According to reports from PUNCH, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Sen. George Akume, and Sen. Gabriel Suswan have blamed Nigeria's problems on a lack of intentional leadership.
They shared this view with other prominent Nigerians at the official launch of three books written by Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher: "Beyond Ethnic Grievance," "The English Language and its Disconnects," and "Leadership: Leading Africa out of Chaos."
Unveiling the books, the chief launcher, Sen. George Akume, enumerated patience, competence, humanity, and the ability to make strategic decisions as qualities of a good leader that are currently missing in Africa's leadership.
The SGF, represented by his Special Assistant Babatunde Bolaji Bennett, called for a review of English as the national lingua franca, with a view to adopting a more united and acceptable official language for the country.
Regarding the communal crisis between the Jukun and Tiv tribes in Benue and Taraba, the SGF said successive state administrations had made efforts to restore peace, but called for a scientific, ecological approach to address the underlying issues.
He suggested that the shrinking of usable land due to climate change could be a contributing factor to the conflicts, and urged the government to involve relevant ministries and agencies to find lasting solutions.
In his remarks, former Benue State Governor Sen. Gabriel Suswan called for a revaluation of Nigeria's value system and leadership style.
He lamented that while Nigeria's peers like Brazil, Venezuela, Indonesia, and South Korea had progressed, Nigeria had been left behind as a third-world country due to the absence of intentional leadership.
The author, Prof. Iyorwuese Hagher, said he was motivated to write the books by the suffering of ordinary and rural Nigerians caused by bad leadership.
He criticized the current form of democracy in Nigeria, arguing that it can be oppressive and that the citizen is treated as a subject rather than a citizen.
He called for a redefinition of how Nigerians live together, and for resisting ethnic and religious racism, noting that Nigeria is unique in having a near-equal number of Christians and Muslims.
Other speakers aligned with the need for a paradigm shift in Nigeria's leadership style to address the nation's challenges and empower its people.