Headline

Friday Sermon: The Burden of Leadership

Published

8 years ago

April 6, 2018

Eric

By Babatunde Jose

The leadership conundrum in Nigeria has been an ever recurring decimal in our march towards self-sustained development. Many authorities have proffered all sorts of hypothesis on this problem but like the proverbial offensive odour of an elephant’s fart, it has refused to go away. Unfortunately, our leaders have failed to adhere to the various in junctions pertaining to leadership in a community. Most of them are people of questionable pedigree, dubious characters and most often people operating on the periphery of crime. Therefore: Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. (Matthew 7:16-20)

Jules Masserman, United States professor of Psychoanalysis, University of Chicago says the leader must fulfil three functions:

1. The leader must provide for the well-being of the lead … The leader, whoever he is, must be interested in your welfare. He must not be ravenous like most of the vampire leaders of the ‘Third World’; such as our present day political and religious leaders; who have turned the masses into their ‘milking cows, to be exploited to satisfy their greed and lust.

2. Leader or would be leader must provide a social organization in which people feel relatively secure … a Leader must provide a social order free of self, voracity and ethnicity. Unfortunately, “there is still with us much sorrow and sin, injustice, oppression, wrong and hate. Still does arrogance deaden conscience, rob struggling souls of even the crumbs of pity, and make, of loathsome flesh and crumbling dust, fair-seeming idols for worship. Still does ignorance blow a mighty horn and try to shame true wisdom… Still does greed devour the substance of helpless ones within its power: Nay, more, the fine individual voice is smothered in the raucous din of groups and crowds that madly shout what they call slogans, new, old falsehoods, long discredited! What can we do to make God’s light shine forth through the darkness around us? Prof. Jitendra Dhoj Khand. We are a helpless people, who have refused to make efforts to help ourselves; architects of our own misfortune. Like Cassius lamented to Casca in Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar,” And why should Caesar be a tyrant then? Poor man! I know he would not be a wolf, But that he sees the Romans are but sheep. He were no lion were not Romans hinds.”

3. The leader must provide its people with a set of beliefs or national ideology. It is easy to talk of the fellowship of men under a single banner. This has not been possible in our clime as the leaders are bereft of vision and mission; and are not endowed with the spirit of corporate, political or spiritual leadership. They do not have any apparition of a ‘promised land’. Neither are they agitators who are more likely to possess these qualities.

Leadership denotes the ability to move masses of men, the talent to produce ideas, and forge the union of theorist, organizer and leader all in one; a rare phenomenon which we find only in great men of history: Ghandi, Napoleon, Caesar, Lenin, Mao, JFK and Hitler.

The leaders we have are charlatans, false leaders and men of untruth. Like they say: A false man cannot build a brick house! If he does not know and follow truly the properties of mortar, burnt clay and what else he works in, it is no house that he makes, but a rubbish heap. It will not stand the test of time and it will fall straightaway. It is like a forged bank note; they get it passed out of their worthless hands.” Heroes and Hero-worship), p.58. It is sad indeed! And the 21^stCentury is fast going.

Let me end by quoting the conclusions of Olutola Abolurin in his treatise on Religion and Religiosity, when he said: Nigeria therefore is not suffering because of the open show of religiousness, rather there are too many professing religion who do not really have ingrained in them the virtues of the religions they profess and have no intention of seeking the redemptive paths offered by their religions. Religion has become for many the mask to wear to obtain preferment or to lull others into dropping their guards in their personal and business interactions.

The problem we have is the leadership of the society – political, business, civil, and religious. We all claim to be religious but we do not reflect the values of our professed religions in our behavior, in politics or in governance. Indeed for most of us, politics or business is a “do or die” affair and anything goes. And a lot get away with it. Institutions to curb our excesses are corrupted by us. Religious leaders unfortunately also pander to those who are rich or powerful, and in the process, undermine the religious values that should provide the moral anchor for the society. By our actions and inactions as leaders we debase the society and the people become cynical and alienated. We, the leaders in Nigeria, nay Africa, are the problem.

Barka Juma’at and a Happy Weekend.

+2348033110822

Headline

2027: Obi Warns Against Rigging, Urges Voters to Be Vigilant

Published

5 days ago

February 17, 2026

Eric

A former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has issued a stern warning to election officials and stakeholders, urging Nigerians to ensure that every vote counts in the 2027 general election.

Obi stressed that anyone who attempts to manipulate or obstruct the counting of votes will be held accountable for undermining the country’s democracy.

“Unlike in the past, in 2027 our votes MUST count, and all those who are there not to count the votes will be counted among those destroying Nigeria,” he wrote on X on Monday, February 16, 2026.

Obi, who has declared that he will contest the 2027 presidential election, advised voters to stay at polling units after casting their ballots to observe the counting and transmission of results, emphasising that preventing the proper tallying of votes would attract legal consequences.

The former Labour Party presidential candidate said: “I encourage everyone to remain at the polling units after voting to count and witness the counting and transmission of results. Those who refuse to allow the votes count will be made to count the full weight of the law against rigging.

“Let me reiterate: if you do not count our votes, we will count you among those who destroy our democracy, thereby destroying our future, and you must answer to the law.”

Headline

APC National Secretary Basiru Demands Wike’s Resignation As FCT Minister

Published

5 days ago

February 17, 2026

Eric

The National Secretary of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Basiru, has called on the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, to resign from President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet, accusing him of undue interference in the ruling party’s internal affairs.

Basiru’s demand followed Wike’s warning earlier on Monday, in which the former Rivers State governor cautioned the APC scribe to “leave Rivers State alone” and refrain from meddling in its politics. Wike, while addressing supporters during a thank-you visit to Oyigbo Local Government Area of Rivers State, described Rivers as a “no-go area,” warning that those who interfere “may burn their hands.”

But, responding to the FCT Minister’s warning in a statement issued from Osogbo, Osun State, Senator Basiru fired back, describing Wike’s remarks as a “tirade” and “uncouth.”

“My attention has been drawn to the tirade of the Minister of the FCT against my person and my office as National Secretary of the APC,” Basiru said. “It is shocking that such an innocuous statement could elicit such uncouth responses from no less than a member of the Federal Executive Council.”

The APC National Secretary defended his earlier remarks, insisting he merely reaffirmed that governors, regardless of political differences, deserve respect as leaders of the party in their respective states.

“For the avoidance of doubt, our records indicate that Minister Nyesom Wike is not a member of our party, the APC. He therefore lacks the locus to dabble into the affairs of our party,” he declared.

“As National Secretary of the APC, I am imbued with the responsibility to protect the interests of the party and all its members. My activities cannot be confined to my home state, Osun State.”

Basiru also dismissed Wike’s allegation that he and other APC leaders were scrambling for a N600 billion “largesse” in Rivers State’s coffers, describing it as “cheap blackmail.”

“My background and track record are of unquestionable integrity,” Basiru stated. “I challenge him to prove his allegations or we may meet in court.”

The APC chieftain further warned Wike against issuing threats, saying he would not be intimidated.

“Wike is not God and may be overplaying his political card,” Basiru cautioned. “My faith is in God, and I will not succumb to cheap threats such as the one from him.”

He maintained that Wike’s support for President Tinubu does not make him an APC member.

“Millions of non-APC Nigerians also support the President, and Wike’s case is no different,” Basiru said. “He cannot bring the spirit of the PDP into the APC or destabilize our structures in Rivers State.”

Concluding his statement, Basiru said Wike must make a choice between serving as a non-party technocrat or interfering in APC matters.

“He cannot be in the Federal Executive Council of an APC government and be causing confusion within our party. The honourable thing to do is to resign his appointment as Minister,” he declared.

Headline

Alleged N432bn Fraud: El-Rufai Spends Monday Night in EFCC Custody

Published

5 days ago

February 17, 2026

Eric

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, spent Monday night in the custody of the EFCC following hours of interrogation over alleged financial misappropriation amounting to N432 billion.

El-Rufai arrived at the EFCC headquarters in Jabi, Abuja, around 11:00 a.m. on Monday, February 16, 2026, in response to an invitation reportedly issued in December.

Although he presented himself voluntarily, sources within the anti-graft agency disclosed late Monday that he would remain in custody until investigators reached what they described as “advanced stages” of their questioning.

The probe is said to stem from a 2024 report by the Kaduna State House of Assembly, which accused El-Rufai’s administration between 2015 and 2023 of diverting public funds through multiple state channels.

A senior EFCC official confirmed that investigators are reviewing contracts and financial transactions executed during his eight-year tenure.

Tension flared at the EFCC premises as hundreds of supporters and critics gathered shortly after news of his appearance broke.

Supporters accused the Federal Government of political persecution, chanting solidarity slogans, while a group identified as the Mega National Movement for Good Governance demanded accountability, insisting that no public official is above the law.

Security operatives deployed teargas to disperse the crowd after clashes reportedly broke out between the opposing groups.

In a related development, the Department of State Services (DSS) filed a three-count charge against El-Rufai at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

The charges, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/99/2026, reportedly concern the alleged unlawful interception of telephone communications belonging to the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu.

The filing followed a recent interview in which the former governor claimed he had listened to conversations in which Ribadu allegedly directed security operatives to arrest him upon his return from Egypt last week.

El-Rufai’s legal team, led by Ubong Akpan, has described the investigations as arbitrary and a violation of his constitutional rights.

Meanwhile, indications emerged that the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission (ICPC) has also scheduled him for questioning on Wednesday, February 18.

As of Tuesday morning, it remained unclear whether the EFCC would seek a court order to extend his detention or proceed with formal charges. Several of his former aides are reportedly already in custody as investigations continue.