The Nation Newspaper

Tag: leadership

  • Ijaw youth factions clash over IYC leadership

    Ijaw youth factions clash over IYC leadership

    Two factions of Ijaw youths clashed yesterday over the authentic leadership of Ijaw Youth Council Worldwide (IYC).

    Pereotubo Oweilami, who leads a faction, asked his counterpart, Mr. Eric Omare, to stop parading himself as president of IYC.

    In a statement by the faction’s spokesman, Daniel Dasimaka, the group said the Ijaw nation as well as Ijaw youths knew Oweilami as their president.

    But Omare in a statement said: “I, Eric Omare, is the legitimate president of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) Worldwide elected in accordance with the Constitution of the IYC at Burutu, Delta State on March 1. Any other person parading himself is just acting out of impunity, which must stop.”

    He said he emerged as IYC president through an election conducted at Burutu in accordance with the IYC constitution and established electoral practice and procedure.

    “I was elected on March 1 at Burutu. But on March 6, they went to Okirika to set up another electoral committee to conduct another election. My election was supervised by the former president, Udengs Eradiri.

    “When they set up another electoral committee five days after my election, I went to court to stop the election. Then, they came to court and agreed that they would not conduct another election. But in April, they held another election.

    “Within the period, they filed a case that I should not parade myself, but they didn’t follow up the case and it was struck out. The case I filed challenging their legitimacy is still in court. Who is the impostor?

    “If the case I filed against them is still in court, what is their basis for referring to me as an impostor?

    Omare said on March 15 when some former leaders and stakeholders of IYC went to Okrika in Rivers State to hold a convention and set up an electoral committee to conduct election on April 9, the tenure of the Udengs-led exco had finished.

    He said based on the constitution and following the judgment of the court, which confirmed that the three-year tenure of the Udengs-led executive expired on March 2, a new leadership was expected to take over on that date.

    “Therefore, at the time the Okrika parallel convention took place, the tenure of the Udengs-led exco had expired; hence aggrieved members of the Udengs-led exco had no power whatsoever to call for a parallel convention”.

    But Dasimaka said Omare had no right to parade himself as IYC president.

    He said: “The attention of IYC has been called to the activities of former spokesman of the council, Eric Omare, who goes about parading himself to the unsuspecting public as the president of IYC.

  • Leadership Award: APC, Assembly, others greet Osun lawmaker

    The Osun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has congratulated the lawmaker representing Obokun State Constituency in the House of Assembly, Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, for winning the Most Outstanding House of Assembly Member in Nigeria Award.

    The awards ceremony was held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on December 2.

    The award acknowledged Oyintiloye’s contributions to law-making for good governance and community development.

    A congratulatory message in Osogbo, the state capital, by Osun State APC’s Director of Publicity, Research and Strategy, Kunle Oyatomi, said: “First, this award stands Osun high in the country’s quality legislation category and, secondly, raises hope for youth participation in the legislative arm of government.

    “For a young first-timer legislator to win that award speaks to the dedication and diligence of Oyintiloye. It sets a remarkable example for youths, who may be interested in the legislative process of the future.

    “The party celebrates your achievement and feels proud that despite your being new in the House of Assembly, you have set a record within two years of participation to clinch the Most Outstanding House of Assembly Member in Nigeria Award. This is a sign of better things to come. The party urges you and other members of the Osun State House of Assembly to keep the Omoluabi flag flying.”

     

  • Impunity, immunity and leadership problems

    There is a growing harvest of street fights by members of the security forces lately.  The sights are as ugly as they are national embarrassment; hoping that we are not arming hooligans to maintain law and order. It has gone from inter-agency to intra-agency brawls all the way; members of the armed forces against the Nigeria Police, the Federal Road Safety Corps against the Police, EFCC against the DSS.  It has reached a crescendo where members of the Nigeria Police Force now turn their guns against one another and drag themselves on the street because they are attached as security details to politicians in opposing camps.  It is simply nauseating and sickening.  Impunity has become the signature tune of government officials and members of the security forces and even the paramilitary.  It takes just to be on uniform of any kind, even Boys Scout to preside of the ordinary citizen like a lord and abuse the law flagrantly.  This is how far impunity has gone and it beats ones imagination how we got to this point.

    Wherever we get the mentality that service in any capacity in government places one above the law is a grave concern.  I am not aware that the office anybody occupies makes him an outlaw or above the rule of law.  There is a growing trend in the abuse of power amongst the ruling elite that when they are out of government they still employ the coercive power of the state for personal aggrandizement and trample on the law of the land.  We even rationalize their lawlessness and abuse of office by saying that having served in a particular capacity in government, the law does not apply in equal force to them; this is nonsense!

    Our political leaders and head of government institutions and agencies have because of the office they once held, placed themselves above the law by using sheer force to ward off invitation and lawful arrest to answer for alleged malfeasance while in the office. One wonders if we are operating a democracy that is based on the rule of law or rule of might and strongmen.  If Nigeria is to overcome the problems of corruption and bad leadership, there should be equal subjection to the rule of law irrespective of office occupied.  The law should not be respecter of any person where we have viable state institutions.   Bracton, the Philosopher once held that, “The world was governed by law, human or divine, and held that the king himself ought not to be subject to man but subject to God and to Law because the law makes him King”.

    I watched with disappointment the confrontation between agents of the EFCC and the Departments of State Services when the former, armed with a search and arrest warrants on the former directors of the DSS and the National Intelligence Agency were prevented from carrying out their lawful duty.  It turned into a street brawl as between rival gangs than agency of government that should enjoy some synergy and cohesion.  Incidents of this nature are becoming so rampant with this administration that one wonders if anyone is actually in charge.  Recall a few weeks back, the convoys of the minister of transport and that of the governor of Rivers State engaged themselves in a free for all fights leaving trails of blood and tears.

    Government officials are taking impunity to another level that if care is not taken, could lead to a spontaneous revolution as in Tunisia where the mistreatment of a fruit and vegetable seller sparked off the Arab Spring.  Convoys of government officials have scant regards to other road users and indeed, they drive so recklessly as if they have appointment with death.

    The former directors of the DSS and NIA do not enjoy constitutional immunity by any means.  Assuming they do by an unwritten rule or laws which I am not aware of, having left office, they are subject to the law just like anyone else.  That is how a society and a democratic society should be run.  The former Chief of Defence Staff Air Marshal Barde, some former service chiefs and generals have had their days with the EFCC and the heavens did not fall; why not the former directors of DSS and NIA?

    The rivalry between the DSS and EFCC in particular appears to be more of personal clash between the heads of the two agencies than inter-agency rivalry.  Ibrahim Magu may be brash and not very cosmopolitan, but he is enthusiastic in carrying out his job and indeed enough irritant to the corrupt politicians.  The fight against corruption should be seen as a work in progress and we should not allow our resentment to an individual because of his method to kill the momentum.  The competition between the two agencies is uncalled for and to be seen to be working at cross purposes when they are both under the presidency is an eloquent testimony of the president’s inability to coordinate and control his appointees.  It is a clash one too many to be tolerated and I am not sure the two agencies are adding value and good public relation to the presidency in the way they are carrying out their duties.  If as claimed, the operatives of the DSS were acting on instructions from above, it would be a height of executive recklessness for anyone to use his official position to stop the agency of the same government you are serving from doing their job.

    Heads of agencies and government officials are not clothed with constitutional immunity; only the president, vice president, governor and deputy governors are so clothed.  Even at that, Section 308 of the 1999 Constitution that confers immunity on the mentioned officials did not make it a life time conferment.  They can be proceeded against whenever they ceased to occupy the offices so described.  It was therefore impunity taken to the extreme for the past heads of DSS and NIA to employ the force of arm to enjoy the status not conferred on them by law and prevent the EFCC from arresting them for questioning.  The world is watching President Buhari to act fast on these two agencies and he does not have all the time in the world.

    Our leaders appear to be suffering from ego neurosis; believing that they are beyond the ordinary citizens and supposed to be worshiped because they occupy government offices; and out of office, they should be revered even when there are obvious cases of abuse of office against them.  We have leaders whose examples are responsible for the socio-economic and political problems we are facing today; corruption, nepotism, poor attitude to work and other official engagement. There is no Nigerian official who will honour official function without going late to that occasion.  The constitution did not confer life immunity on any leader or head of government agencies; this impunity must stop.

  • APC won’t ignore Tinubu’s leadership role, says Alabi

    APC won’t ignore Tinubu’s leadership role, says Alabi

    A governorship aspirant in Ekiti State, Mr. Kola Alabi, has said that Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has a role to play in the selection of a governorship candidate who can defeat the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) in next year’s election.

    Alabi said the Southwest, since the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s days, had respected regional leadership, adding that the former Lagos State governor should b be carried along in the selection process.

    He said Tinubu should ensure that a free and fair primary is conducted for aspirants.

    Alabi said the candidate should emerge, based on zoning, equity, justice and fairplay.

    Alabi spoke in Ikere-Ekiti while declaring his governorship ambition in his family’s compound at Afao Quarters.

    At the ceremony, over 500 members of the PDP defected to the APC on account of Alabi’s contributions to scholarship and infrastructural development of Ikere township.

    He said: “We believe in Asiwaju Tinubu’s leadership. He worked  hard to earn it. But,  I know that being a leader he will support a popular candidate to fly our party’s flag rather than imposition,” he said.

    Alabi said the party can only win the election, if the primary is transparent and if zoning is embraced.

    He added: “What is fair is fair. The North Senatorial District had produced former Governors Segun Oni and Dr Kayode Fayemi. The Central produced Otunba Niyi Adebayo and Mr. Ayodele Fayose. So, the time for the South to have its own share is 2018, if truly we are all Ekitis.”

    Alabi said he was not rattled by the adoption of the Fayose’s deputy, Prof Kolapo Olusola, an indigene of Ikere Ekiti, as the candidate of the PDP.

    “I am neither disturbed nor rattled by his adoption if given my party’s ticket for the election. This election is going to be strength for strength and antecedents for antecedents.

  • Nigeria and false notion of leadership

    Nigeria is a heterogeneous entity of over 170 million people and about 500 ethnic nationalities – something to cheer about. Unfortunately, that which is supposed to be its strength has become its worst weakness. The socio-cultural environment is polluted by ignorance, hypocrisy, hatred, mutual recrimination, ethnic irredentism and adverse socio-cultural atavism. Our decisions at personal and national levels are coloured by hatred, creed and ethnic prejudice. We have people supporting injustice and promoting tyranny and oppression out of ignorance, hypocrisy, hatred and lack…By electing bad leaders and not holding them accountable and showing them solidarity even when they display crass incompetence and glaring injustices to the citizens, Nigerians are culpable in the crime of making and sustaining dysfunctional leadership.

    Indeed, leadership like most terms and concepts is grossly abused and bastardized in Nigeria. The Nigerian notion of leadership is tinged by traditional dogma and military mentality by the public. Leadership as it generally conceived is about influencing peoples’ behaviour towards the attainment of shared goals or common aspiration. This means that the leader wields power. Power in this context is not force, coercion or excessive reliance on authority but ability earned through trust, style, skills or other rare attributes. What does the leader do? The leader influences, motivates, supports, develops, plans, and achieve goals. A leader establishes direction, creates vision and strategies, effectively communicates goals, seeks commitment from his people, and builds teams and coalitions for the purpose of goal attainment. And the followers are usually motivated by the passion or the genuine commitment of the leader to pursue and achieve the shared goals. People are usually de-motivated, and disenchanted when the leader abandons the common goals and hanker after parochial interests.

    Over the years, the general views about leadership have evolved from mere emphasis on leader’s personality (traits) to other issues like the leader’s behaviours and capabilities. Thus, leadership can be appraised based not only on individual attributes, but on competencies (problem-solving skills) and leadership outcome (performance or goal accomplishment).

    The style approach to leadership is about the behaviour of the leader towards the followers and task accomplishment in different situations. By and large, the attitude of the leader in this regard is dependent on the situation. The behaviour of an officer leading his troops to the war front may not be the same when he is leading them to the parade ground or to the armed forces games. In the style approach, some leaders are task-oriented (more interested in goal accomplishment) while some are people oriented (more interested in relationship building). The most effective leader in the leadership grid is the one that combine both styles.

    In the skills approach, leadership is seen as a skill-based process. The skill approach emphasizes the capabilities that make the leader more able to effectively influence his group. These skills can be latent, honed or learned. Skills and abilities can be learned and developed. Robert Katz, a Harvard scholar identifies technical, human and conceptual skills as the basic skills that make leaders effective. Technical skills have to do with competency. Leaders should have the right techniques and analytical tools to interpret situations. A man who does not know about Economics may find it difficult leading an economic team. In the contemporary fast-paced world, leaders are expected to be updated with current global trends in order to keep pace with the environment. Outdated individuals would not understand issues and global contemporary trends and therefore may not be effective.

    Human skills entail ability to work with others; being sensitive to the needs of others and people management entails: sincerity, openness, respect, discipline, engagement, fairness, justice and identifying with the people. A leader identifies and fraternizes with his people. A leader leads people and that means that he should be a team player. A leader who is not a team player creates divisions and barriers that destroy the team’s cohesion. Leaders do not just listen to the people they lead, they create platforms for such and make conscious effort to encourage their people to speak and make input in the decision making process. They create an interface for a healthy interchange of ideas and stakeholder engagement. A leader who does not tolerate dissent views will always live in self-delusion and failure.

    A leader is a conflict manager. Leaders resolve conflicts effectively through peaceful means. The recommended tools for conflict management are: dialogue, conciliation, arbitration, reconciliation, adjudication, diplomacy, lobbying etc. The leader who depends on coercion solely as a means of conflict management is one bereft of intellect or one who has lost the moral right to lead. Those who rely on coercion are task masters and slave drivers. A leader who hates some of those he is supposed to lead is nothing but a slave master or at best a task master.

    Conceptual skills have to with ideas and concepts; vision, strategies and policy issues. Conceptual skills enable leaders to envision future direction and articulate policies that are in sync with his mandate. Leaders are visionary; they are focused, articulate, goal-oriented and forward-looking, not myopic. Leadership is goal-oriented and leaders take decision consistent with the attainment of common goals. At the top level leadership, conceptual skills are the most important.

    Generally, leadership is about making decisions consistent with task accomplishment and effective relationship management. Leadership decisions are guarded by defined principles of necessity, equity and fairness, not by sentiments or parochial considerations. In a multi-cultural setting, the decisions should be without personal biases and ethnic prejudice. Leaders take responsibility for their decisions and actions. It is a sign of humility and integrity and indication of willingness to learn. Those who do not take responsibility for their actions are not leaders at all but insincere opportunists. They are excuse-makers that are critical of others but seldom do self-examination. Ironically, those who shirk responsibility for their actions are the ones to quickly appropriate credit to themselves when things are right and apportion blames to others when things go awry.

    Leaders are expected to be people of high integrity. A leader who does not believe in fairness and equity lacks integrity and cannot be trusted. Integrity is an ethical concept that has to do with principles of what is good or bad and right or wrong, fair and unfair, just and unjust. A leader is not ethical just because he claims to be. Ethical leadership is about shunning personal egoism and making sacrifice for general interest.

    In Nigeria, our notion of leadership is antiquated. Nigeria has a horde of hypocritical and selfish political elite with incredible bulimic tendencies, a credulous and disoriented public with unreasonable and senseless ethno-religious affiliations and a gang of self-seeking individuals masquerading as civil advocates and the result is lack of national cohesion and the political class is never held accountable for their actions. The Nigerian public sees the leader erroneously from ‘the strong man’ position. The strong man is that person who bulldozes his way into a position of authority and sustains his position by force or unconventional means. To the Nigerian people, one who is humble, tolerant and considerate is a weakling and a fool. But the one who is ruthless, harsh and inconsiderate is a leader. The one in position of authority sees himself as somebody who should be served rather the one to serve. The elected officers see and refer to his fellow countrymen as ‘ordinary citizens’ while they are the extra-ordinary citizens. They behave the way they like and make no effort to reach the electorates until during election time. They want to be feared and worshipped. They want to be the last man standing. That is why they deliberately make their people impoverished so that they can be manipulated. They do not want anybody to oppose them.

     

    • Irogboli is an economist and public policy analyst.

     

  • Leadership is effective when communicated – Dr Ighile

    Leadership is effective when communicated – Dr Ighile

    Strategic Leadership Academy, a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), in conjunction with Scripture Communication Network recently organised a leadership summit for staff and students of Benson Idahosa University, business executives, administrators, youth leaders and heads of gospel ministries.

    The event with the theme: Communicating Leadership had industry top-rated leadership experts and academics as keynote speakers.

    In his welcome address, the convener of the leadership summit, Dr. Mark Ighile, said the event was held to equip participants with leadership skills and qualities of progressive leadership for success in various aspects of life.

    According to him, if you can speak to a leader, you have spoken to hundreds of people. Leaders must learn to speak right in other to lead right.

    Dr Ighile said the summit would challenge participants to strive for excellence and relevance, especially in this age of moral relativity.

    Explaining the theme of the summit, Dr. Ighile, who also doubles as the Director of Academic Planning, Benson Idahosa University explained that many leaders are not productive because they lack the ability to communicate. It is the effective presentation of ideas and vision that precipitates followership and fulfilment.

    Speaking on “work ethics and leadership branding,” one of the plenary session speakers, Dr. Isaac Awotanmi said: “ethical life helps your spiritual life and makes the evil depart from you.” He added that not all values are ethical values.

    He told the participants that for them to become good leaders; they must first be good followers.

    The former Provost of Apostolic Church Theological Seminary noted that there are many books on leadership but few books on followership.
    Awotanmi advised youth leaders and scholars to treat people with dignity and be fair in all their dealings.

    The Director, HR, Friesland Campina WAMCO, Tominiyi Oni, who spoke on “Raising talents through coaching and mentoring,” said that coaching and mentoring help to nurture individuals for all they need in life to be successful.

    Oni added that the world is changing, and because of this, the people of the world are changing too.As a result, he urged administrators, minister, staff and students to find their purpose while they are still young.

    “You can be good but with your purpose, you will be great,” he said.

    He advised leaders across the country to mentor and coach young people so that the future can be bright for all Nigerians.
    On his part, the resident Pastor, Church of God Mission International, Rev. Dickson Ogbahon mentioned that leadership is an influence and is not being imposed.

    He said a lot of people attend leadership summit but fail to exhibit the characteristics inherent in a leader.

    “There are people with various leadership certificates but are not really leaders,” he said.

    He reminded them that even though they are not leading anybody, they are leading themselves to a destination.

    Present at the summit, were the former Vice Chancellor of Benson Idahosa University, Prof. J.O Oyedeji, Dean College of Agriculture, Prof. Williams Molindo, Senior Pastor of Unique Christian Assembly, Pastor Joseph Abraham, staff and students leaders of Benson Idahosa University

  • Ogun PDP’s unending leadership tussle

    Ogun PDP’s unending leadership tussle

    Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is still enmeshed in crisis despite its national leadership’s efforts  to mend all broken fences. Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan,  examines the factors fuelling the crisis.

    DESPITE efforts by the Senator Ahmed Makarfi-led National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to reconcile all the factions in the party’s Ogun State chapter, it appears the crisis is defying solution.

    The Nation gathered that rather than abate, the tussle that has divided the former ruling party  since it lost the governorship seat in 2011, became more intense after the Supreme Court  sacked Senator Modu Sheriff as PDP national chairman of the PDP and replace him with Makarfi.

    Before the judgement, the Chief Bayo Dayo-led State Executive Committee, which is loyal to Senator Buruji Kashamu, was in charge of the party, leaving the likes of former Governor Gbenga Daniel, former Speaker, Dimeji Bankole and Ladi Adebutu, in the cold.

    But with the judgement, the Sikiru Ogundele led committee, which is loyal to the Daniel/Adebutu faction of the party, assumed leadership of the PDP. This led to resumed hostilities.

    Determined to nip the crisis in the bud, the party’s national leadership  dissolved the factions in the state and constituted a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the party pending its next elective congress.

    But rather than solve the problems, the move by Makarfi may have triggered a new twist in the crisis rocking Ogun PDP as the Kashamu faction has vowed to resist the caretaker arrangement in the state which it claimed favours the Daniel/Adebutu camp.

    Consequently, the many reconciliation efforts of the national leadership and zonal leaders of the party have all failed to yield meaningful results as the party in the state sinks deeper into crisis ahead of the 2019 general election as all the factions are vowing to win for the troubled party.

    “Just last week, a reconciliation parley called by some party leaders in the southwest to look into the matter and restore peace in the party was boycotted by one of the leading factions. Those who attended the meeting refused to sign any agreement claiming the absence of the others negated the earlier plan.

    “Similarly, all directives of the national leadership on how the factions should relate in the interest of peace within the party are being flouted by all the camps. Leaders are still abusing themselves on the pages of newspapers while members are still clashing on the streets.

    “If this continues, it is unclear how PDP intends to unseat the ruling APC come 2019. As a party leader, I am worried but it appears our people are too selfish to see the damage they are doing to the party with their actions,” Chief Kayode Ogunjobi, a senatorial leader of the party told The Nation.

    A new twist

    The party leader revealed that the failure of recent peace moves was as a result of a new twist introduced into the crisis recently by a faction which instigated the arrest and arraignment of two chieftains of the party before a magistrate court.

    “Last week, two members of the party’s caretaker committee were charged to court for alleged contempt. They were remanded in prison. They stayed there until their bail conditions were perfected. The case is still ongoing. This move created more problems for the party,” he said.

    The affected party leaders are two members of the just constituted Tunde Odanye-led caretaker committee of the party in the state. They are Bankole Osisanya, 65, and Nike Temidayo, 57. Their accusers are the leaders of the Bayo Dayo-led committee.

    They were accused of conspiring with others, who are said to be at large, to organise  a PDP caretaker committee meeting contrary to a subsisting Federal High Court judgement, thereby, committing an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 249 (d) of the Criminal Code, Laws of Ogun State of Nigeria, 2006.

    Their arraignment followed a complaint by a factional party state chairman, Adebayo Dayo, who said he remained the only chairman of the party in the state. The case has been adjourned till October 5 and 6, 2017 for hearing.

    According to a reliable source within the party, all efforts to persuade Dayo to withdraw the case has failed as he and his supporters have vowed to ensure that the court stops the caretaker committee from functioning in the state.

    “They have the support of the Kashamu faction of the PDP. And truth be told, that is the strongest of all the PDP camps in Ogun State today. They have the majority of PDP members with them. That is why, across the state, they are the most visible.

    “Ask majority of the PDP party chairmen at the local government level and they will tell you they are with Kashamu. The other factions cannot go it alone if PDP is serious about winning elections in Ogun State.

    “So, the rejection of the caretaker committee by Kashamu and his people is a big problem. That explains why party leaders across the zone have been intervening. But such interventions are yet to yield fruits,” our source claimed.

    But Hon. Olushola Adetu, a chieftain of the party in Ogun East and former State Secretary of the defunct Grassroots Democratic Movement (GDM), told The Nation that it is wrong to say PDP cannot do without the Kashamu faction.

    “Such statement will only keep the party in avoidable crisis. These people are not willing to stay and abide by the rules of the party. We must be prepared to do without them.

    “How can anybody say Kashamu is more important in Ogun politics than OGD, Bankole and Adebutu put together? That is a false sense of self importance on their part and we are waiting to see where that will land them,” he said.

    More confusion

    And as if the chaos created by the struggle for leadership between Odanye and Dayo is not enough, two leading figures in the state, Kashamu and OGD, recently threw pretense to the winds and openly exhibited hostility towards one another.

    Former governor Daniel drew the first blood when he accused Kashamu of sending gunmen to kill him. To show the seriousness of the matter, he wrote a petition to the Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Ibrahim K. Idris.

    According to the former governor, the incident happened at his residence located at Abuja’s Maitama District. He said he was visited by men who wore military fatigues, while the other three were dressed in black. Their mission, he claimed, was to kill him.

    He added that the main suspect behind the alleged assassination attempt is Kashamu, with whom he has had an eight-year political disagreement.

    “He confessed publicly and wrote in national newspapers that he spent over N3billion to destabilize and destroy my administration, using his own words.

    On another occasion – he gathered some fake documents and sought for people who can lie on oath that I killed students and sucked their blood; with all manner of fiction on sundry issues and got these published in various online news medium that I stole campaign funds,” Daniel said about Kashamu.

    Responding, Kashamu said the claim by the ex-governor that he sent assassins to take his life was politically motivated, adding that Gbenga was planning to subvert the due process and the rule of law in the state “where he seeks to foist an illegal caretaker committee on the PDP” despite a subsisting court judgment.

    “This cock and bull story of an attack is part of Daniel’s desperate bid to seek relevance, revive his dimming political career and hijack the structure of the PDP in Ogun State. I have no interest in Daniel’s death. He merely wants to turn the heat on his perceived political opponent and perpetuate the illegal caretaker in Ogun State.

    “He is afraid that some genuine and concerned party members could resist the brazen illegality and disregard for the rule of law which his actions represent being the arrowhead of the illegal caretaker committee despite being aware of the existence of the democratically-elected and the judicially approved Ogun State PDP Exco,” Kashamu added.

    With the two not ready to end their verbal tirades just yet and the two factional state leaderships still at loggerheads over who should control the affairs of the part, it is not easy to predict when peace will finally return to the troubled party.

  • Of leadership, ethnics and laggards

    Two cases, from two different government agencies, with rather unusual repatriation into Federation coffers, beam the subject on effective leadership, as driver of sound results.

    Take JAMB, the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, which conducts ranking examinations into; and serves as clearing house for, Nigerian tertiary educational institutions.

    Is-haq Oloyede, sitting registrar/CEO of JAMB and Dibu Ojerinde, his immediate predecessor, are both professors.  Yet, under Oloyede, JAMB has posted a jumbo repatriation (called operation surplus),  after its first round of examinations under Oloyede’s tenure, with a record N5billion; up from the N3 million highest returns, under previous administrations.

    What could have happened?  The implementation of Treasury Single Account (TSA) which the Goodluck Jonathan Presidency initiated but lacked the guts to implement?  The mainstreaming of the war against corruption, a cornerstone of the Muhammadu Buhari presidency?  Or just a medley of reasons?

    Whatever the reasons, it is salutary Oloyede, despite his bad media image from his Taliban-like running of the University of Ilorin as vice-chancellor, has earned due plaudits for his stellar achievement.  Leadership!

    Marine cash cow, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), which post-Jonathan era probe suggests could be fairly charged for financial opacity, offers a rather gripping parallel.

    Dakuku Adol Peterside, present director-general, took over from Patrick Akpobolokemi, who took over from the ousted Timi Omatseye, during the roiling Jonathan years.  These are names of the southern minorities, who gained some form of economic ascendancy, under President Jonathan.

    Yet, despite that cultural affinity, NIMASA under Peterside has posted humongous returns, in its first 13 months (March 2016-April 2017).  According to Kemi Adeosun, Finance minister, as quoted by a front page report The Nation of September 25, NIMASA repatriated, into the Consolidated Revenue Fund (CFR) N9.975 billion and also more than US$ 38 million, in 13 months; thus greatly boosting the federation’s treasury.

    The performance in 2015, with five months under Jonathan?  N2 billion (in local currency) and US$15 million.  Between N9.975 billion and N2 billion, there is a gulf.  So is, between US$ 38 million and US$ 15 million.

    So, what has changed — the same company, the same ethnics, the same operating environment?  Again, leadership!

    While we insist on a better accounting structure (TSA, as example) we must never forget the crucial centrality of the human factor — leadership.

    That could just make the difference between star performance (as JAMB and NIMASA are becoming under Buhari) and laggards (as they both were under Jonathan) — same company, similar ethnics but different leadership.

    Overall moral?  Leadership is key.

  • Preservative leadership all we have since 90s – George

    Preservative leadership all we have since 90s – George

    Samuel Obafemi George has made the call for youths to be active in politics and self-determination.

    This call was made in a speech given last weekend at the Leadership Clinic Lagos, a subset of Matadors Leadership Institute, designed in building the next generation of young leaders.

    The event themed: “Youths building Peace” was in commemoration of the International Youth Day and featured high-profile speakers, emphasising the importance for the youths to reorientate and reposition themselves for Nation building.

    George lamented the failure of sustainable and progressive leadership in Nigeria, as he made it clear that Nigerians current crop of leaders have only been preservative enough to maintain the status quo, and that aspect of leadership without effective impact to restore the country to greater strides will expire soon. He said the country has to come to the stage where the change is needed.

    “Since the 90s, all we have had is preservative leaders who only desire to maintain the status quo. These leaders are

    George
    George

    only there because they were the next to fall in line after the likes of Awolowo, one of Nigeria’s greatest leaders of all time. Not many politicians have surpassed Awolowo’s feat till date and that is why we need change agents since a lot is at stake,” George stated.

     

    “We have an Advantage”

    The one-time aspirant for the Eti-Osa Local Government Chairmanship Election in 2016 encouraged youths to leave their comfort zones and step into space.

    “Let us be ready,” he enthused. “Politics is a game and it is your persona that defines how you play the game. A clean man plays clean politics and a dirty man plays politics the dirty way but Nigeria needs you and I. Youths are not too young to take over.”

    Obafemi George who is also The Founder of  LIFE initiative, a non-governmental organisation, told the audience how he first came into the political scene eight years ago, under the banner of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) now All Progressive Congress (APC).

    “I joined the ACN eight years ago on the insistence of my wife who challenged me to do something to make Nigeria better and since then, I have worked assiduously to push Nigeria forward by running in the Eti-Osa Local Government elections,” the social media entrepreneur narrated.

    “To be actively involved in politics, you must have intellectual depth. It is what sets you aside from others, that is why you must read wide before you decide to be a part of the political process. Put an end to social media activism and join an active party at the Local level to see how things are done. We must do the real work to restore our country back onto the path of progress; no one hands over power easily.”

  • Sustainability, structure and leadership

    I attended  the 90th  birthday   ceremonies  of a quiet  but great Nigerian at Ile  Ife  and  Lagos and what I learnt at a unique birthday event  is what I want  to share  with the public  at large today and that is what has dictated  the topic  in this column. The  celebrant is Chief Iyiola Omisore, a  structural  engineer and doyen of  engineering in Nigeria and I went to Ife in the company of his relation, the debonair and calmly dignified business  mogul  and   barrister  at law,  Chief  Alex  Duduyemi, the Aro  and Asiwaju of Ife.

    Let  me state  clearly  here that at  Ife  I saw how a community  shows  appreciation and gratitude for services rendered  selflessly, to one of its own in the  large   turn out    of    people  at both the  church service  and the reception to  mark this birthday. At   the  Church  service  there  were  about  30  Obas  wearing  their  crowns  and they  were  led by  the Oni  of  Ife himself  Oba Enitan Ogunwusi. The  Oni,   whose royal stool is the pride of Yoruba race was in the church  service  as well  as the reception  where in a rare   but very   royal    mixture  of youth and age,  he,   in silent  dignity   sat   by the side  of the 90 year  old celebrant.  I  confess  to being carried  away by the spectacle  which  I still  recall  with great pleasure and crave indulgence   and   understanding   of   any trait  or accusation  of exaggeration  or   hyperbole. This is because in a society where the traditional  society and modern polity  are always at each  others  neck, and at a weekend where in Ibadan 20  Obas  were being installed  and the Olubadan stayed away , one can  be excused at being  so fascinated  by the beautiful sight of the foremost  Yoruba Oba, the Oni leading  a huge show of communal   gratitude to an  illustrious  son of  the land  Chief  Iyiola Omisore  at his 90th  Birthday reception.

    However,   it was the birthday   symposium at  the prestigious  Yoruba Tennis Club in Onikan  Lagos  that  I got  the meat  or ammunition for  today’s  topic. The  title of the symposium was  ‘Sustainability    in  a built  –  environment, the Nigerian  perspective’,  and it was a very educative and intellectually rewarding event,   not  in terms of the usual academic rhetoric but in terms of practical  suggestions  to move the Nigerian society forward   on  infrastructure  and improved  quality of life  which is the kernel  of the concept  of  sustainability in the first instance. Obviously  the choice  of sustainability  in the built  environment  came from the fact that the celebrant is a structural  engineer  who  felt  that education matters in developing the Nigerian  environment  as demonstrated  by his own life.  He  had  grade  one for his school  certificate  and he won  a prize  of five guineas for being the best student  at his school  abroad  in   England and was given  the  prize by  the city’s Mayor  at a civic reception.

    The  Chairman  of the occasion was the law guru Alhaji  Femi  Okunnu, also  Chairman of the Board  of Trustees of the YTC, whose  current Chairman  Professor Tokunbo  Fabanwo ,was the host. The  discussants were Professor  Ibidapo  Obe, former Unilag  VC, Professor Peter Okebukola   former  Executive  Secretary NUC, and Ayodele  Aderinwale, Deputy Coordinator  of the Obasanjo Presidential  Library.  Setting the ball  rolling was Professor Fabanwo who asked  the non  professor  amongst  the discussants  Aderinwale to  seek  a professorship in a humorous but pedantic manner to a huge applause. I  will  proceed now  to  what  the discussants said in brief and comment  on these.

    Professor  Ibidapo  Obe spoke  on the theme – Rome  was  not built in a day –  and that really  captured the  essence of the topic  as he illustrated  with the way  the ancient  Romans built facilities that endured and were tailored to enable Rome  to attack it enemies  while providing security  for   its   citizens. He  also   analysed  the  topic  in terms of the hope of continuous improvement with regard  to set  tasks  till  the set goals and objectives  are achieved  and  stressed that education  matters in  all  human endeavors. Professor  Okebukola  insisted that all  that needs to be done to make education improve the lot of the Nigerian  society have  been made  available in different resolutions and papers on education such that he has refused to take on proposals for such projects again. He  cited surveys that showed  that the standard of education  has fallen   generally  in  Nigeria. He called  up his former school mate at Remo  Secondary  School, Otunba  Ladi  Solanke  who he said was the best student in Arts during their HSC and  noted  that if he had represented the NUC  as  the lawyer    as he did  during his time there  would be no  ASUU  strike  like  the on going one that has paralysed  the Nigerian university  system. The  third  discussant   Aderinwale  identified leadership as the bane of the quest  to achieve sustainability in the built environment  in the Nigerian  context. He  lamented  the poor state and dilapidation of our cities as well  as the shame  and insecurity  of  the  numerous slums and shanties  all over Nigeria.

    In  rounding up, the Chairman of the occasion and  former  Federal  Works  Minister  Alhaji  Okunnu  also identified  ethnicity  as a major  obstacle  to  the achievement  of sustainability in a built  environment. He  lamented the absence  of a Nigerian leader  and gave the historical example of former President Nnamdi  Azikiwe  an  Igbo, born in Zungeru  and who  was elected  as the First  Lagos  member for Lagos, a Yoruba city  as the prime example   of a non ethnic  and Nigerian leadership  that has since eluded  our political  system  now  convulsed  by tribalism  and ethnicity  making sustainability  in a built environment difficult. Really  as a former Federal  Works  Minister  and as a  foremost  lawyer Alhaji  Okunnu is well placed to know where the shoe  pinches on sustainability  and stated that  education under our constitution is  a state  matter  and has been usurped by the federal  government even with regard to his alma mater, his beloved Kings  College. I  know that if he had time Alhaji  Okunnu  would  have dwelt on land matters  and castigated the   take  over of some sea shore  land in Lagos  state by the federal  government   as well   as  the high  emoluments of our law makers,   and he would have linked both as  obstacles  to the attainment   of   sustainability in a built  environment and he would be right.

    With  regard  to the non  professor’s submissions on lack  of leadership  I found his presentation quite professorial  and educative. But  since  he hailed  professionally  from the Obasanjo  Leadership  Forum  and  is now  Deputy  Coordinator  at  the Obasanjo  Presidential  Library, he  should be  reminded of the saying that – we  have seen  the enemy  and the enemy  is us. Which means that on leadership, charity  should begin at  home at the heart of Abeokuta where the beautiful Obasanjo  Presidential  Library  is located. Again  on the issue of the absence  of a Nigerian leader,    as claimed  by Alhaji  Okunnu, I beg  to disagree as I think  former President Olusegun  Obasanjo  would fit that  bill  or vacancy easily. That  was  what   his  pal    former General    Theophilus    Danjuma  was saying when,   before the 1999  presidential campaign he vowed that if  Obasanjo  lost  the presidential   election,   he   –   Danjuma -would leave  Nigeria because  Obasanjo  was  so  Nigerian, his people  the Yorubas  hated him ,  which also  was cruelly  but debatably true. Once  again, happy  birthday to Pa  Omisore at 90  and long live the Federal  Republic  of Nigeria.