Following the recent declaration made by Oodua Maritime Forum banning Igbos from vying for and being elected a Chairman of any chapter in the Western Zone of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents, ANLCA, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Widescope Group, Dr. Segun Musa has advised the Oodua Maritime Forum nay ANLCA to insist on competence rather than sentiment.
Musa who gave this counsel in a chat with Primetime Reporters in Lagos recently stated that the Forum should look out for people who possess the required knowledge and capacity to lead the association to growth and development rather than whipping up ethnic sentiment which he assured could kill the association if allowed to stand.
Noting that business and leadership do not understand religion or ethnicity, Musa who is also the National Vice President, Air Logistics of the National Association of Government Approved Freight Forwarders, NAGAFF said, “If you want to build an economy, it must be diverse, different people with different ideology must participate. Go to any country around the world that decides to be on its own, it never progressed.
“I just arrived from Europe and I just registered my office in France. If France can accommodate me, an African, to open an office in Paris, it should be ignorance for anybody to say that people from another ethnic group of the same nation cannot operate trade or hold Leadership positions within their own domain.
“When you are talking about leadership, it demands that you must have knowledge , you must have the capacity and if it is an Hausa man that has the capacity and you deprive him because of ethnicity or religion and then bring an ignorant lead, what will be the results? It’s going to be disaster.
“People should understand that our strength is in our diversity. When people begin to talk about religion or ethnicity, it’s because they want to reduce their growth. Anywhere you see people talking about religion or ethnicity, their growth will diminish automatically.”
Drawing inferences from an encounter he had when he contested for the seat of Lagos State Governor, he said, “I tell people, when I contested for governor, and they are telling us that you are Lagosians, if you become the governor, what will you do to ensure Lagosians get a good advantage over others. I said, look, education is the most important thing, if you want to compete with any other person, get yourself informed, get yourself educated.
“I will never, as a matter of fact, bring an ignorant person that is an indigene over someone who’s not an indigene that is educated and informed who can help build capacity. So, if you are an indigene, you must build your capacity and make yourself competitive so that when we assess his strength, we will see that he has the strength. So, whatever we will be giving you will be based on merit not on sentiment.
“As we speak today, we have Nigerians in Europe, Canada and so many other countries that are Mayors, Heads of Political parties, Justices of the Supreme Court, so why don’t those countries discriminate against them and say, we want our citizens to be there? It is because they are looking for competence.
“It is out of ignorance that will make anybody think that because you are an indigene, you have the right to dominate. No! It’s not done anywhere. If you really want to grow your sector, you must look for competence not sentiment.”
It will be recalled that the Oodua Maritime Forum, a pressure group within ANLCA, last week, declared that only Yoruba aspirants would be voted into Chairmanship positions in all chapters in the Western Zone.
This position was also upheld by the Oba of Ijora Kingdom, His Royal Majesty, Oba Fatai Oyeyinka Aremu Aromire (Oyegbemi ll) during the campaign flag-off of the KLT Chairmanship aspirant in the forthcoming ANLCA chapter election, Ahmed Olajide Bello.
The President of Oodua Maritime Forum, Chief Oye Ariyo said the stance of the Yorubas on the forthcoming ANLCA Chapter Election is not out of quarrel or hatred for the Igbos in the association, but that same practice that is being done in the Eastern chapters needs to be reciprocated in the West.
Photo: Dr. Segun Musa, Managing Director/CEO of Widescope Group.
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