Sylvester Idowu in Warri
Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege, at the weekend, traced the prevailing Insurgency, poverty, political instability and collapse of government institutions to leadership failure.
He noted that over the years, poor leadership had frustrated the achievement of the country’s enormous economic and political potentials.
Omo-Agege, who made this position known at the 5th Annual Leadership Lecture/Graduation Ceremony of the Value Rebirth-Centre-LSD Leadership School, Effurun/Warri in Delta State, however, said all hope was not lost and urged the people to vote credible leadership in 2023.
“But all is not lost, because state and nation-building all over the world have been and remain a permanent work-in-progress. As we move towards leadership selection in 2023, the leaders we need now should posses knowledge, sound Judgement and commitment to specific causes and ideals,” he said.
The senator, who was represented by Mr. Mathew Omonade, said the country needed leaders with good moral conduct and ethical responsibility to attend to demands, needs and problems of Nigerians.
Omo-Agege noted that genuine leadership also needed honest, courageous and credible followership less vulnerable to manipulation, adding that, followership was an indispensible aspect of leadership.
He said the stability and progress of the country required the deployment of deliberate commitment by citizens and those entrusted with leadership to advance the national agenda, regardless of challenges.
Executive Director, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (CENTRE LSD), Mr Monday Osasah, said the leadership school was a flagship programme of the Leadership Institute, adding that it started in 2009.
He said the Centre LSD Leadership School was designed for people, who wanted to become leaders and be equipped with leadership skills for the transformation of organisation and society.
Pastor Edewor Egedegbe, Executive Director, VREI, said the centre was graduating 101 students out of 180 that enrolled for the programme.
He disclosed that the school had graduated 359 students since inception in 2017, adding that 200 students had been admitted for it’s 2022/2023 Leadership Academic Session.
Guest lecturer, Mr. Johnson Ikube said Nigerians must acknowledge that there were challenges confronting the nation and urged people to vote for competence and not popularity in the 2023 general election.
He, however, advocated for the decentralisation of government, noting that the system would function better under a decentralised arrangement.
“Leaders should move from the government of business to the government of governance. There is poverty in the land. Mankind must put an end to the war or war will put an end to mankind. We have gotten to a level, where human life has become meaningless, not only in Nigeria but in the entire world,” he said.
