Aigboje Aig Imoukhuede: For Mother and Nation

Gentleman Aigboje, during the week, got hold of Bishop Mathew Kukah and unleashed him on a well-curated audience of well-heeled Nigerians to discuss Nigeria. The Bishop did not disappoint as his treatise, though spliced with humour and too many illustrations, hit pay dirt.

Bishop Kukah, who is a fine orator, did not disappoint as he took us through a long, winding, but very interesting narration of our nation. He hit the mark when he, however, said that we mistake leadership for office and office for leadership. At that point, the audience stopped him and clapped profusely.

This is exactly the problem with our nation, as we all push for appointments in public office as the only platform for leadership. He stressed, and I totally agree, that impact leadership does not necessarily need public office or positioning to deliver. We have seen even in this country leaders who continue to impact society without public office but leverage sheer conviction to deliver on promises.

It was a beautiful gathering as another gentleman philosopher, Fola Adeola, in moderating a session, also dropped some nuggets.

It was a beautiful and robust gathering, a huge departure from the usual “owambe” that we usually organise to celebrate such occasions, as it not only pooled powerful individuals but also forced them to have a deep dive into the issues of leadership. Well done, Sir Aigboje, and may mummy continue to rest well. Amen.