Constance Meju
Otive Oguzor, founding Executive Director, of Centre LSD School, said leadership is a critical missing element in Nigeria’s governance which has resulted in the continued dwindling state of affairs in the country.
Dr. Otive, Senior Special Adviser to the immediate past deputy Senate president, Senator Omo-Agege, was the guest speaker at the sixth graduation ceremony of Kebetkache Center Leadership and Strategic Development, LSD, Port Harcourt on Saturday, 9 November.
Decrying the lack of good leadership in the country, he said: “This is very important; over the past 10 years, we have had leaders who are not able to lead with the challenges of ethnicity and parochial mindedness which is why when the man from Daura was in Aso Rock, he was surrounded by aides from Daura and the man from Lagos gas brought the Lagos boys all over Abuja”.
The development expert noted further: “The failures and successes of organizations and nations, it has been stated, depend on the leadership excellence and not managerial excellence… Chinua Achebe, Nigeria’s foremost writer had long identified this gap, ‘Scourges of bad leadership and darkened mood are everywhere in Nigeria.”
He lamented that only a few organizations, especially in Africa, are dedicated to having the right leaders in place thereby, leaving room for the “astounding leadership void” in society, and it is the void that keeps increasing, that gave birth to Centre LSD School.
He noted that in a country with a multi-ethnic, cultural, and religious populace like Nigeria, an effective leader must have an understanding and respect for cultural diversity.
According to him, leadership is majorly about influence and you can win the hearts of people to support and drive your vision, only when you respect their hopes and aspirations.*
He said in view of the cultural and other diversities in the Nigerian state as well as the current state of the country, there is a need for an inclusive, and transformational leader to courageously stir Nigeria off the cliff.
“The status quo is not good so we need transformational and Inclusive leadership. The inclusive leader has self-awareness but is working to include all. Africa needs leaders who will change the existing systems, drive new visions, and empower others.
“Leaders that systematically provide positive leadership, address corruption, insecurity, adequate infrastructure, youth unemployment, environmental degradation, etc.,” he emphasized.
The keynote speaker explained that effective leaders are ordinary people who seize extraordinary situations to bring out the latent talents in them, adding that in the Nigerian current context, the effective leader in addition to strong emotional and spiritual quotients, must have adversity quotient.
He must also have ethical integrity and not be selfish, but a servant leader.
The former Action Aid Nigeria country director called for a review of leadership recruitment in the political space to reflect the needed change.
“Effective leadership emerges when there is a good leadership recruitment process. Choose your leaders with wisdom,” he charged.
He challenged the citizenry to shake off docility, participate in politics, and demand accountability from duty-bearers for good leadership.
Earlier, the Director of the Port Harcourt Centre LSD School and Executive Director of Kebetkache Women’s Development and Resource Centre, Dr. Emem Bridget Okon, while welcoming g guests and graduands to the sixth graduation ceremony, stated that the Port Harcourt leadership school has come to stay.
She charged the graduating students to practice their newly acquired knowledge to help improve society as she notified the leadership school founder, Dr Otive of the need to expand the curriculum of the Port Harcourt Center to include studies in Leadership and Environment as well as incorporate excursions to relevant institutions to further deepen the experiences of students. That request was granted
Executive Director of the Abuja Center, Dr Monday Ossah who was represented by the Center’s leadership director, Emenike Umesi, said the graduands have exhibited the virtues of integrity, resilience, and purpose, “a powerful affirmation of Center LSD’s commitment to leadership.
Umesi disclosed that the leadership school has since 2010, passed out 2601 persons across the country. “Your journey begins a new today to drive meaningful change in your community and the nation. Strive to shape a better world.”
