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| President Muhammadu Buhari |
Bad leadership has been blamed severally for Nigeria's stunted growth since independence in 1960. But while we acknowledge the root cause of the problems, it seem very unlikely that we could navigate our way out of the woods should we continue to ply the same route.
An APC stalwart Danladi Jok-Alamba, who serves as the Deputy National Welfare Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has expressed similar concerns over Nigeria's inability to get it right for 59 years.
He said the current crop of leaders in the country are way off the mark as they appear more focused on what they stand to get out of the system instead of adding value to the system. He also said while President Muhammadu Buhari may score himself high in terms of performance, only the People's verdict counts at the end of the day.
Danladi stated this during an interview with Daily Sun, and while responding to question on factors he considers as responsible for underdevelopment in the country.
He said, "Bad leadership, real commitment to good leadership, our focus on the masses, our focus on the people of Nigeria has been very poor as far as past leadership are concerned.
"You will find out that the quest for leadership has not necessarily been for service; it has been for aggrandizement, it has been towards mobilizing resources for individuals on a large scale, thereby bringing up the albatross that has been frustrating our development today; that is corruption.
"Corruption has been on the emphasis for a longer time in Nigeria and it is not going way.
"If corruption had been faced headlong as it is being faced now, believe you me, there would have been drastic reduction in corruption and they would have been coming up with the kind of leadership that will be very constructive, that will be very focused, that will be very concerned about the welfare of Nigerians, about the infrastructural progress of Nigeria and that would have got Nigeria to the level of development in the whole world that would have been appreciated."
As for Buhari's performance he said, "Nigeria being who they are, I want to believe that no matter how good a leader you are today in Nigeria, factors like tribal and religious sentiments will always play a key role on how you are rated by the people.
"Until rhe people themselves can be seen to love Buhari to the point that we can say yes, he's doing well, the president cannot be said to have performed well."
