The Society for the Advancement of Local Talents and Virtue in Management has warned the Federal Government against turning Nigeria to a dumping ground for expatriates.
SALTVIM was created by some retired Nigerian businessmen, who had been CEOs of blue-chip companies in Nigeria, eight years ago.
They include a former Head of State and former Chief Executive Officer of United Africa Company of Nigeria ,Chief Ernest Shonekan; a former CEO of Nestle Nigeria Plc, Chief Segun Osunkeye; a former CEO of Cadbury Nigeria Plc, Dr Christopher Kolade; a former CEO of Nigeria Breweries Plc, Felix Ohiwerei; a former CEO of NICON, Bode Ogunlana; and a former CEO of Lever Brothers Nigeria Limited now Unilever Nigeria Plc, Dr Michael Omolayole.
In a statement titled, “In the spirit of SALTVIM 2020,’ issued by Omolayole, the body advised the government to avoid a situation where some unemployed Nigerians would stage protests over the situation.
It reads partly, “If great care is not taken. Those who make peaceful changes impossible make constructive but determined/ boisterous activism inevitable.”
The body said there was “apparent inability of virtuous and talented Nigerians” to reach the position of CEO in the country .
It urged the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola to take note of what it called “innocuous warning.”
The statement reads parlty, “SALTVIM was established to promote, first and foremost, virtue in management; and secondly, Nigerian talents in their aspirations to reach the highest level of management in the very large companies especially the globalised corporate organisations operating in Nigeria.
“We, in SALTVIM will continue vigorously to draw the attention of the Nigerian Stock Exchange, the Security and Exchange Commission and the Federal Ministry of Interior, to the ugly situation where the expatriate camels continue to pass through the eye of the needle” without batting an eyelid.
“One day the millions of unemployed Nigerians will mount a protest against the Federal Ministry of Interior, if great care is not taken. Nigeria should not be a dumping ground for expatriates.
“In particular there is a big question for the Federal Ministry of Interior. How do companies continue to get permanent expatriate quotas for over 25 continuous years?”
