The highly fecund Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah on Sunday, November 24, 2024, said some Nigerian leaders assumed offices without adequate preparation, particularly against the backdrop of a growing sophisticated world where the demands of governance are constantly evolving.
He noted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his predecessor, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), and other former Nigerian leaders were but, products of “accidental” leadership cycle.
Bishop Kukah specifically said that President Tinubu, in spite of claiming to be prepared for the role, is clearly struggling while the nation is still trying to find its footing since he assumed office.
The respected Clergy, who stated these while delivering a keynote address at the inauguration of the new Start-Rite School building and the 4th Amaka Ndoma-Egba Memorial Lecture in Abuja, stressed that there seems to be a pattern of unpreparedness among Nigeria’s leaders
Kukah said: “If we look at Nigeria’s leadership journey, you will find that almost every leader who came to power did so by accident.
“President Tinubu, despite claiming to be prepared for the role, is clearly struggling. We are still trying to find our footing. He took over from Buhari, who had already disengaged from governance.
“Buhari succeeded Jonathan, a man who never envisioned himself as president but was thrust into leadership due to circumstances. Jonathan took over from Yar’Adua, who planned to return to teaching after his governorship.
“Yar’Adua succeeded Obasanjo, who was unexpectedly released from prison to become president. Before that, Obasanjo replaced Abacha, who was poised to rule indefinitely until nature intervened. Abacha followed Shonekan, a business executive abruptly drafted to lead the country.
“The cycle is evident, and the missing link in all of this is knowledge and preparation,” he stressed.
The Catholic Bishop further said that while Nigeria embraced democratic principles like “one man, one vote,” its democratic process has repeatedly failed to deliver competent leadership, adding that modern leadership required a deep understanding of the evolving environment and challenges.
General Buba Marwa, Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), stressed the need to cultivate leadership qualities early in life, saying that many of Nigeria’s challenges are traceable to failure in leadership and accountability.
Marwa said that a recent disturbing trend within the drug trade, revealed the involvement of visually impaired individuals in trafficking illicit substances.
According to him; “Recently, the NDLEA uncovered a cartel involving visually impaired individuals, We arrested a blind man transporting a large consignment of cannabis from Lagos to Kano. During interrogation, he claimed he didn’t know the package’s contents and provided the name of another blind individual in Lagos. This led us to another blind man, and eventually, we traced the ultimate handler, who was also blind.”
The event stressed the need for a renewed focus on leadership development and education towards addressing Nigeria’s governance challenges and societal issues.
