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From George Onyejiuwa, Owerri
A lecturer in the Department of Religious and Human Relations, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Prof Oliver C Uche has blamed Nigeria’s underdevelopment since her independence on corrupt political leaders who took power by force or through the rigging of elections.
He stated this at the weekend as a guest lecturer at the matriculation of the students of Leadership Education Mission for Africa (LEMA) Seminary held in Orodo, Mbaitoli Council of Imo state.
In a paper titled, Leadership in Community Development: The Role of Theological Education, Prof Uche noted that there had been absence of good governance, which has made meaningful development almost impossible.
His words: “If people see their political leader as little more than robbers of the state, what prevents them from developing the same instinct in their lives? The burden of translating dreams to true progress and independence to reality lies on the Nigerian leaders.
“Nigerian government has been controlled by leaders who have taken power by force or through the rigging of elections and governed illegally and lorded it over her citizens. Whereas, the proper or legal government should be those to which the consent of the governed has been freely given, usually through free and fair elections. These elected leaders are to take into account the economic, political, social, and religious needs of the people as well as their customs and traditions.”
According to him, theological education gives more purposeful leadership to community development as it means the systematic and expository study of the word of God, the word about God, and the word from God.
