Obasanjo, Ohuabunwa lament leadership deficit in Nigeria

Ahead of the 2023 polls, former President Olusegun Obasanjo has identified leadership deficit as part of the challenges militating against the country’s progress.

While inaugurating the Guardian of the Nation International (GOTNI) Leadership Centre in Abuja, he said the problem could be addressed if the coming generation of Nigerians were schooled in the art of leadership.

Reminiscing his experience with various heads of government parastatals while in the saddle as military head of state, the Ota farmer urged concerted efforts by stakeholders to develop the leadership potential of the future generation of Nigerians.

Obasanjo, who expressed readiness to partner with GOTNI to achieve the goal, identified the home, school, religious centres and communities as veritable grounds to mould future Nigerian leaders.

He decried the plight of the 15 million out-of-school children in the country, adding that the development would further complicate the move to address the leadership deficit in the country.

Ohuabunwa, who is a member of faculty of GOTNI and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential aspirant, described Obasanjo as a leadership model for the future generation of Nigerian leaders.

Promising to reposition the country if he actualises his bid for the presidency, he blamed poor leadership for the country’s backwardness.

He noted: “Nigeria, as a country, has not done well in leadership. Our leadership stock is very vague. We have not had consistent, enlightened, visionary and courageous leadership with integrity that would take our country from the third world situation, from a stagnated poverty-ridden nation, to a nation competitive to first world nations like Singapore, Korea and Japan.

“So, we are aspiring, in the new dispensation, to make sure we emerge among the best globally. There is nothing better for Nigeria, except the top.”

GOTNI founder, Dr. Linus Okorie, who aspired for the governorship of Imo State in 2019, underlined the need for a transformative leadership that could galvanise the support of Nigerians for growth.