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At Penpushing lecture, Otive advocates election of visionary leaders for national progress
Election of visionary leaders will put Nigeria on the right path of progress, the Founding Executive Director of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), Dr Otive Igbuzor has said. Igbuzor stated this in a paper titled ‘National Balance: Infrastructure, Institutional Capacity and Diversity as Tools for Building Blocs and Good Governance in Nigeria’ at the 6th anniversary lecture of Penpushing Media held at new marquee events centre, Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State Capital The keynote speaker pointed out that National balance is imperative for nation building, sustainable development and good governance in Nigeria, stressing that this can be achieved through strengthening infrastructure, enhancing institutional capacity and embracing diversity. ‘This has not happened in Nigeria because of lack of visionary political leadership. A visionary political leadership will put in place a comprehensive long-term strategy to develop infrastructure, build institutional capacity and manage diversity’, he stated. He emphasized that a visionary leadership will arouse the people to mobilise the resources and ensure proper use of the resources to develop the country, adding that visionary leadership will address corruption in a holistic manner. Otive said such leaders will be guided by legislative framework for transparent and accountable government; political will and commitment to fight corruption; comprehensive strategy that is systematic, comprehensive, consistent, focused, publicized, nonselective and non-partisan; protection of Whistle blowers. He said this include political reform to curb political corruption especially election rigging; reform of substantive programmes and administrative procedures; mobilisation for social re-orientation; independent media; adequate remuneration for workers to reflect the responsibilities of their post and a living wage. The academic added that visionary leaders will consider code of ethics for political office holders, business people and Civic Society Organisations; independent institutions especially electoral, human rights and gender commissions and a movement for anti-corruption. ‘A visionary leadership will put in motion strategies and ideas to promote re-orientation, discipline, restructuring, constitutional amendment, inclusive governance, new security architecture and new ways of doing things. A visionary leader will lead the country to go back to the fundamentals of discipline, patriotism, identification, census, street address, merit, tax, Integrity, etc’, he added. ‘The challenge therefore is how do we produce a visionary political leadership for Nigeria? The first thing is that we must recognise that there is no lack of leadership in Nigeria. What we lack is political leadership. Nigerians are providing leadership across the world, and they are acknowledged globally to be doing well’. ‘Amina Mohammed is providing excellent leadership as Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations. Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala is providing a well acknowledged leadership at the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Dr. Akinwumi Adesina is providing transformative leadership at the African Development Bank as President. Comrade Ayuba Wabba was President of the International Trade Union Confederation from 2018 to 2022 and discharged his leadership role creditably well’, he noted. ‘Dr. Osahon Enabulele, a past President of Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) has just concluded his tenure as President of World Medical Association. Alhaji Aliko Dangote is providing leadership in the business world. Even when the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) goes for international assignment, they come provide leadership and come back in flying colours’, he added. ‘Nigerians are providing leadership in academics, medicine, pharmacy, law, accounting, sports, music, creative arts and indeed in all facets of human endeavour. But we have allowed ourselves to be governed by the worst amongst us. ‘In order to change this, the first step is to interrogate the political leadership recruitment process in Nigeria. We cannot continue to allow the worst amongst us to be our political leaders in all levels. Igbuzor emphasised. ‘The only way to counteract this is to participate actively in politics. We must jettison the notion that politics is dirty and stay away. Plato counsels us that “if you refuse to participate in politics, you will be governed by your inferiors.” Edmund Burke warned us that “for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” ‘Frantz Fanon admonished us that “the future will have no pity for those men (and women) who, possessing the exceptional privilege of being able to speak the words of truth to their oppressors, have taken refuge in an attitude of passivity, of mute indifference, and sometimes of cold complicity.” Frantz Fanon was categorical when he stated that “every onlooker is either a coward or a traitor.” ‘The second thing is for all well-meaning people in Nigeria to get involved in building transformative leaders. Leadership has been recognised as one of the most important variables that affect the performance of any organisation, institution or nation’. ‘Study after study, superior financial and organisational performance, as well as other forms of success, have been linked to leadership. Scholars have opined that the success or failure of organisations and nations depends on leadership excellence and not managerial acumen’. ‘It has been documented that the progress, development and fortunes of many nations are tied to the type and quality of the political leadership that they have had and continue to have’, the keynote speaker stated. ‘In a recent survey of 1,767 experts across the world, 86 percent of the respondents agreed that the world is facing a leadership crisis. According to Myles Munroe, the world is filled with followers, supervisors and managers but very few leaders. ‘Chinua Achebe argued that “the trouble with Nigeria is simply and squarely a failure of leadership. There is nothing basically wrong with the Nigerian Character. There is nothing wrong with the Nigerian land or climate or water or air or anything else’. ‘But scholars have documented that scourges of bad leadership and signs of darkened mood are everywhere in Nigeria. Despite the recognition that Leadership is crucial for the development of organisations and nations and that leaders can be trained’ ‘There is leadership potential in every person. Despite this universal latent ability, very few individuals realise this power, and fewer still have responded effectively to the call. As a result, our nations, societies and communities are suffering from an astounding leadership void’.…
