Daud Olatunji
The Aare Mayegun of Owu Kingdom, Abeokuta, Aare Kazeem Bakinson, has blamed Nigeria’s deepening socio-economic challenges on poor and uninspired leadership, saying the nation’s blessings in human and natural resources are being wasted due to a failure of integrity at the top.
Bakinson, a regional and urban planning expert, stated this while addressing journalists on Saturday in Abeokuta ahead of the second edition of the Ajibosin Platform Annual Symposium, scheduled for October 24, 2025, at the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).
He declared that “leadership is the problem of Nigeria,” adding that until leaders demonstrate integrity and discipline, the country will continue to lag behind nations with fewer resources.
“We are blessed with natural resources; we are blessed with hardworking people,” he said. “But leadership is our problem. Leadership is about integrity — integrity is what you do when no one is looking at you.
“If we get our leadership right, our roads will be better, hospitals will be well managed, cultism will reduce in our universities, and the family unit will be stronger.”
Lamenting the poor state of governance and law enforcement, the Aare Mayegun observed that even the country’s justice and security systems have been weakened by poor remuneration and neglect.
“Our laws are broken and enforcement is weak. The police and teachers — people who should be highly remunerated — are left hanging. Some of our policemen look ragged on the road. They are angry with the system, not our friends,” he said.
“Some of them have to drink alcohol just to stand on the road and do their jobs. How can such people enforce law and order? Without enforcement, there can be no discipline.”
Bakinson also decried the disconnect between political office holders and the people they are meant to serve.
“We are in a situation where the chairman of a local government doesn’t live in the local government,” he lamented. “Seventy percent of our buildings don’t even have government approval. A country that has succeeded is a country with true leadership. Sadly, we have leaders who don’t know what they are doing.”
He questioned the patriotism of Nigerian leaders whose families are disconnected from the realities of the citizens.
“How many of the governors’ children school in this country?” he asked. “That’s why they don’t care about our education system or hospitals. Leadership means being part of the system you govern.”
Drawing comparisons with the United Kingdom, Bakinson described the stark difference in orderliness and discipline between the two countries.
“I just came back from the United Kingdom. I was in a place where I didn’t know where the water or gas was coming from — yet everything worked perfectly,” he recounted.
“If you ask for a train at 10:25, it will arrive at exactly 10:25 — to the last second. That’s what leadership and discipline mean. I went to a party there that ended at 10:00 p.m. We wanted to continue, but they said no — the agreement with the neighbors was that no music would play after 10:01. That is leadership, that is order.”
Speaking on the forthcoming Ajibosin Platform Symposium, Bakinson said the event is aimed at nurturing a new generation of value-driven Nigerian leaders and thinkers.
“We want future leaders to aspire to be panelists on the Ajibosin Platform,” he explained. “We want it to be a non-political, idea-driven movement that promotes integrity, accountability, and excellence in leadership.”
“Our goal is to make the Ajibosin event as attractive as a Chelsea versus Arsenal match,” he added with a smile. “That’s our vision — and I want everyone to catch that vision.”
The symposium, themed “The Importance of Leadership in Governance,” will be chaired by Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, with former Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), and former Minister of Aviation, Osita Chidoka, as guest speakers. Dr. Muiz Banire (SAN) will deliver the keynote address.
Bakinson concluded with a charge to the media and young Nigerians to join hands in redefining the country’s leadership culture.
“Beyond what we say at our private corners, we want the future to hear us through the media — print, broadcast, and digital,” he said. “This vision is priceless. Leadership is the foundation, and until we fix it, nothing will work.”
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