The Nation Newspaper

Tag: leadership

  • Group holds conference on leadership

    A students’ group, Green Ambassadors Nigeria, has held its mega leaders conference at the Banquet Hall, University of Benin, with the theme The importance of vision oriented education in national transformation.

    The event also featured empowerment opportunities for individuals and groups including human capacity development, which was geared towards the attainment of vision 20: 2020.

    The programme was organised by Bright Chinule, a 400-Level Physics Electronics student of Benson Idahosa University (BIU), who is also the president of the group.

    Chinule noted: “It has become expedient for developing economies to ensure and maintain a sound educational background, competent and effectiveness in knowledge and information to the increasing student population.”

    A veteran director, Lancelot Imasuen, who was the guest speaker at the event emphasised on youth empowerment. He was honoured for his role in the development of the movie industry. The conference was attended by undergraduates of BIU and University of Benin (UNIBEN).

     

  • 2015: Opposition will provide leadership to salvage Nigeria, says Tinubu

    2015: Opposition will provide leadership to salvage Nigeria, says Tinubu

    Former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has said the amalgamation of the opposition parties – Action Congress of Nigeria(ACN), Congress for Progressive Change(CPC) and the All Nigeria Peoples Party(ANPP), will provide the “rare leadership” required to put Nigeria back on the path of sustainable growth and development.

    Tinubu said though nearly everybody can steer a ship or run the affairs of a country, only a person of extra – ordinary leadership qualities can rescue the drifting ship of a state and the future of her people.

    The National leader of the ACN, who spoke with reporters in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, after the commissioning of the first fly – over (Lalubu – Ibara – Totoro bridge) built by Governor Ibikunle Amosun’s administration, said the merger talks of the opposition parties are going on “fine,” stressing that the only way to upstage the Peoples Democratic Party in 2015 is for the oppositions to team up .

    According to him, the opposition owes it a duty to become “more pro – active” to wrest governance from the PDP controlled government and provide the development agenda for Nigeria.

    Tinubu who noted that the ACN controlled states are delivering on the dividends of democracy because of the quality leadership of its governors said if the Independent National Election Commission(INEC) could be transparent in the conduct of elections like what obtained in the last polls in Ghana, the country and the citizens would be the better for it.

    The Are – Ago of Egbaland, expressed the confidence that the merger would work this time to provide leadership and hope to the nation.

    Tinubu said: ” If the youth don’t have a future in this country and with the roller coaster Poverty Development Party(PDP), we have to change that and have to be pro active to able to change Nigeria for the better. And the only way we could that is come together under one platform to ignore seperationists and become unifiers, in order to grab the ship of the country that is adrift ,and chart a new course.

    ” Nearly everybody, and we have seen it demonstrated ,can steer a ship or say they are in-charge of a country but it takes rare leadership, extra – ordinary leadership to chart the course of national development when the issue of the state and the ship of a nation is adrift.”

    He said ACN won elections in some states outside the SouthWest particularly in Benue and Taraba during the last exercise but added that the party was rigged out.

    “The merger thing is coming on fine.In every political environment you have hills and valleys. There are sincere people, our commitment to merger is not for us, it is for the country. It is not for today only, it is for tomorrow and the future of our youth, the liberty and freedom of the journalism profession.

    “We are in the SouthWest, our political opponents would want us hemmed in, they want us restricted to South West but we won the election in Taraba State, I know that but they rigged us out; we won in Benue, I know that but they rigged us out; even in Kwara, the victory there was questionable and I’m bold to say that, we require transparent power.”

    He lauded Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State , for what he called his phenomenal achievements and his victory at the election petitions tribunal.

    “The challenge is that of INEC.You have seen what has happened in Ghana:transparent, validated, verifiable election results that occurred there. If this giant has elephantiasis, we will treat it,”he said.

  • Understanding Obasanjo’s leadership and lesson

    Understanding Obasanjo’s leadership and lesson

    Sitting down there at his Hilltop residence in Abeokuta watching him play his favourite Ayo game, relishing in banters and wisecracks, the mind of the close observer was actually racing through his life’s trajectory to properly locate his place in history. Of course the memory will keep coming back: the memory of an extraordinary life well spent to serve the nation and humanity at large. Yet, he does not seem to be tired – still very relevant in our national life: bracing the odds to add value in public discourses, policies and development matters even with strong commitment in aggregating collective efforts at maintaining peace through dialogue on conflict resolution both in the sub-region and the African continent.

    President OlusegunObasanjo remains an enigma whose voice even in international affairs is still important and he continues to inspire. When he recently resigned as chairman of the PDP BoT, so many political slants were ascribed to it but the reality, going by his calendar, is that he is actually well engaged, doing the rounds in global diplomacy, facilitating investment drive to Africa and mentoring towards attainment of global peace and social progress.

    Critically situated, Obasanjo’s leadership qualities have made him a relevant statesman who is accorded respect and remarkable attention as a notable African figure who is conscious of his place in history and lending his robust influence in this regard to create such worthy solutions to myriad of human conditions and public policy issues particularly in making governance more meaningful to development around the world. Like Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton and Tony Blair, Obasanjo has demonstrated that quitting the seat of power does not make a former leader a laidback but an opportunity to do more in enhancing humanity.

    Thus his leadership, in an enlightened reckoning, deserves a second look, probably researching into it as it is done elsewhere, to properly dissect and document it for a better understanding and of course this could be useful in furthering the national conversation in various spheres of our life. Indeed, in so doing, posterity can better appreciate him and his leadership contributions beyond the presidential tag.

    In analyzing President Obasanjo’s leadership content, I think political historians would likely find his intellectual bent as a formidable tool which has been instrumental to his accomplishments. We follow him through his era both as a military leader and democratic president to see conscious and deliberate actions in instituting intellectualism in his leadership style and the results have been quite impressive. From African Leadership Forum to the OlusegunObasanjo Presidential Library, we can see genuine commitment to scholarship, leadership, cultural and human advancement.

    However, a major aspect of this orientation which actually prompted this piece is Obasanjo’s literary contributions to national development and his current effort in authorizing the conversion of his popular Radio Nigeria programme, The President Explains, into a book is vintage Obasanjo. Short of a full memoir (yes, he told my friend Sola Ojewusi he is writing his memoir), the publication which chronicles his policies and programmes as president for eight years is thoughtful, effectively documenting his AsoRock years for the benefit of history and a testimony to his convictions that those years were not without some substance in effective leadership and national regeneration. The 389-page book is divided into 15 chapters covering issues such as poverty alleviation, labour, productivity and work ethics, the anti-corruption crusade, re-inventing the nation: the Kuru Declaration, primary health care, reform, development and growth, NEPAD, democracy and democratic governance, agriculture and food security, among others. Readers will find the 20 pages of rare colour pictures of the former president at different levels of power and leadership at home and abroad interesting as we are also engaged by a penetrating insights provided by Prof. Akin Mabogunje in his forward to the book.

    Indeed, The President Explains has done us the favour of having Obasanjo’s voice on his policies and programmes documented in words which can also help us to review his presidency to either condemn such policies and programmes or possibly mark them up astruly relevant then and even now as some have suggested. Now, it will be difficult for any future revisionist to distort his stewardship because he has been quite sensitive to the burden of history by giving a democratic account of his leadership in his own words, nowin print and quite frankly The President Explains is amodel for current and future leaders at such critical levels to emulate.

    Looking back, Obasanjo’s sense of history and responsibility to the nation and the larger world would also find expression in so many literary works, thirteen in all, which have also documented the various phases of his life and perspectives on leadership, governance and development issues. From My Command, an account of the civil war,Nzeogwu, an intimate portrait of a friend and mastermind of the regrettable first coup to Not My Will, a personal account of the military government of Nigeria, A New Dawn, a collection of speeches to The Animal Called Man, his prison notes, Africa through the Eyes of a Patriot, Challenges of Leadership in Africa to other such dense topics on war, conflict resolution and development issues etc,Obasanjo has been alert to the need to preserve his history, our history, which is a rarity among his contemporaries.

    Yet, from generation to generation, it is the responsibility of leaders who were privileged to be in position of authority either in government or business to document their stewardship and indeed their broad views on various subjects as a reminder of what they stood for both in private and public lives. This is why, memoir, especially in contemporary times, has become such important engagement by leaders who really worth their salt and as

     

    we can see from the western world, leaders find it necessary to write their account in office and telling us about their lives in greater detail and we can better recognize their worth or otherwise by individual judgments, in spite of the reasoning by critics that such publications tend to emphasize personal achievements. Yet, the important thing is that history is richer for it.

    Using the Obasanjoideal as an example, therefore, we need to ask our leaders both in government and business: where are the memoirs? Towards the 70th birthday of former military president, General Ibrahim Babangida, I had cause to call his spokesman, Mr. KassimAfegbua, to find out if there would be a book, obviously IBB’s memoir, to commemorate the day and he answered that there was “something like that.” My interest was actually personal out of sheer interest in the amiable general and the fact that he has so much to say because of his peculiar position in our national history, but alas the birthday came without any book presentation. Again, I called Kassim but this time he had a pleasant answer to the effect that the book I wanted to see would be out soon and actually being written by two big names in Nigerian journalism (mentioned the names) and this was also confirmed by IBB in his interview with Thisday’sJaiyeola Andrews, promising to even write more. Insa Allah. This is cheering and we are waiting with the high expectation that such publications would be frank and deep as IBB’s recent interviews have signposted.

    But as we hope to read IBB, we can never have the account of the civil war as would have been rendered by the late Biafran leader,Chief OdumegwuOjukwu. Years before he died,journalists were wont to pester him on “the book”, his civil war memoir, but would always promise to write it, yet he never did. Now an important part of our history has been lost forever! The issues are well known but his specific penetration and candid takes on the inherent issues as they relate to the nation’s political and economic configuration( the political economy — who gets what, how and when) and such allied topics as power structure, sharing or rotation and leadership recruitment then and now will make a difference. Are the circumstances surrounding the civil war still prevalent today or not? Why has the presidency eluded the Igbo for so long in spite of their remarkable contributions to national development? Should we still continue with the presidential system or return to regionalism as being currently canvassed by eminent voices? Was Governor RajiFashola right or wrong on his development narrative at last December presentation at the Island Club? Is the problem with leadership or followership or both? Is the bureaucracy structure in Ghana and Dubai same as we have it in Nigeria and what implication for government efficiency? And the 1999 Constitution: is it really a liability or otherwise in proper governance? These are issues we might have gotten answers to in such oracular book the late Ikemba could have written because they constitute associated points of divergence as we headed to the civil war.

    This point also bears relevance to my friend, YusuphOlaniyonu’s postulation that the Saraki’s family shouldas a necessity engage someone to do the autobiography of the late former Senate Leader, Dr. OlusolaSaraki. In his intimate tribute, while extolling the great attributes of the politician, he lamented his futile efforts at writing Oloye’s biography. Then death struck and we also lost so much to the man generally acclaimed to be a friend of the poor. Now how do we get to know his deep philosophy, values and candid opinion on such issues that influenced such dispositions to life? No expert can do proper justice to that except Dr. OlusolaSaraki himself but that will never be!

    So, where are the memoirs? Where was Chief Ernest DegunleSonekan when Abacha struck? What was he doing at that particular moment? As the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, why didn’t he stop the coup? Indeed, what are his recollections in office and perspectives on an Interim Government, particularly the one he headed? These are salient topics Nigerians would like to read from him in a memoir he should write for posterity and advancement of our nation. Other leaders like AlhajiShehuShagari, GeneralsYakubu Gowon, MuhammaduBuhari and AbdusalamiAbubakar will also be fulfilling their leadership to the nation by writing without inhibition, all towards creating a new clime of serious engagement in nation building.

    These were thoughts for reflection as my friend Sola Ojewusi and I bade Baba Obasanjo bye at Abeokuta. Still we made efforts to see the OlusegunObasanjo Presidential Library, a monument, now in proper shape, and where The President Explains would be presented to the public on January 22, and we were not oblivious to the good work of the man whose intellectual thinking compares to a modern president in enterprise and leadership. Our leaders at every level of government and business must begin to write from this day. This is the lesson in Obasanjo’sleadership from the perspective of his literary contribution and preservation of our national history.

    Olutomiwa is the National Co-ordinator, Action for Democracy and Development.

     

     

     

     

  • “We’re a nation with faulty leadership -Senator Kaka

    “We’re a nation with faulty leadership -Senator Kaka

    Senator Gbenga Kaka, representing Ijebu East Senatorial District, in this interview with Tosin Adesile, speaks on current national issues, alleging that Nigeria has faulty leadership.

     

     

    Nigerian government has continued to vote huge sums of money on the controversial fuel subsidy policy, yet the people can’t see the impact. What do you think is responsible for this?

    Like I asked before, what stops us from having refineries in all the six geo-political zones to complement the four existing, moribund ones. We have licenses issued to about eighteen companies during the tenure of President Olusegun Obasanjo, up till now, nothing has happened. That must have gulped some money, and nobody is being made accountable. We talked of the fuel subsidy problem that consumed the lives of people during the demonstrations and right now, nobody had been brought to book.

    Recently, we were made to approve the sum of 151 billion naira which brought the total current year budget for subsidy to 1 trillion. You will agree with me that when they were talking about the regulation of the anticipated amount of money which they planned to use SURE-P for the betterment of the people, I feel it is nothing but mere duplication of efforts of the executives. I can’t imagine how SURE-P will be running a parallel administration especially doing what government should be doing. You have so many agencies doing virtually the same thing, including the First Lady’s office. So it goes to show that we are a nation that has got no focus, we are a nation that the leadership is faulty. It is faulty because we have selfish leaders. From the look of things, we have the minister of finance, minister of national planning. From CBN, NNPC, we have trillions of dollars of our crude oil being stolen on hourly basis, and nothing has been done about it. So, it shows we are not serious, and why are we not serious? It’s because we have powerful people, the elite, who are benefitting from the rot, who sabotage the efforts to make oil generation and distribution work as well as power generation and distribution (PHCN). These people are there and we have leaders that are not ready to step on toes and nip them in the bud.

    We know the number of banks we have, some of these banks have at least 250 branches, and each of these branches run on generator on a daily basis, ditto for various ministries and departments of government and of course, the private sector. You can imagine the quantum of generators that are being sold in this country, imported from other countries that produce it even though they don’t need or use it themselves. They produce it and dump it on us here. And some of our own elites keep working with them to undermine the generation of adequate electricity that will enhance our own development.

    The question now is “What is the transformation agenda?” We are not transforming anything. Nobody can deregulate without a solid foundation, there can be no attraction of foreign investment if the environment is not conducive. The question is what have we done to make the environment conducive? In the last one year, the rate of rural-urban migration has been more than double what it used to be to the extent that most farming communities have become desolate. Those left are averaging about 60 years of age and don’t have the strength to do anything again. And yet , we are talking about transformation agenda.

    We also talk of value addition. How can we add value to something that we don’t produce? The budget has become a ritual, without that, there is nothing remaining for the rural community. We have a structural defect, and much as we continue to do our best as legislators, the executive arm also needs to be on its toes. They need to block all the loop-holes so the leakage will be reduced to the barest minimum. Until we are ready to do that, we are going nowhere. One trillion has gone to subsidy this year, definitely next year another one trillion is being expected, and that is about twenty per cent of our annual budget. By the time you remove that, the overhead and the recurrent expenditure, that is about 70 percent, then we have a problem. Unemployment rate is very high, that is paradoxically, we have a job to be done, we have men to do the job, the resources are there to back up the men, but the leadership to manage, co-ordinate, review and energize the system is sadly lacking.

    What are your contributions to the senate in the last one year as a law maker?

    The three bills that I proposed, one is just awaiting second reading, two have passed through first reading and the fourth one is yet to be listed. So, you can imagine what we’re going through, the slow process sometimes serves to discourage, not providing the necessary impetus. But by and large, many of us believe we owe the nation a duty to provide purposeful leadership, to try as much as possible to be honest and be on the side of the common people. If you’re talking about people from my constituency, so far so good. Our constituency projects, we’ve been able to build a block of classroom in some of the local governments, we constructed a bridge that linked Ayepe and Ikorodu over Imu river which could serve to decongest Lagos – Ibadan expressway hopefully. It’s just at the design stage, whether it would be awarded or not, the answer is somewhere in the wind. So also, we have another one linking Imuren but sadly enough we have a list of abandoned projects, the Ikorodu/Sagamu road that was used during the colonial days, the only link between Lagos and Ibadan used by our prime minister and famous premier, Obafemi Awolowo, and others, in total disrepair. There was provision on this one for capital projects, but there are delays. Delay on the part of the ministry of finance not releasing money as at when due, then on the agencies involved who would not award contracts when it should be awarded and even when awarded, we have the problems with the contractor. These are parts of the inefficiency within our system. These are the things we need to eliminate, failure to eliminate them, there would be no development at all.

    What efforts have you put up so far in the area of agriculture since you have expressed belief that it could change the lot of this country and diversify our economy from oil?

    In fairness to the minister of agriculture, he has been up and doing. He has put everything towards the development of agriculture in the country with a beautiful blueprint, but the best idea cannot be translated into reality without adequate backing of funds, there is financial starvation of the agricultural sector in Nigeria. We are only paying lip service to the issue of agriculture. We are not serious. I can’t imagine why we now have people who are ready to work on the land begging for tilling, the rural areas are totally desolate, a lot of work needs to be done, rural road network, there is also a lot of food wastage because of inadequate storage facilities, and we complain as more and more billions of naira are being spent on importation of agricultural produce. Emphasis has been placed on value chain addition, yet, we have poor funding.

    To me, 79 billion in 2012, 81 billion in 2013 budget, when you discount the overhead that is hovering around 50 billion, the remaining 30 billion cannot effectively create the enabling environment in just two states of the farming community when you talk about infrastructural provision, a good road network for the movement of their raw materials and incentives for bringing in people to farm, water to drink, good water, electricity and of other meaningful things in life that will make them want to stay in the rural areas. So, all our governments are doing, from the local, state to federal level , is to spend all the money on urban centers, causing more people to flock there. They will later come back and say they are doing urban renewal while the rural area, which is the goose that lays the golden eggs, is being neglected.

    If the environment is conducive, you and I will be ready to stay in the rural area rather than being in the urban centre and having to endure the traffic jams, insecurity, carbon monoxides and other such disadvantages. That is why we need a shift, if need be, if we are have a DIFRI, directorate of rural development, so be it. We are not serious.

     

    As it is, Tai Solarin University of Education(TASUED) is not recognised by the law. As a legislator, what is your opinion on the development and what should be the role of the NUC and the legislature?

    The NUC is responsible for the accreditation of various courses. In actual fact, they have responsibilities over the existence of universities in Nigeria, because any institutions that is not meeting up with the expected standards, they have the right to hack them. Under these circumstances, accreditation has been done and they have done some re-accreditation. So, I see no reason why the school should not be left alone. More so, when we realise the importance of the institutions vis-à-vis the gap of qualified teachers, the need to train and re-train our teachers and improve the quality of education becomes pertinent.

    There are many private universities in Ogun State, yet the admission rate of qualified people is not up to 35 per cent of our annual turnover from secondary schools. So, there is no justification why the institution should not be allowed to live, no reason whatsoever and I hope it has come to stay.

    What is your opinion on performance of ACN Governors?

    I don’t have the raw data but the general consensus of the people is that the new ACN governors, despite the shortcomings, are by far better than the administration of the PDP. Those in PDP acknowledge what Fashola is doing in Lagos, as well as Oshiomole in Edo. Even when you get to Ogun, Osun and other ACN states, people appear to be satisfied with the achievement particularly when compared to others. As I said, I don’t have raw data, but the judgement of the people is enough for us to rely on.

    2015 is very close. What is your ambition?

    Almighty Allah is the master planner; nobody can plan except Him. I don’t have any pre-determined plan; I surrender myself to the wishes of the Almighty and ready to serve humanity to the best of my ability irrespective of the position, even if it’s as a councillor.

    What advice do you have for the people of Nigeria and the government?

    We must not despair. When God wants to do something very marvellous in the life of a nation and an individual, it starts with difficulty and in some cases, impossibility. So, it gives good tidings to those of us who can persevere when anything happens.

    Believe in God. We should all be honest and steadfast. People should be hopeful and be prepared to take their destinies in their own hands. Oil has turned us to lazy beings, when you travel to India, America, they worship work, there, we are averse to work here. Not our making but the making of our leadership. So, we need to re-orientate ourselves and discover our value system. The oil money is not encouraging us.

    The government should hearken to the needs of the people. Listen to them, know what their problems are and not foist your solution on them. Let the solution be what will serve the purpose.

  • Soyinka wins Awolowo’s Leadership Prize

    Nobel Laureate Prof. Wole Soyinka has been named winner of the first Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership.

    The Selection Committee, chaired by former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku, announced this yesterday in Lagos during a news conference on the award’s maiden edition.

    Anyaoku said after careful consideration, the committee unanimously agreed that Soyinka deserves the award.

    He said Soyinka, who was nominated by the majority, has demonstrated the core values for which the late Awolowo was known.

    Anyaoku said the biennial national prize was instituted in the late Awolowo’s name to reward leadership and good governance.

    He said: “It has been generally recognised that one of the greatest challenges facing African countries today is the dearth of good leadership. The Awolowo Prize for Leadership was established to encourage, recognise, reward and celebrate excellence in Nigeria’s leadership.

    “The national prize is structured to follow a rigorous process of nomination and subsequent screening by a selection committee made up of some of the most outstanding Nigerians, who were assisted by the Executive Director of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, Dr. Tokunbo Awolowo Dosumu.”

    Dr. Dosumu said: “The Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership is an initiative of the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, which was set up in April, 1992, and is dedicated to immortalising the democratic and development-oriented ideals, as well as the intellectual legacy of the late Awolowo.

    “The Foundation has sought over the years to actualise its mission through various activities, which include the periodic hosting of dialogues designed to examine critical issues of national concern with the view to proposing viable strategies for their solution.

    “One of the major recommendations of the Special Dialogue was that the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation should institute an Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership to celebrate excellence in Nigeria’s Leadership.”

    She said the award would hold on March 6, next year, a date which coincides with the late Awolowo‘s birth anniversary.

    Contrary to speculations that Soyinka, who has got several national and international honours, would not appreciate the award and that other Nigerians should have been considered for it, Anyaoku said Soyinka was happy about it.

    He said: “In the text he (Soyinka) sent to the Foundation to acknowledge the award, he said he would consider the award as creme de la creme.”

  • ‘Merger’ll end PDP’s bad leadership’

    A group, the Merger Support Group (MSG), has backed the proposed merger of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), among others, ahead of the 2015 general elections.

    It noted that the merger would end the maladministration of the country by the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and usher in the progressives in 2015.

    The pro tem National Chairman of the group, Alhaji Farouq Hassan Mohammed, told reporters yesterday in Kano that the ongoing merger talks by the political parties would challenge the dominant ruling party.

    Rising from its monthly meeting in Kano, Hassan said the merger talks should not be allowed to collapse.

    According to him, this is because the ruling PDP has plunged the country into a political quagmire that has resulted in insecurity challenges and corruption among government officials.

    Hassan said there has been a lack of purposeful leadership in the country, adding that the late former National Security Adviser (NSA), Gen. Patrick Oweye Aziza, corroborated this fact at a public function.

    The politician said the PDP caused most of Nigeria’s problems.

    He said there should be concerted efforts to actualise the merger talks so that it would be easy to dislodge the PDP and replace it with a purposeful government in 2015.

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • ‘Time to stop paying lip-service to leadership’

    ‘Time to stop paying lip-service to leadership’

    Text of an address delivered by Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad  Abubakar at the convocation of Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State.

     

    I wish, on behalf of my fellow honorees, to extend our profound and deep appreciation to the Board of Regents, Council and Senate and indeed to the entire University Community, for the recognition accorded to us and the honour conferred on us this afternoon. We feel highly delighted. Our special thanks go to the founder and proprietor of this great institution, Chief [Dr.] Gabriel O. Igbinedion, CFR, the Esama of Benin, for his vision and pioneering effort in establishing the first private university in Nigeria. It has been a noble, courageous and strategic undertaking which left a permanent imprint on Nigeria’s educational landscape and contributed immensely to the socio-economic development of our people. The history of education in Nigeria shall never be complete without the honorable mention of Chief [Dr] Gabriel O. Igbinedion, the Esama of Benin.

    It is also fit and appropriate to congratulate the Vice-Chancellor, the University Management, Staff and Students, for their hard work, perseverance, and determination in transforming this pioneer institution into the centre of excellence that it is. This excellence is evidently manifest in the quality of its graduates, the creativity and relevance of its academic programs and the diversity and inclusiveness of its governance structures. The university has demonstrated, beyond doubt, the universality of knowledge and indeed the unity in diversity of Nigeria. The distinguished list of honorees at this occasion also bears testimony to this great quality. Honored here today was the former President of Ghana, His Excellency John Kufuor, a distinguished statesman and an accomplished political leader, who added both value and depth to Ghana’s democracy and socio-political development. We have on the list Alhaji Dikko Inde Abdullahi, the indefatigable Comptroller-General of Customs, and an astute administrator who brought vision, efficiency and purpose to the Customs Service. On this distinguished list is His Excellency Alhaji Abubakar Audu, the former governor of Kogi State who worked tirelessly for the educational transformation of his state. From the Organized Private Sector, we have Dr. Anthony Edoghogho, Chairman/Managing Director, Nosak Group of Companies; and from the legal profession, is the Benin based legal luminary, Chief (Sir) Alfred O. Eghobamein SAN, both of whom generously contributed not only to their chosen professions but also to the socio-economic development of our country.

    Your Excellencies, members of the university community, our distinguished guests, permit me to state that the quality of our leadership and governance and indeed of our national development, is a direct reflection of the quality of our University System. Our universities provide us not only with the critical manpower we require as a nation but they also bequeath us with the leaders who are expected to manage every stratum of state and society. This is indeed an onerous responsibility which must be discharged seriously and conscientiously. We must realize that our universities are our greatest national asset. We can neglect them only at our own peril. It is therefore imperative for us to endow our younger generations with the best knowledge and skills not only to realize their full potential as bona fide citizens of West Africa but also to take their pride of place in a globalized and competitive world and make us all proud. Our success lies not in reminiscing in the good times and great opportunities we had, but in ensuring that succeeding generations are better equipped to face the challenges of the future and to manage change more effectively.

    But distinguished ladies and gentlemen, how hopeful are we in achieving these noble objectives when the level of national investment in this critical sector remains inadequate and unsatisfactory? How can we aspire to achieving greatness in Science and Technology when many of our laboratories, especially in public universities, still subsist on outdated and outmoded equipment purchased in the 1960s and 1970s? How can we extend the frontiers of knowledge when our investment and engagement in research remains a marginal activity in our university system? How can we expect the younger generations to take up the challenges of leadership when we pay lip-service to character building and leadership development and in many instances, serve as the cause of their degeneration?

    Your Excellencies, it is a matter of great importance for us to begin a serious and concerted reform of our higher education sector and refocus it to safeguard the strategic goals of the nation and to protect its future. States and the Federal Government would need to rise to the challenge and raise the requisite financial resources that would make a real difference to the system. There is also the urgent need to improve organizational effectiveness, build capacity of lecturers and managers and put in place a robust regulatory framework. We can also not relent in calling upon the private sector to play its rightful role in the resuscitation of higher education in Nigeria. We must endeavor to incentivize corporate giving and build effective and meaningful partnership between universities and the private sector. Wealthy individuals and major corporations should also be encouraged to establish specialized colleges and universities where and when it is feasible and beneficial to do so.

    Your Excellencies, the time has also come for us to stop paying lip-service to leadership development in our tertiary institutions. We are a nation of rich cultural and religious values and we must strive to impart these values to our younger generations. We must endeavor to shore up the moral capital of our young such that they could make the critical choices of our national life with courage and confidence and in the firm belief that the choices they make are in the best interest of the country. It is a belief that I have held for many years that what has come to be called the Nigerian Factor could be regenerated to have a positive moral value which could serve as the driving force that could propel us to distinction and greatness.

    Finally, may I crave your indulgence to state that no nation can develop, educationally and otherwise, in a state of insecurity and Nigeria cannot be an exception. The current spate of ethno-religious crises, armed banditry as well as terrorist insurgencies can never advance the cause of development in Nigeria. We must put a stop to this wanton destruction and recklessness. Our developmental goals and community and interfaith relations must never be determined by the extremists amongst us. It is therefore, imperative for all well-meaning Nigerians to come together and work together to address the daunting challenges facing our societies. The pain of anyone of us must be a shared pain that should concern all of us regardless of creed or ethnic origin. The happiness of anyone of us should be a shared happiness, celebrated by all. Nigeria and Nigerians deserve no less.

    With these words, we once again thank you immensely for this great honour. I assure you, on behalf of my fellow honorees that we will strive to live up to expectations as members of the Igbinedion University family and to exert our best to see to the advancement of this great institution.

    Wassalam alaikum

     

  • Elumelu Foundation names leadership director

    The Tony Elumelu Foundation has appointed Ms. Désirée Younge, a Sierra Leonean, as Director of Leadership and Entrepreneurship Development.

    Ms. Younge, according to a statement, has experience in philanthropy and impact investing having worked with Synergos Institute’s Global Philanthropists Circle, and Robin Hood Foundation in the United States.

    For the past three years, she has run her own US based philanthropic strategy advisory company working with philanthropists, not-for profit organisations, and businesses to help them strategically execute their philanthropic missions.

    “I am excited to join The Tony Elumelu Foundation, an African foundation that’s thinking about philanthropy from a non-traditional perspective, and finding innovative solutions to drive long-term economic and social impact to improve the capabilities, and showcase the untapped leadership potential of Africans,”said Ms. Younge.

    She joins The Tony Elumelu Foundation at an exciting time. Now starting its third year of operations, the Foundation, according to the statement, continues to pursue its mission of enhancing the competitiveness of the African private sector through a coordinated strategy of programmes, grants and impact investments. Some of the highlights include the rapidly expanding African Markets Internship Programme (AMIP), now planned for nine African countries, the launch of the Elumelu Legacy Prize Programme, the Blair Elumelu Fellows Programme in Liberia and Sierra Leone, the Elumelu Fellows Programme and the AllWorld Nigeria50. Grants include business development awards to pre-start up businesses in the Co-Creation Hub in Lagos, Nigeria, as well as funding for consultancies to examine agricultural and SME investment opportunities in Nigeria. Most recently, the Foundation made a significant impact investment, in a regional agricultural commodity exchange based in Kigali, Rwanda.

    “This is an exciting time for the Foundation as we head into our third year and continue to develop innovative initiatives and partnerships that address the continent’s business leadership and entrepreneurship needs,” said the Chief Executive Officer of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Dr. Boer.

    “Ms. Younge’s extensive experience and knowledge will provide an invaluable asset to the Foundation. We are delighted to welcome her on board.”

    Tony Elumelu, Founder of the foundation, said: “These past two years have been an exciting journey. I am continually impressed by the innovative creativity of our team as well as the African entrepreneurs, business leaders and public sector enablers that we encounter through the work of the Foundation. Together, we are creating economic prosperity and social wealth for our African people from within.”

  • Anyim, Fashola, others for Leadership lecture

    A Non-governmental Organisation, Leadership Watch’s annual leadership Lecture and Role Model Award holds today at the Nigerian Institute of International Affair, Lagos.

    The 11th edition of the lecture, according to a statement signed by the group’s President, Dr Martins Iwuanyanwu, will be delivered by former Director-General, Nigeria Economic Summit Group Prof. Anya O. Anya under the chairmanship of Mr. Ayo Opadokun.

    The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim and Lagos State Governor, Babatunde Fashola, are expected as special guests.

    Governor Fashola, Chief Executive Officer Mobil Oil Nigeria Plc, Tunji Oyebanji, and Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, Mrs Rose Chinyere Uzoma have will receive the group’s Excellence in Leadership Award.

    The afternoon session of the event will feature workshop on Information Communication Technology (ICT) for Job and wealth creation for youths.

    Resource persons, comprising the best ICT professionals around and endorsed by Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), have been invited to speak at the event.

    According to Dr Iwuanyanwu, the Lecture and Role Model Awards will as always bring together top public and private dignitaries including participants who are members of our youth organisations.

  • NGO trains prefects on leadership

    No fewer than 500 prefects of secondary schools in Ogun State have received leadership training and human relations skills that would assist them become more effective and influential in future.

    The training was by Wisdom Training Centre (WTC), a non-profit making organisation, which aims at helping youngsters discover and develop their talents.

    The event, which took place at the WTC complex in Abeokuta, the state capital, was attended by various secondary school prefects including: Asero High School, Rev. Kuti Memorial Grammar School, Macjob Grammar School and Catholic Comprehensive High School (all in Abeokuta) among others.

    Addressing the participants, one of the resource persons Mr Wale Adejuigbe, said any idea being espoused by students should benefit others.

    Adejuigbe said as prefects, they should ensure that they influence others by inspiring them positively.

    “Leadership is by influence, the influence can be by desperation for students to be the best, they must prove themselves in any area”.

    He cited as an example, a young scholar, 13-year old Amiya Alexander who often makes presentation at conferences on how one can stay healthy and active.

     

     

     

    He however tasked all school prefects to make judicious use of the platform they have to touch others remarkably and also shun vices so that their dreams are not aborted.

    The program coordinator, Simeon Udeh, said the initiative was borne out of the need to nurture future leaders who would have the leadership skills to influence others positively in their schools.

    “We targeted secondary schools because we believe they have one idea or the other that is why WTC is ready to help them develop their skills, why we choose prefects is that they have authority to influence others.”

    One of the participants, Gabriel Temitope of Four Square International Secondary School, Abeokuta, said the seminar has inspired him and his colleagues to be focused.

    End