A former president of Nigeria, Olusegun Obasanjo, says Nigerians must stop electing leaders that are self-centered in order for the country to make progress.
He made his remark in Abeokuta, Ogun capital, on Saturday as the special guest of honour at the leadership empowerment international conference (LEIC).
Obasanjo also mentioned that Nigeria is presently bedeviled at all levels by a band of “self-centred leaders” who doesn’t possess the idea of what a true sense of leadership style is about.
The former president added that these kinds of leaders must loosen their hold for the country to march forward.
“There is no end to leadership and service to your community until you breathe the last. And you can never be too old to be a leader and to give something to the community in which you lead and serve as a leader, to serve your state, your country, the continent, and the world,” he said
“And if you ask me in one word, what is the bane of Nigeria today? I will not think about it twice. I will say it is leadership. Leadership that is self-centred, leadership that is a deficit of knowledge and understanding and leadership that does not see service as the centerpiece of what leadership is all about.
“If we can get the leadership right, we will get all other things right. This is what LEIC is doing that is commendable and very good. We must encourage and inculcate good leadership into every level of our national life.”
The former president then challenged Nigerians to solicit an end to the culture of electing transactional leaders in place of transformational leaders who will deliver good governance.