House of Representatives Speaker Aminu Tambuwal; Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola (SAN) and Chairman of Stanbic IBTC Bank Nigeria, Mr Atedo Peterside yesterday decried the leadership crisis bedevilling the country.
They said the docility among the followers was responsible for maladministration and bad leadership the country was facing.
The frontline Nigerians spoke in Lagos at the Fifth Christopher Kolade Symposium organised by the Nigeria Leadership Initiative (NLI) with the theme: Development Agenda: Leadership.
Tambuwal, who was represented by House Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila, said Nigeria’s problems stemmed from the followers because today’s leaders were yesterday’s followers.
According to him, people always get the leaders they deserve.
Tambuwal said: “If people know their civic responsibilities and hold government accountable, the country will develop, as the followers have a big role to play.
“The idea of leadership rotation, turn-by-turn, does not produce good leaders, as ethnic bigotry has affected the people and how they react to national issues.”
The Speaker gave the example of some situations where some ministers were found culpable but because of ethnic bias and sentiment, their people passed judgments.
Reflecting on the crisis in the House at the beginning of the current dispensation, Gbajabiamila said the importance of national duty over ethnicity was why some members of the House disagreed with the zoning of the Speaker to the Southwest by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to him, the three candidates being put forward for the position were not capable to lead the House.
He said: “Ethnicity was rejected by few of us in the House of Representatives, as the three people being put forward to lead the House did not fit; they did not have leadership qualities and characteristics one could hold on to. That’s why Tambuwal emerged as Speaker.”
Fashola noted that if the idea and concept of the “Nigerian dream” could be articulated, the nation would be on the right path to growth and development.
The governor said the “Nigerian dream” would set the standards for the leaders to follow and be held accountable for.
He said although people talked about rights, they failed to do their civic responsibilities.
“Do people pay their tax? Can we expect our country to provide for us without being responsible to it?” Fashola asked.
Fashola said the country’s dream must be defined to make the leaders
Become committed to attaining them.
The governor said any jurisdiction where majority of the people evaded tax payment and other obligations would make it difficult for them to call erring leader to order.
He said the nation’s professionals, who could articulate vibrant ideologies, were not actively involved in politics and did not relate with the electorate.
Fashola said this left the political space for money bags who were always around the providing the needs of the electorate.
He said: “You must belong to political parties. That is where we must start from. Professionals must belong to political parties and get themselves actively involved in politics. Unfortunately, we have left important matters in the hands of the ‘Second 11’.”
The governor said the vision, the courage and integrity define leadership, because only servants of the people could lead them well.
According to him, leadership with fear is the best because “fear keeps leaders grounded and humane and makes them to connect with the people”.
Peterside, who was represented by the Chief Executive Officer of Stanbic IBTC Pen-Com, Mr. Ademola Sogunle, said in asserting authority, the nation’s leaders must be ready to accept their mistakes.
The banker said this was the best way for the country to be developed.
He urged the present crop of good leaders to groom their successors before they leave office.
