Nigerians have been called upon to call the bluff of the United Arab Emirate (UAE) on the visa ban by shunning the Middle East country in their itinerary either for business, vacation or pleasure as the case may be.
Director General of National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Professor Ayo Omotayo made the call in his goodwill message on Monday at the opening of Leadership and Management Retreat for management staff of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Environment at the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru Plateau State.
He said Nigeria should not be cowed or boxed into any corner by the UAE government decision which did not provide any cogent reason for the visa ban stressing that Nigerians should adopt self-restriction and maintain the nation’s dignity by shunning going to Dubai.
“I have been to Dubai several times. I don’t see any big deals going to Dubai. As Nigerians that have self-pride, we should ban ourselves from going to Dubai. Is it the hotel or the sea that is unique to the world? I don’t think we should be at the mercy of any country,” Omotayo
” We have what it takes to be better than Dubai. The Emirates did not make the place themselves; it is a combination of people from all walks of life that made Dubai. We should give ourselves a self-ban; we have nothing to lose.”
The Director General charged Nigerians, especially the elites, to change their perception and approach on the way things are being done in the country with different approaches and perceptions towards issues affecting the country as a whole.
Read also: UAE bans visa issuance to Nigerians, rejects applications
“We are in the era of constructive leadership. You cannot continue to do things the way you have been doing them. We must begin to have a different perspective on doing things. We must exchange ideas; we cannot afford to continue to move in a circle; we must reflect on ideas; we must create an avenue for solutions to our problems. ” He added.
In her address to the participants, Permanent Secretary Ministry of Labour and Productivity, Mrs Daju Kachollom Shangti, decried the gap in knowledge and awareness about administrative procedures, ongoing civil service reforms, strategic thinking and government policies, especially on the need to have relevant data to carry out the mandate to achieve National Development Plan 2021–2025.
She also identified the gaps in communication and administrative procedures between the ministry’s headquarters and its parastatals as the gaps have contributed to the hindered quality of delivery of the ministry’s mandates which expectedly the retreat will be able to address. “However, achieving this will require complementary efforts and teamwork by all of you. It would be nearly impossible to change the narrative and reposition the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment as a grade A ministry without your assistance.” The Permanent Secretary reiterated.
Various topics ranging from Administration of Labour in the context of Changing Global, Regional and National Environments: Trends, New Thinking and Strategic Priorities; Leadership and Change Management in Labour Sector: Towards Intra-Ministerial Synergy; Performance Management System and the Federal Civil Service Strategy Implementation Plan 2021-2025; Monitoring Policy and Programme Implementation in Labour and Employment: Towards a standardised key Performance Indicators.
The three day retreat will address all the above topical issues for better performance of the Ministry personnel.
