Impactful leadership, patriotic followership germane to Nigeria’s development – Yusuf Ali

A renowned legal luminary, Professor Yusuf Ali SAN, has said that impactful leadership and patriotic followership are germane to drive development and tackle all challenges dwarfing measures to revamp the nation.

He also lamented alleged stunted growth plaguing Nigeria since independence, saying only impactful leaders and citizens with strong and virtuous characters can engender socioeconomic progress needed for nation building.

Speaking on the sideline of the inauguration of the remodelled Ifetedo Central Mosque, Ali contended that “we need impactful leadership and followers that are honest and patriotic. It’s two sides of the coin. You can’t be blaming the leaders because the followers are as bad, if not worse than the leaders in this country. For me, we have to be holistic and must all play our roles, discharge our duties by doing all that are necessary to have the kind of level of development that we need as a nation.

He stated: “Nigeria has a stunted growth in all parameters in the measurement of the growth of a country. We are stunted because by now we should be running, but we are hardly crawling. All the indices of progress we don’t need to reinvent the wheel. Other countries such as the so-called Asian Tigers and advanced countries don’t reinvent. You can borrow and buy technologies and as long as you are able to have it you’re making progress.

Ali, who funded the remodeling of the inaugurated mosque, also backed the call for a six year single tenure at the presidential level, expressing optimism that its adoption will checkmate intense struggle for self succession and hitting up the nation’s polity.

According to him, “if Nigerians don’t change their attitude nothing can take us to the eldorado and we must first of all agree on that. I have always been an advocate that a six year single tenure is good for our system. It will stop the incessant fight for self succession by the office holder to return to power after four years tenure. You will know that once you spend your six years you’re out of the place and there will be peace.

“However if the six years single tenure throws up inept leadership there is provision in the constitution for impeachment. Whether you abuse it or use it wisely is a different thing. The system is self cleansing but unfortunately we have character issues. Most of us don’t have character and you need good character for a system to work well, “Ali remarked.

In his address, the chairman, planning committee of the inauguration, Professor Rashid Aderinoye urged the gathering to emulate Ali’s good gesture by giving back to the society in line with Allah’s injunction.

Dignitaries at event include Olubosin of Ifetedo, Oba Akinola Akinrera, the Registrar of Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, Professor Kamil Koyejo Oloso, Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Dawud Makanjuola Akinola, Asiwaju Musulumi of Yorubaland, Alhaji Khamis Tunde Badmus, president of the Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), Alhaji Rasaki Oladejo, Professor Muiz Opeloye, among others.