Nigerian Founder of Commonwealth University in Cotonou, Republic of Benin, David Iornem, has urged the new presidency, led by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and state governments and Nigerian leaders across the country to offer purposeful and people-driven leadership to place the nation’s economy among the top 20 performing economy of the world.
Iornem, who has called to question the leadership of Nigeria in the thrive for the country to be in the top 20 economies of the world.
He said: ‘‘We, as a people, need to tell ourselves the home truth. Corruption is the bane of Nigeria and without conquering this disease the country can never be a top 20 country.’’
He spoke at the presentation of Honorary Doctorate awards to some prominent Nigerians during the award ceremony in Lagos, yesterday. He called on the awardees to continue to shine in their different endeavours of public services. Iornem said they were honoured as the light of their various careers.
The university, which got its operating licence in the Republic of Benin in 2014, is the first private Nigerian owned university to buy a land and build its own permanent campus in the country.
Iornem called on the goodwill of the awardees to contribute to the further development of the institution.
Some of the awardees on the occasion include Hilton Idahosa, innovation investor based in the United Kingdom; Solomon Balogun, a UK-based solicitor, Augustine Okoli of Delta State University, Abraka; Victor Kalagbor of River State University, Port Harcourt and Ekundayo Ibeun, a telecom expect based in Lagos.