Kolade urges Nigerians to be role models

THE former Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom (UK), Dr. Christopher Kolade, has called on every Nigerian to see himself or herself as an agent of change that will save the nation from quagmire. 

  In his remarks at the Seventh Founder’s Day Yearly Lecture & Awards Ceremony organised by the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN) which took place at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs (NIIA), Victoria Island, Lagos, where the Society gave Bible Awards to Kolade, Presiding Steward, Soul Winning Chapel, Lagos, Rev. Moses Iloh and Director-General, NIIA, Prof. Bola Akinterinwa, the octogenarian said that no matter how bad the situation might be in the country today, God who by His foreknowledge knew what the country is passing through at the moment, yet has not caused an average Nigerian to be a citizen of America, Russia, Britain or Bermuda but by providence has sent everyone to Nigeria, it would be well with the nation if all can absorb this fact that we are all agents of change to reform the country.  

  He said that if an average Nigerian would be an agent of change, he should uphold integrity, which should be the true identity of every Nigerian. 

  The Guest Speaker, Vice Chancellor, Joseph Ayo Babalola University, Osun State, Prof. Sola Fajana, who delivered a lecture on “Credible Election: Key to National Economic Growth and Development”, lamented the fact that from 1959 till date, the electoral system has gradually moved from a failing system to a failed system and that without an effective electoral body, true democracy would remain an illusion. 

  “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must be restructured and all its activities reconstituted with the President not having any power over the Chairman of the Commission, rather, the Chairman should be accountable to the National Assembly, while funding should be allocated directly to the Commission instead of waiting for the Executive arm of government to execute projects”, he said. 

  Prof. Akinterinwa urged Nigerians to look critically and objectively the shifting of election dates taking into consideration every other factor and reasons being given in line with the suggestion, adding that President Jonathan meant well for the nation who had decried election with violence.   

  Kolade, who lamented the situation today whereby leaders in the country are busy looking for power and authority which have shifted their focus from the true responsibility God has committed to them to take care of the citizenry by making sure that every Nigerian benefit from the huge resources He has deposited in the country for the betterment of all, said: “Our leaders have inordinate ambition for titles, money and self-aggrandisement as opposed to the responsibility attached to their calling to take care of the people God allows them to oversee and not their families, friends and others bordering on their selfish motives.

  “Our prayer is that God should revisit our leaders in this nation so that they can have a refocus to the responsibilities God has given them.  

  “Most of our leaders today are serving the devil and as long as they continue to serve the devil, it can never be well with Nigeria.

  “Many of our leaders today erroneously believe that if God says anything, they are the ones to interpret it and if He makes any promise for this nation, it can only come to pass if the President, governors, chairmen of political parties, among others, say “yes” and we know that, that is false.  

  “We can only have one President among the large number of the population of about 170 million people and if God gives one person that chance and he turns all the resources of the nation to himself, that would be quite unfortunate.”