The Strategic Executive Retreat for officials of the Delta State government, with the theme – Revamping the ethos of governance and business – began in Asaba, the state capital on Thursday, October 8, 2015.
A former information minister and chairman of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group, Frank Nweke, delivered a keynote during the session on Paradigm Shift, Attitudinal Change and Personal Effectiveness.
He spoke to the Governor Ifeanyi Okowa led Delta administration officials on how they could drive change in the public service, using a Lagos Business School case study on the legendary former director general of the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC), late Prof. Dora Akunyili. A striking moment during his speech was when he asked his audience if anyone remembered the name of Akunyili’s predecessor as NAFDAC head. There was hardly anyone in the hall who could remember.
Akunyili’s story was not the only one narrated by Nweke. He used the Nasir El-Rufai demolition exercise in Abuja to explain how leaders have to be prepared to embrace attitudinal change and embrace the law. Nweke disclosed that “former president Obasanjo almost ordered for the presidential villa in Abuja to be demolished because it was not where it ought to be in the original Abuja master plan. Obasanjo was however overruled by cabinet members.”
He however said sanctions alone are not enough to bring about attitudinal change as they must be accompanied by enlightenment.
Nweke advised the officials to plan and make budgets based on their strategic vision.
The strategic retreat which was packaged by Sewa Assets Management continues tomorrow.
