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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Former spokesperson of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Ken Robinson, has called on Nigerian leaders, particularly in the Niger Delta region, to embrace comprehensive governance reforms.
He stressed that sustainable national progress depends on a fundamental change in leadership mindset.
Robinson made the call during the launch of his book, The Zaccheaus Manifesto, in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Monday.
He highlighted the urgent need for leaders to prioritize accountability, transparency and visionary thinking.
Robinson warned that without this attitudinal shift, efforts to drive development and good governance would remain ineffective.
He further encouraged policymakers to adopt innovative strategies that align governance with the socio-economic realities of the region, arguing that reforming leadership culture is critical to achieving lasting national transformation.
Also, he highlighted that Nigeria’s persistent challenges will continue unless leaders abandon self-serving habits and implement policies that prioritize citizens’ welfare and earn public trust.
The former PANDEF spokesman also revealed plans to take the principles of The Zaccheaus Manifesto to the grassroots, partnering with schools in the Niger Delta to instill attitudinal change from primary through secondary education, with the aim of nurturing a new generation of transformational leaders.
He said: ”If we change our ways, this country that looks as if things are not working, will work. Government has to change its ways for things to work. The book is about leadership, it’s about transformation and that until the citizens of a country change their ways and their actions, the country will remain the same.
”The book is a tool for young people, it’s a tool for leaders of our country and leaders in various sectors to accept the fact that to lead well, you need to change how you do things.
”We’ll be organising book banquet in collaboration with schools and the ministries of education and the various education boards beginning with the Niger Delta states. It’s a movement that we want to drive and we have called it the Zaccheaus Movement to engender personal change, ” he added.
In his keynote address, Chief Onyeche Promise Obinna, a traditional ruler of Ulakwo Kingdom in Etche Local Government Area, Rivers State, highlighted the importance of leaders, particularly those from the Niger Delta, making amends and living in harmony with nature.
He criticized regional leaders for depriving the Niger Delta of its fair share of resource-derived benefits, describing such actions as a violation against the natural order.
”As natural beings, when you take what doesn’t belong to you, you owe nature and that’s why some of our past leaders die mysteriously. So, the best thing to do when you owe nature is to pay back nature.
”As Niger Deltans, we have been dealt with by our own people, forming alliance with foreign bodies to distort what belongs to us and to shortchange us in terms of derivatives, so the best thing for them is to institute,” he said.
The monarch urged leaders of the Niger Delta to follow the example of Zaccheaus by not only making restitution, but returning four times the value of what they had misappropriated. He also demanded that the region’s leaders issue a public apology.
He stressed that the Niger Delta has the potential to drive its own development but held leaders responsible for squandering its resources.
“Our leaders in the Niger Delta must not only repay what they have taken but multiply it fourfold, and they should make a public apology.
“They need to summon the courage to establish foundations that promote regional development, skill acquisition, and capacity building,” the monarch stated.
The book reviewer and former Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University (RSU), Professor Barineme Fakae, explained that the book explores the intersection of Christian ethics, socio-economic justice, and public life, drawing inspiration from the biblical story of Zaccheaus.
He noted that the book poses a challenge to contemporary Christian communities, particularly in a society beset by corruption, inequality, and moral decline.
Fakae urged leaders to adopt restitution, accountability, and social responsibility rooted in transformative and ethical principles.
