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By Chukwudi Nweje
Former Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Chief Emeka Anyaoku and elder statesman, Chief Ayo Adebanjo have tasked Nigerian leaders and followers alike to strive to imbibe the virtues of people-oriented services, which the late former premier of Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, demonstrated throughout his lifetime.
“Awolowo was aptly described by one of our great patriots as ‘the best president Nigeria never had.’ Chief Awolowo was an example of people-centred policies, nationalist, patriotism, and discipline.
L-R: Member, Technical Committee, Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, Sat Obiyan; member, Governing Council, Layi Ogunbanbi; Executive Director, Tokunbo Awolowo-Dosumu; Chairman, Selection Committee, Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership, Emeka Anyaoku, member, Selection Committee, Ayo Adebanjo; member, Technical Committee, Oyebanji Oyelaran-Oyeyinka and member, Technical Committee, Dele Seteolu, during a press conference to unveil the recipient of the 2023 edition of the Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership in Lagos, yesterday. Photo: Temitope Aina
“Everywhere in the world, followers tend to react to the leadership. If the leadership they have served their interest, you will find that followers respond positively to the leadership. So I would say that the most important advice to the followers is to be careful in the choice of people they vote into power. Followers in Nigeria should vote for people they believe will serve their interest, rather than people who will continue with business as usual, which is pursued for self aggrandizement rnd neglect of public interest.”
On his part, Adebanjo noted that the present crop of leaders and followers compliment each other.
“The current crop of followers are not the kind of followers Awolowo had at his time. Many of the young generation are part of the problem in the country today; they grew up after the military coup and they don’t know what Chief Awolowo was, his programmes and how he implemented them or the quality of people he had as lieutenants.
“Today, a wrong leader brings himself into office, and the moment he appoints you as P.A (personal assistant) you become his supporter, you don’t talk about ideology again. The young generation has a challenge. We don’t have the likes of Awolowo anymore, that is the problem. How can we be talking about anti-corruption when the person preaching anti-corruption is corruption personified. My appeal to youths is to do the right things. Today, half of the APC is PDP and half of the PDP is APC, so where is the ideology? I beg you to have a change, the future is in your hands.”
Anyaoku and Adebanjo spoke at a press conference in Lagos, addressed by the Obafemi Awolowo Foundation, where President of the African Development Bank, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, was unveiled as the recipient of the 2023 Obafemi Awolowo Prize in Leadership.
The prize would be formally conferred on March 6, 2024 during the 115th birthday anniversary of Chief Awolowo.
The Leadership Prize set up in April 1992, is based on one of the major recommendations of the Awolowo Foundation’s Special Dialogue themed, ‘Transformational Leadership and Good Governance: Lessons from the Awolowo Example’. It is instituted in the name of Chief Obafemi Awolowe to reward leadership and good governance.
Anyaoku said Adesina was unanimously selected after a careful, detailed and rigorous screening process, the Selection Committee headed by Adebanjo.
“I have great pleasure to inform you that the considered view of the Selection Committee is that of all the nominees presented before it, the person adjudged to possess the attributes for the award to the highest degree and therefore is the recipient of the 2023 Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership is Dr. Akinwunmi Ayodeji Adesina, President of the African Development Bank (AfDB).
Speaking further on the qualities that led to Adesina’s choice as recipient of the Leadership Award, Anyaoku quoted former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan in whose cabinet Adesina served to say, ‘Dr. Adesina epitomises and combines qualities of extraordinary leadership that are often rare to find: great visionary, incredible courage, ability to take on huge and difficult challenges, extraordinary dedication and commitment, selflessness, people-centeredness, and fervour to deliver transformative programs and policies that transform the lives of millions of people.’
He also quoted Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, former Secretary General of the United Nations to say that “Dr. Adesina is forged in the same mould as Chief Obafemi Awolowo– a shining example of leadership.”
Anyaoku noted that the Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership is a prestigious, biennial, international prize structured to follow a rigorous process of nomination and subsequent screening by a Selection Committee consisting of some of the most outstanding Nigerians. He said ‘the prize not only confers considerable honour and recognition on the recipient, but also serves as a strong incentive to other persons to pursue excellence in leadership and good governance.”
