The Vice President, Alhaji Aliu Mahama has blamed the non-economic development of West African countries on the bad leaders and managers the sub region has had over the years.

He disclosed that countries in the sub-region are being dragged behind due to ineffective leadership, lack of excellence and dishonest leadership and management.

The Vice-President, said this at the launching of the West Africa Federation of Institute of Administration and Management Consultants in Accra yesterday.

"There is so much prevalence of sharp and unprofessional practices in our technical, political and socio-economic affairs."

Alhaji Aliu Mahama noted that it was for these reasons that professional institutions across the region should collaborate and harmonise their standards by enforcing their code of ethics to make new breed of leaders take control of the affairs of corporate governance and the administration of countries in the region.

Such trained leaders, according to the Vice-President, must critically assess and analyze the institutions they find themselves in and the roles their organizations are to play in the right style of leadership that would generate prosperity.

Also addressing the participants, the Minister of Regional Cooperation and NEPAD, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, said, despite the gains and achievements of ECOWAS, one of the challenges that has confronted the region is the slow pace at which it has pursued policies for effective integration. He said the integration of the professional body is the first step to proper regional integration.

In a speech read for him by Nana Pra Agyensaim, an honoury member of the institute, Dr. Sam Jonah said, the development efforts as a sub-region, would depend largely on its own professionals who are fully equipped with the modern professional skills and plan, as well as supervising desired changes.

He said the relationship between the actual pattern of development and the desired pattern lies at the heart of development planning.

Dr. Jonah further stated that policies must be made more rational by ascertaining relevant facts and bringing them into their true perspectives. With the introduction of the institute, He thus called for a higher standard of professionalism and a form of regional regulatory body to guide practitioners.

On his part, the president of the institute, Mr. Ola Busoye Dairo, said apart from fostering better understanding among West African states, the federation would streamline the practice of management consultancy with harmonized syllabus and standards, examination structure, and quality control mechanism, thereby making it easier for individual licensed members of WAFIAMC member institutions to operate in any of the West African States without restriction.