February 06, (THEWILL) – The Director General of the Professional Leadership Practitioners Institute, Dr Nathan Obasi has called on Nigerians to look well and elect a leader as president in 2023.
He said lack of a good leader has been the source of underdevelopment of Nigeria since independence in 1960.
Speaking at the Fellowship Awards and Luncheon of the Institute in Lagos, Obasi urged Nigerians to watch out for leaders among several aspirants that are already coming out to show interest in the country’s presidency in 2023.
He said the person so elected must be a leader and not necessarily a politician.
Obasi also called for placing of purposeful leaders in various parastatals to set the country on the path of development.
He said the country is where it is today because of the leadership gap that exists in the polity, saying tribalism, religion and some other factors are partly responsible for the dysfunction.
He said: “Leadership has no particular gender and tribe. Leadership is about activity; doing something that is socially meaningful.
“Yes leadership is not value-free; rather it is value-laden because it engages our values. Ask anyone whether he or she wants to be a leader or a manager, the usual response is a leader.
“As we approach another election year, it would be good for Nigerians to understand what they want. Do they want a politician or a leader as the president? If you want a politician, vote for a politician. If you want a leader as president, vote for a leader. But, the majority of the people will tell you, we don’t want any politician again, we want a leader. That is simple: he said.
Obasi explained that the Institute was set up to fill the leadership gap in the country, saying leadership is an integral part of life.
Also while delivering a Lecture titled: “Emergent issues in contemporary leadership practice,” the President /Chairman of the Institute, Professor Charles Ogbulogo said he agreed that the bane of Nigerian development is bad leadership.
He however said Nigeria can only move forward when Nigerians changed their orientation and philosophy saying “Nigerians must realise that you don’t need a title to be a leader.
“A time will come when we will change our philosophy. You don’t need a title to be a leader. Once you are born, it is in you.
“The best way to change today is to say, I don’t need a title to be a leader. I am already a leader”, he said.
He stated that organization leaders are needed in all sectors- business, ministry, technology, healthcare, education and non-profit organizations.
He described as misalignment the inability of those who lay claim to leadership but demonstrate grave insensitivity to emergent issues in leadership in contemporary times.
Prof. Ogbulogo lamented that many who tend to practice leadership have very little knowledge of the concept and very little or no training on the art of leadership.
“People just emerge from various pipelines, including, age, ethnicity, experience, bribery, corruption and manipulation to assume leadership positions.”
He submitted that countries with weak educational foundations manifest deficits in managing relationships, following instructions, working with commitment, using modern gadgets, sustaining employment, and enjoying quality health.
About the Author
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
