Olu Samuel, Lokoja
The Director General, National Policy and Strategic Studies,NIPSS,Jos, Plateau state,Prof.Ayo Omotayo, has urged the three tiers of government in Nigeria to legalize their policies to avoid the pitfall of policy summersault.
Omotosho gave the advice on Tuesday when he delivered the 5th Distinguished lecture of the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State, north central Nigeria, at the Felele campus of the institution.
The DG,whose lecture is entitled,”Policy Summersault:”The Bane of Development in Nigeria’s Public Service,” also advocated an utilitarian policy that would benefit the majority of Nigerians.
He described policy as a complex activity that must involve thoughtful process and concrete strategies to ensure the realisation of the desired success and benefit to the people.
He noted that as different governments come to power, with different political parties manifestos, they usually formulate policies on their party manifestos without critical examination of the peculiarity of the people such policies would benefit.
He reminded policy makers that Nigeria is a multi-dimensional nation with different languages, cultures and traditions, adding that for any policy to benefit the large of the citizens, government must come up with legalised policy that would be difficult to be changed by succeeding governments.
According to him, “many policies in the country summersault because their formulators failed to take into cognizance, differences in geographical location, religion of the people, funding as well as the need to shun corruption in carrying out such sensitive assignment”.
He, therefore,called on government to engage in thoughtful process involving thorough intellectual discourse and done in clearer communication strategy for Nigerians to have policies that would meet their genuine yearnings and aspirations.
In his address of welcome,the Vice Chancellor of the University,Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, described policy formulation as very strategic and core to the development of any nation.
He thanked the NIPSS DG for involving staff of the university in the sponsored programmes of the organization and for donating books to the institution library to enhance learning on policy formulation.
The Vice Chancellor also commended the guest lecture for sharing his experience with the university in area of policy strategies with the university and proferr solution on how to ensure sound policy strategies to fostal social and economic development of Nigeria.