Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, on Tuesday
in Abuja said Nigeria’s real problem was lack of leadership and not
corruption as widely claimed.
Dogara said this at a conference tagged, The Convergence 2.0:
Leadership, Power and Politics for Democracy Renewal,” touted as
“Nigeria’s largest gathering of elected young representatives,”
organised by the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Movement.
Dogara said Nigeria was plagued by a lot of challenges, ranging
from being ranked as the third most dangerous country of the world
to terrorism, banditry, unemployment, and dearth of healthcare
facilities, among others.
According to him, it is a clarion call of nation-building for
the youths elected into parliament in the just-concluded elections
to use their strength and population to fortify the nation.
“Nigeria’s real disease is lack of leadership; I disagree with
all those who say our major national disease is financial
corruption; rather, the real disease has been the absence of true
leadership.
“This in turn breeds moral corruption and wickedness.
“Get a true leader that solves moral corruption and wickedness;
when that happens, you will search for financial corruption to no
avail.
“Unfortunately, the leadership model we have practised so far is
the kind of leadership that produces sycophants who are expected to
serve their political godfathers and not the people.
“Our so-called leaders have mastered the art of political
witchcraft so much so that if you are independent minded, you are
automatically disqualified.
“If for any reason you are picked, then you have to surrender
your soul for them to eat in small bites until you become their
worshiper,’’ Dogara said.
He said that in the midst of “this pandemic sycophancy, the
so-called godfathers expect the children to fit in and not to stand
up to be counted or make a difference.’’
“For you, trailblazers who carry the burden and the promises of
a generation that must not fail, if you are ever going to get
there, it must be on the wings of discipline that produces
character.
“This is because without character, you cannot be men and women
of influence and without influence, you cannot change anything.
Character means that you cannot be separated from your word — a
quality no godfather in history has ever possessed.”
He urged them to practice an all-inclusive politics because
politics means reaching out to all and not to lose sight of the
long-term goal of representing their people, state and country.
Earlier, Ms Cynthia Mbamalu, one of the conveners of the
Not-Young-To-Run Movement, said that after Not-Young-To-Run Bill
became law, youths vied for elective positions en masse.
“Today, out of the 991 seats in the state houses of Assembly,
over 200 will be occupied by young elected lawmakers.
“This is our democracy taking shape, because we cannot talk
about democracy without inclusion; this is progress made for youth,
for Nigeria, and this is hope which we hold on to.’’
Mbamalu, however, decried the dearth of females in elected
positions and urged the young parliamentarians to change the
narrative with legislation to empower women.
(NAN)
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DHQ Denies Report of Premature Retirement of
Christian-Military Officers
The Defence Headquarters has noted with dismay a mischievous and
systematic campaign of calumny against the government through
spurious and unfounded allegations of lopsided recruitment,
postings, appointments and retirements of military personnel by the
Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN).
Specifically, by an obscure online blog owned by one Sola Kuti
which he christened “SK Blog.” The blogger without recourse to any
effort of finding out the truth, accused the Nigerian Army of
systematic retirement of over 200 officers from particular
geo-political zone and religious group in the first quarter 2019
and secret recruitment into the services, without giving further
details. Ordinarily, one should not bother about it because it is
not true and born out of the figment of the writer’s imagination.
However, it is imperative to correct the erroneous impression being
created in the mind of some members of the public.
Therefore, it is important to reiterate that postings,
appointments and retirements in the military are routine activities
and common public knowledge. Every officer, soldier, rating, airman
or woman on commission or enlistment into the Services look forward
to an exciting, adventurous and rewarding career in the Armed
Forces and most importantly knows exactly when he or she is due to
retire. Officers, soldiers, ratings, airmen and women are not only
conscious of this but look forward to it. Personnel often retire
based on age on rank or length of Service. In the event of
approaching retirement, the affected person or persons are given
adequate notice and also prepared for life after Service through
training programmes at either the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, or
Nigerian Armed Forces Resettlement Centre, Oshodi. Therefore, it is
irresponsible for anyone to allege that such exercises were
targeted at a particular ethnic group or religion.
Similarly, recruitment and enlistment into the Armed Forces of
Nigeria have always been made known to the public and follows
transparent and well known procedures that are in line with best
practices. We expected the writer to make effort of finding out the
truth before misleading unsuspecting members of the public through
such publication. He should have taken advantage of the various
public affairs departments of the Services to enquire about such
issues. Although we are not mindful of the fact that such write-ups
are sponsored by some obviously unpatriotic and ignorant elements,
it is instructive to state that the Armed Forces of Nigeria remain
the cohesive and bastion of national unity and no amount of
campaign of calumny would change that. Such things are alien and
blasphemous in the military.
More also, the allegation of “unease and disquiet in the
military formation” is not only untrue, but sheer mischief.
The public is implored to please disregard such insinuations as
there are proper career plan and progression in the military,
therefore, there is such thing like premature retirement or
deliberate attempt to cleanse a particular ethnic or religious
group in any of the Services.
ONYEMA NWACHUKWU
Colonel
Acting Director Defence Information