Nigeria Requires Leaders Devoted to Public Good, Not Personal Interests, Says Tinubu 

Wole Ayodele in Jalingo 

Presient Bola Tinubu has reiterated that Nigeria needed patriotic leaders, whose commitment to national development transcends personal interests and self-aggrandisement.

The president, stated this at the St. Monica Cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, Jimeta, Yola, Adamawa State, at a thanksgiving service to mark the 70th birthday of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, SGF, Dr. Boss Mustapha.

He, however, called on public officials and citizens to embrace devotion to public good as a core value.

Tinubu, who was represented by the current Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, noted that, “Nigeria needs men and women who value what transcends personal interest, but rather a devotion to public service.

“Today is first and foremost a day for thanksgiving. We gathered not only to celebrate a passage of seven decades, but to celebrate the faithfulness of God, who has preserved and sustained Boss Mustapha through the various seasons of life.”

Plateau State Governor, Caleb Muftwang, described the celebrant as a benchmark for public service integrity, while making a case for unity among political leaders in the Middle Belt region.

Muftwang commended Mustapha for choosing to invest in public education rather than personal luxury to mark his 70th milestone.

Speaking, the former SGF urged Nigerian youths not to allow their humble backgrounds to define their future, but rather use their origins as a stepping stone to greatness.

Mustapha gave the charge at the official handing over of a library complex he donated to Lutheran University Nigeria in Demsa, Adamawa State to mark his 70th birthday.

The facility was named ‘Wesley Mustapha Library Complex’ by the Archbishop of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria, Most Revd. Musa Panti Filibus, in honour of the celebrant’s late father, who was a devoted teacher.

Advising the younger generation to remain determined, the former SGF noted that his life journey serves as proof that anyone can achieve success regardless of their upbringing.

He said: “I want my life to be a template for the younger generation. If the son of a classroom teacher can make it, then you can make it. Do not allow your background to define your life—use it as a stepping stone.

“My decision to undertake this project is borne out of the need to better the lives of the generation coming after us. My father was a classroom teacher who rose to become a headmaster at the Government Science School founded by LCCN.”

Most Revd. Filibus, expressed appreciation to the former SGF, noting that the gesture represented an enduring contribution to tertiary education in the region.

Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, described the library complex as a monument of knowledge that would serve generations of scholars across the state and country.