LAGOS — Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said Nigerians have been recruiting, appointing/electing the wrong leaders, thereby putting round pegs in square holes.
Jega said this during the pre-Ramadan lecture organised by the University of Lagos Muslim Alumni (UMA) with the theme, “Leadership Recruitment – The Missing Anchor in Our National Development” at main auditorium of the institution, Akoka.
“The issue of leadership recruitment at all levels of governance in the country is central to the current national predicament; and getting it right is key to the resolution of poor governance.
“Nigerians belong to the category of the unfortunate citizens of the world in whose leadership, though in the context of a civil democratic dispensation, leaves much to be desired, in terms of a sustainable vision for our country’s development, selflessness in elective public leadership positions, competence and capacity to lead a country.
“With the terrible result that the electoral processes spew up and recycle most people in elected public offices who either bought or fraudulently often violently stole the votes which put them into ‘elected’ and public leadership positions. They invariably achieve this, because the special purpose vehicle for getting into elections, namely the political parties, are captured by so-called ‘money bags’, ‘godfathers’ and powerful patrons, and they operate undemocratically to install clients and otherwise very unprepared and untrustworthy people into elective positions, which require thorough preparation, competence, and trustworthiness,” he said.
In his remark, Vice-Chancellor, University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said negligence of knowledgeable and able citizens toward the electoral process had led to the issue of leadership that the country suffers.
“The poor go out to vote, why the rich sit back to watch and count,” he said.
Ogundipe urged Nigerian citizens to know their roles and right, and the importance of good leadership.
Also speaking, Chief Missioner of Ansar-Ud-Deen Society Worldwide, Shaykh Ahmad AbdurRahman said the leadership recruitment process in the country is faulty.
Shaykh Ahmad called for regular assessment of appointed/elected leaders and ease out those not performing.
According to him, there should be mechanism to bring them to account.
He also called on religious leaders to be truthful as they also have great roles to play in fixing government and should not be after aspirants’ money.
Earlier in his welcome address, UMA President Alhaji Shuaib Salisu said the theme was carefully chosen to evolve a better society and address the generally acknowledged leadership challenge at all levels.
“There is near unanimity that if our great Nation, Nigeria, must attain its full potential, then there is the need to fix the leadership challenge. And in doing so, we must look beyond individual leaders and focus on the process through which leaders emerge,” he said.
According to him, Islam places so many premiums on the importance of leadership, which is based on the principle of trust.
In his remark, Petroleum Economist/lecturer at the Department of Economic, Umar Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina, Dr. Ahmed Adamu, noted that to have good governance, leadership recruitment systems require an evolutionary change.
He added that good citizens, particularly voters, should endeavour to carry out their rights by going for their Voter’s Card, coming out to vote, not sitting back and counting the number of votes at home.
He said politicians and delegates should check their intentions, and also do the right thing.
