The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, has described President Bola Tinubu, his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari, and other previous heads of state as leaders who found themselves in power by accident.
Kukah noted that it was evident none of them were fully prepared before assuming office, especially in a world where the demands of leadership are rapidly evolving.
The bishop made these remarks while delivering a keynote address at the official commissioning of Start-Rite School’s new building and the 4th Amaka Ndoma-Egba Memorial Lecture in Abuja. Kukah lamented that the fundamental element missing in Nigerian leadership is knowledge.
While acknowledging the nation’s embrace of the democratic principle of ‘one man, one vote,’ the cleric expressed concern that democracy appears to be malfunctioning under successive administrations.
He stated, “If we are to start from the beginning, you will find that almost every leader who came to power in Nigeria did so as a result of one accident or another. President Tinubu, who said he was prepared for the role, is struggling. We are still trying to get off the ground. He took over from Buhari, who had already given up.
“Buhari succeeded Jonathan, who thought he would retire after being deputy governor, but circumstances thrust him into power. Jonathan succeeded Yar’Adua, who had planned to return to teaching at Ahmadu Bello University after his governorship.
“Yar’Adua, in turn, succeeded Obasanjo, who was unexpectedly released from prison to become president. Obasanjo took over after Abacha, who was being positioned by five political parties to rule indefinitely until nature intervened.
“Abacha succeeded Shonekan, who was a business executive at UAC before being called to serve as Head of State. We can go on and on, but the fundamental issue in governance is knowledge. Leaders need a deep understanding of their environment.”
Kukah stressed that while the world has changed, the expectations of leadership have not.
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, stressed the importance of instilling leadership qualities at an early age.
Marwa attributed the country’s struggles with various societal vices to failures in leadership and accountability.
He also raised concerns about a growing syndicate of visually impaired individuals involved in the illicit drug trade in Nigeria.
“As Chairman of the NDLEA, we have encountered many challenges from drug traffickers. Recently, we uncovered an intriguing cartel involving visually impaired individuals.
“We arrested a blind man transporting a large consignment of cannabis from Lagos to Kano. Upon interrogation, he claimed ignorance of the contents, saying he was simply delivering a package.
“When asked who gave him the consignment, he provided a name, which led us to another blind individual in Lagos. That individual revealed a partner, who was also blind. Eventually, we traced the ultimate handler, who turned out to be blind as well,” he explained.
Marwa declined to provide further details about the cartel’s leader, stating, “I won’t tell you the rest of the story.”
In his closing remarks, Marwa commended Senator Ndoma-Egba, Chairman of the Board of Advisory for Start-Rite School, for organising the memorial lecture in honour of his late wife, Amaka Ndoma-Egba.
He said, “Amaka Ndoma-Egba was a visionary who founded this school to equip students with the skills needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.”
The late Amaka’s 17-year-old initiative, Start-Rite School, began with a modest class of seven pupils in 2008 and has since grown into a leading institution with over 800 students across nursery, primary, and secondary levels in Abuja.
By Our Correspondents @INDEPENDENCE
