagaban Commincations Internaitonal 2022 Mega International Summit in Ibadan

Nigerians have been advised to elect a leader that shall cater for the needs and expectations of poor Nigerians in the 2023 general elections.

This advice was given on Wednesday by the General Evangelist of the Christ Apostolic Church(CAC)Worldwide, Reformation land, Ile-Atunse, Ibadan, Prophet Timothy Abass Arabambi at an event tagged 2022 Mega International Summit in Ibadan, Nigeria.

''Nigerians should vote in a leader that would carry everyone along. A leader that would lead by example, a leader that would take good care of poor Nigerians. Mu advice to politicians, let them move closer to God for all to be well,'' Prophet Arabambi concluded.

A former ambassador to the Philippines, Dr.Yemi Farounbi has declared that Nigeria urgently needs a President that is conversant with the needs and expectations of Nigerians.

Dr. Farounbi made this declaration on Wednesday at an even tagged 2022 Mega International Summit in Ibadan, Nigeria.

''A leader ought to prepare his country for the challenges ahead. The leader must be creative and visionary and must have his legs on ground. But when your leader travels by helicopter or aeroplane, he does not know hunger, he does not know poverty because his feet is not on ground, he does not also know the fate of the poor.'' ''What kind of President do we need in 2023? What re the problems the President must solve? We need a well educated and rounded person, it is not whether it is my turn or your turn, it is not whether it has been my life time ambition. Can you solve the problem of electricity? Can you solve the problem of education? Can you change the mentality of the education administrators? Do you have intellectual resilience? It is not whether I have been competing since 1992; it is not every leader that is good at implementation, competence is very important. He called for the restoration of family values, while lamenting that,''family values in Nigeria have broken down, we need spiritual regeneration and the restoration of family values.''

Holding onto God's word is faith

Matthew 14 : 22-32

22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away. 23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. 24 But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. 25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. 27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. 28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. 29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. 31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt? 32 And when they were come into the ship, the wind ceased.

The Lord has made effective leaders and teachers of people who never envisaged that they would,ouucpy leadership positions.

Judges 6: 1-6

6 The people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, and the Lord gave them into the hand of lMidian seven years. 2 And the hand of Midian overpowered Israel, and because of Midian the people of Israel made for themselves the dens that are in the mountains and mthe caves and the strongholds. 3 For whenever the Israelites planted crops, the Midianites and nthe Amalekites and othe people of the East would come up against them. 4 They would encamp against them pand devour the produce of the land, as far as Gaza, and leave no sustenance in Israel and no sheep or ox or donkey. 5 For they would come up with their livestock and their tents; they would come qlike locusts in number—both they and their camels could not be counted—so that they laid waste the land as they came in. 6 And Israel was brought very low because of Midian. And the people of Israel rcried out for help to the Lord.''

Consistent prayers and supplications move mountains.

Matthew 26 : 36-46 36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. 37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy. 38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me. 39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. 40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour? 41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. 42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done. 43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy. 44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words. 45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. 46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.''

The government and every proprietor must invest heavily in the functional education of our children despite the current trend of development that dwells on global competitiveness and global best practices through such orientation, which will give learners and graduates of every school a wider view of the world where peace and development will dominate a purposeful educational goal.

To be able to achieve the above-mentioned updates, facility updates and security issues must be pursued with high assurance of a safe environment for the teachers and the children, including the young. It is sacrosanct to the provision of a conducive environment for learning through adequate funding, total quality assurance and standard attainment. Policy designs on these must be implemented now for a better Nigeria. The stakeholders including parents, government at all levels, schools, students, alumni associations, the media and others must walk the talk on the education enhancement needs without any delay for a better future. Let us realize that the goal of accreditation exercises for various disciplines in our schools and the global exercises for universities across the board is for education not to lose its focus objectives, quality and standards. Working towards achieving this is a challenging task for all nations. Alumni associations of schools must rise up to support the reinforcement needs of our schools for adequate funding to provide for facility updates, and motivate the teachers/lecturers for Nigerian schools to compete well with their counterparts abroad. Afterall, the nation will benefit better if schools are able to provide thoroughbred graduates that are well disicplined with passion to provide for the need of the people for opeace and development to give us safe and secured environment. Above all, let us motivate our teachers to walk the talk to promote knowledge economy. Let us jointly secure the future of our nation, Nigeria.

Prof. Olagoke delivered this lecture at the Shafudeen Group of Schools end of year 2021/2022 Academic Session party and 8th Valedictory sercvice