Emmanuel Oludare
Former president Olusegun Obasanjo, on Saturday, said that leadership should be a tool for the societial transformation, not a means of making money.
The elder statesman spoke in Abeokuta as Special Guest of Honour at the Leadership Empowerment International Conference (LEIC) where 25 distinguished Nigerians were conferred with honorary Doctorate in Leadership by a South Africa-based Immanuel Theology Institute International in affiliation with Priesthood Leadership Development Initiative Inc.
Obasanjo said that leadership should be impactful.
He said that a leader must be focused on serving others, dedicated to providing helpful and supportive assistance.
“Leadership must not be self centred but rather be service centred” he said
He further emphasised the need for leadership to be passionate, a source of encouragement, rendering tangible service to humanity.
“If your leadership does not carry passion with it, then your leadership is too cold to be recognized”, he said.
He urged the nation to prioritise good leadership, which would have a ripple effect and lead to improvements in all aspects of the country.
“If we can get leadership right, we will get all other things in this country right”, he said.
Obasanjo said for Nigeria to progress from its present dilemma, the present crops of those he labelled “self-centred leaders” occupying offices at all levels of governance must lose their hold on the country.
He said the country is presently plagued at all levels by a band of self-centred leaders who are deficit of knowledge, bereft of understanding and demonstrating a leadership style that does not see service as the centrepiece for development.
He said “and if you ask me in one word, what is the bane of Nigeria today? I will not think about it twice. I will say it is leadership. Leadership that is self-centered, leadership that is deficit of knowledge and understanding and leadership that does not see service as the centrepiece of what leadership is all about.
“If we can get the leadership right, we will get all other things right. This is what LEIC is doing that is commendable and very good. We must encourage and inculcate good leadership into every level of our national life.”
Obasanjo commended the International Coordinator of Priesthood Leadership Development Initiative incorporated, Prof. Olusesi Obateye, and President of the South Africa–based Institute, Prof.Van Den Berg Edward Alfred for recognising and encouraging some Nigerians with leadership capacities.
He said, “we appreciate what you are doing for us here, even encouragement to men and women in our own community who have exhibited leadership traits and who needs to be encouraged”.
Earlier, the International Coordinator of the organization, Prof. Olusesi Obateye, who spoke on the theme of the conference “Responsible and responsive leadership,” lamented the dearth of good leaders, saying it remains the bane of Nigeria’s under-development for almost 64 years after Independence.
The others are Commandant, Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Prince Seni Ogunyemi, elderstatesman, Hon Dapo Adeyemi, Founder, Penpushing Media, Prince Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji, popular Adire Promoter, Mrs Lizzy Adeboyejo and several others.
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