The Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah, on Sunday, labelled President Bola Tinubu, his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari, and all former Nigerian heads of state as accidental leaders.
Kukah observed that it was clear that none of them were entirely prepared before taking office, particularly in a society where leadership expectations are continually shifting.
The bishop made these statements while delivering the keynote address at the official opening of the new Start-Rite School building and the 4th Amaka Ndoma-Egba Memorial Lecture in Abuja.
Kukah criticised the lack of expertise in Nigerian leadership. Despite the country’s commitment to the democratic concept of ‘one man, one vote,’ the cleric voiced concern that democracy is not functioning properly under consecutive regimes.
Kukah said, “If we are to start from the beginning, you will find that almost every leader who came to power in Nigeria did so as a result of one accident or another. President Tinubu, who said he was prepared for the role, is struggling. We are still trying to get off the ground. He took over from Buhari, who had already given up.
“Buhari succeeded Jonathan, who thought he would retire after being deputy governor, but circumstances thrust him into power. Jonathan succeeded Yar’Adua, who had planned to return to teaching at Ahmadu Bello University after his governorship.
“Yar’Adua, in turn, succeeded Obasanjo, who was unexpectedly released from prison to become president. Obasanjo took over after Abacha, who was being positioned by five political parties to rule indefinitely until nature intervened.
“Abacha succeeded Shonekan, who was a business executive at UAC before being called to serve as Head of State. We can go on and on, but the fundamental issue in governance is knowledge. Leaders need a deep understanding of their environment.”
Kukah emphasised that while the world has changed, the expectations of leadership have not.
Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa, Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, previously emphasised the need to foster leadership characteristics in children. Marwa blamed the country’s issues with different social vices to a lack of leadership and accountability. He expressed alarm about a developing network of visually handicapped individuals engaging in the illegal drug trade in Nigeria.
“As Chairman of the NDLEA, we have encountered many challenges from drug traffickers. Recently, we uncovered an intriguing cartel involving visually impaired individuals.
“We arrested a blind man transporting a large consignment of cannabis from Lagos to Kano. Upon interrogation, he claimed ignorance of the contents, saying he was simply delivering a package.
“When asked who gave him the consignment, he provided a name, which led us to another blind individual in Lagos. That individual revealed a partner, who was also blind. Eventually, we traced the ultimate handler, who turned out to be blind as well,” he explained.
Marwa declined to provide further details about the cartel’s leader, stating, “I won’t tell you the rest of the story.”
In his closing remarks, Marwa thanked Senator Ndoma-Egba, Chairman of the Board of Advisory for Start-Rite School, for arranging the memorial lecture in memory of his late wife, Amaka Ndoma-Egba.
He said, “Amaka Ndoma-Egba was a visionary who founded this school to equip students with the skills needed to thrive in an ever-changing world.”
Start-Rite School, the late Amaka’s 17-year-old endeavour, began in 2008 with a small class of seven children and has since evolved into a leading institution in Abuja with over 800 students in nursery, primary, and secondary levels.
