President Goodluck Jonathan has said the absence of transformational leadership is responsible for the failure of governments in Nigeria and other African countries.
Jonathan, represented by Minister of Works, Mike Onolomemen, said this at the 5th Annual NationalConference organised by the Academy for Entrepreneurial Studies, in Lagos on Tuesday.
“The absence of transformational leadership is responsible for failure of governments in Nigeria and other countries. We need the right type of leaders. We need the right type of leaders in Nigeria,” the President said.
Jonathan, who said transformational leadership was a key factor in promoting socio-economic and national development, added that his administration was deeply committed to transforming the economy of the country.
“We need to produce more entrepreneurs who will not want to generate wealth but create employment for the people,” he said.
Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, said the country desired good governance to make the unity of the country a reality.
Abubakar urged leaders to take the issue of youths’ empowerment seriously, saying it was only through that they would shun social vices.
He said, “The youth should be engaged in such a way that they will be involved in issues that are germane and which will promote national development. Therefore, youths’ empowerment is very important in the nation’s drive for sustainable development.”
President of Liberia, Dr. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, represented by Liberian Ambassador to Nigeria, Prof. Al-Hassan Conteh, urged African leaders tointegrate entrepreneurship into the national youth service.
She saluted the courage of Nigeria in restoring democracy in Liberia, saying, “The peace we are enjoying today in Liberia is because of Nigeria’s role.”
“Leaders should let their people know that government is not abstract. They should sensitise them to their policies.”
Former Head of State, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, represented by former Minister of Works, Hassan Lawal, said the major problem of Nigeria was leadership failure.
He said the fight for good governance was a collective responsibility, stressing that the right leadership would not emerge without good governance.
No comments:
Post a Comment