Banire, Etomi Task Technocrats In Public Office On Integrity, Accountability

A former chairman of the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN), has urged technocrats in public office to uphold integrity, accountability, and due process to maintain their reputation in and out of office.

Banire, who was the guest speaker at the 15th Annual Lecture of the National Association of Judiciary Correspondents (NAJUC), also charged them to persistently interact with the legal community to survive the muddy water of politics in the country.

The Senior Advocate stated this yesterday while delivering the lecture tagged “Navigating the Delicate Balance Between Politics, Law, Media Pressure and Public Perception; The Burden of a Nigerian Technocrat in Public Office.”

Enumerating several factors that constitute a burden on technocrats in public offices and inhibit their performances, Banire said he must be conscious of the environmental and legal restrictions that limit his ability while in office.

Some of these he highlighted include due process, red-tapism, administrative bottleneck, cultural and religious considerations, public perception, legislative interference, and media pressure.

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The former commissioner of environment and transport in Lagos State said all these factors place a significant burden on technocrats in public office in Nigeria.

Citing the case of in-house technocrats (Civil Servants), Banire said these technocrats are now in a more precarious situation.

He said, “ln house technocrats are now in a more precarious situation. They are not only demoralised by the 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 remuneration package that has pushed them into penury.’’

Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, George Etomi, said for democracy to thrive, the country needs strong and vibrant media and the judiciary.

Etomi said, looking at Nigeria, the level of patriotism is shallow, adding that they hardly can see an American/European running down their countries in social media. At the same time, the contrary is the case in Nigeria.

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.