December 03, (THEWILL) – The Chairman, Board of Trustees, Abuja Literacy Society, Architect Ferdinand Agu has said that if the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) persists in the usage of technology to drive the country’s electoral system, it will get it right in future elections.
Agu who made this known while delivering a lecture titled ; ‘Leveraging Technology in Leadership’ at this year’s annual induction and award of Fellowship of the Professional Leadership Practitioners Institute in Lagos said INEC should follow the example of financial institutions which he said persist in the usage of technology in its cashless policy that is already yielding fruits.
Agu who said the use of technology is so important for any successful activity nowadays said INEC raised people’s hope when it promised to use technology in the 2023 elections.
He said Nigerians were however shocked at what happened during the election.
“Look at INEC in the last election. Eight years ago, INEC introduced what are called card readers. Some people complained that it suppressed votes in some places, but Nigerians bought into it. This is a very popular idea to leverage technology in something that affects all Nigerians.
“Eight years down the road, the National Assembly allocated billions of Naira and they tried it in some states. INEC assured us, everybody was expectant. On the day of the election what happened is known to everybody.
“All of a sudden our best chance to leverage technology in leadership on one issue that virtually affects all Nigerians collapsed.
“Our problem is not in the private sector, it is in the public sector, when we talk of application of technology.
“If you remember, the former Central Bank Governor, Lamido Sanusi popularized the cashless system. It is still an ongoing thing. It Looks very inconvenient but if we look back now, that should be the most consequential action of Sanusi as CBN Governor because gradually and steadily we are moving into a cashless economy. Despite the challenges that it produced, somehow the people driving it persist.
“So what I am saying is that if INEC can do what the financial institutions did, despite the initial problem of cashless. If INEC persists, then it will get it right. It is possible, don’t let despair.
“Don’t let us continue to say Nigeria cannot grow, Nigeria can’t improve. We have no option because technology and leadership as well as progress go hand in hand”, Agu said.
“You cannot be an effective Chief Executive Officer without leveraging on technology .The problem of leadership not leveraging on technology is more pronounced in the country’s public institutions.
“In corporate sector, Nigeria produces many leaders, be it in banking, educational or health sectors. Each of those leaders doesn’t need us to lecture them on how to leverage on technology. Their enterprises are growing because they have leverage on technology”, Agu said.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the Institute, Dr Nathan Obasi said he is happy with the progress being made by the institute as most of their members are now occupying leadership positions across the country.
“In this outgoing 2023, the institute enjoyed greater visibility than the past years. In this year , our President/ Chairman was appointed Vice Chancellor of a well established Private university, our member was elected into the House of Representatives, other members were appointed into various important offices internationally, nationally and statewide”, he said.
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
