By Friday Obande
Works and Housing Minister, Babatunde Fashola, has urged Nigerians to check track records of the presidential candidates and their prformances in order to make the right choice of leadership, come 2023.
Speaking as Guest Lecturer at the 2022 Lecture/ Public Presentation of a book titled, “Azinge: Born to Serve,” a biography of renowned Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Epiphany Azinge, organised by Epiphany Azinge Foundation in Abuja, Fashola said current leadership requires certain qualities such as skills and values as against physical strength and ability.
In his paper presentation titlled, “Leadership and Service to Humanity,” the ministercalled for proper scrutiny of the performances of most of the presidential candidates, whom he said have held political positions in the past.
“I urge Nigerians to make their choice of a candidate from the presidential frontliners by critically assessing the impact of their past performances and responsibilities while in office,” the minister restated.
His Eminence, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, who spoke from the religious angle, said the book which tells the story of a civil servant who lives an examplary life in his society stands as both inspiration and warning to everyone.
He urged Nigerians to read more to better the country, saying,”we cannot say we do not have enough books to read.
Also, former Chairman of Nigerian Bar Association, NBA, Akpata noted that when selfish interest clashes with national interest, there is always a problem.
On the 2023 general elections he urged Nigerians to rise up against hooligans and not to allow them highjack the process.
“One has to be worried because a lot of people are already scared and the whole idea is to keep people at home but we must all come out and vote this time,” he said.
In his further analogy on the prosecution of election offenders, Akpata expressed little surprise, noting that the “country cannot be doing the same thing and expect another thing.”
According to him,”When your process is slow, it shows that we only pay lip service to the process and are not ready since there are no sanctions, no accountabilities.
He however, gave the assurance that all hope is not lost to the judiciary, as the nation still have shinning examples which are many.
“We have honest and hardworking members in the judiciary and what needs to be done is for the public to give appropriate information about election offenders and I assure you that they will be prosecuted,” added Akpata.
In his vote of thanks, the author of the book, Prof. Epiphany Azinge explained that the story captures something that will resonate around issues of the moment, in order to sketch around the kind of leadership the the country needs at this point in in time.
He said, “The kind of leadership that we need should be people of good character, competence, courageous and focused; someone who is in touch with the realities of the moment and also be able to equally relate with the youths in all quotas.
Azinge went on to state that it is a bitter truth that Nigeria is currently in a quagmire, with an almost crumbled economy which needs prudent leaders to pull her out of the storm and chart a new way for the nation to get to her required heights.
