By Abiola Olawale
A former two-term President of Nigeria as well as a former military Head of State, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has again declared that Nigeria will continue experiencing numerous economic and political challenges until the citizens decide to elect selfless leaders.
The former president said the issues rocking Nigeria had persisted because of leadership deficit, concluding that the only way out is for “self-centred” leaders to give way.
Speaking in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Saturday as Special Guest of Honour at the Leadership Empowerment International Conference, Obasanjo said the country has no future with the current crops of leaders.
According to him, for Nigeria to progress from its present situation, Nigerians must seek an end to the culture of enthroning transactional leaders and embracing transformational leaders who will deliver good governance.
He said: “There is no end to leadership and service to your community until you breathe the last. And you can never be too old to be a leader and to give something to the community in which you lead and serve as a leader, to serve your state, your country, the continent and the world.”
He added:” And if you ask me in one word, what is the bane of Nigeria today? I will not think about it twice. I will say it is leadershiSelf-centred leadership, leadership that is a deficit of knowledge and understanding and leadership that does not see service as the centrepiece of what leadership is all about.
“If we can get the leadership right, we will get all other things right. This is what LEIC is doing that is commendable and very good. We must encourage and inculcate good leadership into every level of our national life.”
