Nigeria needs leaders with impeccable character, not selfish people – NIPR

With the current realities in Nigeria, stakeholders in public relations have said that the country urgently needs leaders with impeccable character, not selfish individuals.

The Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Joseph Johnson, accused the legislature and judiciary of tarnishing the nation’s reputation by making laws and delivering judgments solely to please their paymasters, disregarding the welfare of the general public.

The commissioner made this statement on Sunday at the 2024 Annual Meeting and O.B. Fubara Memorial Gold Paper Lecture of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).

According to Johnson, Nigerians are losing trust in their leaders due to a lack of character and integrity. However, he said that the government and public office holders can restore this trust through good character, thereby regaining national reputation.

Delivering a lecture on the theme “Rebuilding National Reputation through Business Integrity and Public Trust,” Johnson said that building a national reputation requires a total commitment to value reorientation.

He described the theme as timely, stating that it comes when both Rivers State and Nigeria are in dire need of economic development and public reputation.

He said, “Leaders in all strata of society must openly possess essential qualities of integrity, reputation, and trustworthiness in all activities. Building true reputation requires consistency, public trust, and credibility.”

Also speaking, the member representing Rivers State at the NIPR Governing Council, Paulinus Nsirim, urged citizens to create a future they would be proud to live in.

“Creating that future means every Nigerian, no matter where you find yourself, must play a critical role in building the nation’s reputation, and one way to do this is through constructive criticism,” he said.

Earlier, the Traditional Ruler of Upata Kingdom and Fellow of the NIPR, His Majesty Eze Felix Otuwarikpo, stated that the NIPR and the public have a responsibility to build the reputation of Rivers State.

He lamented that many companies operating in the state have relocated to Lagos due to negative news.

“We need to rethink the need to rebuild the reputation of this state and the nation. If Rivers State has a reputation, it reflects on Nigeria. You can’t get it right at the national level if something is wrong in any state,” he said.

The monarch appealed to security agencies, politicians, and community leaders to address issues of cultism and other social vices that have harmed the state’s reputation.