Righteous leadership summit ends in Owerri
By Chidiebere Iwuoha
A one-day Righteous Leadership
Summit organized by Righteous Leadership Ministries International, the
federal government partners on anti-corruption crusade in Nigeria was
recently held at the May Fair Hotel along
Egbu Road, Owerri.
In attendance were the life patron, Dr. Gbolade Osinowo, Senior Special
Assistant (Political matters) to president Obasanjo; National Adviser,
His Lordship Bishop John Praise Daniel, president of Dominion Chapel
International Churches, Abuja and president of International Leadership
Conference of Ministers (ILCOM) with World Headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria;
Spiritual Father, His Lordship, Bishop I.N. Erimujor, presiding Bishop
of Healing the Nations Ministries International (Liberty Cathedral,
Owerri, Imo State) and Founder / President, Rev. Andrew Yanga, a spiritually
powered specialist in the art of helping people to solve their problems
and helping righteous leaders to get into positions of authority to
lead people according to the righteous leadership principles of the
Holy Bible. Also in attendance were the Imo State Deputy Governor, Engr.
Ebere Udeagu and Executive Chairman of Mbaitoli LGA, Chief (Dr) Osita
Opara who bagged awards as the Best Deputy Governor in Nigeria and delivered
a lecture titled "The Importance of Righteous Leadership in Governance
and Politics", and Foundation Patron and delivered a lecture on
the "Righteous Leadership Qualities of the Executive Governor of
Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa" , respectively.
President Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Gbolade Osinowo bagged awards as
foundation mentors while Governor Achike Udenwa bagged the award of
Most Peaceful Governor in Nigeria.
In the lecture delivered by Engr. Ebere Udeagu titled "The Importance
of Righteous Leadership in Governance and Politics", he observed
that righteousness is a key to qualification for inheritance. He believes
that righteousness in the absolute sense is a utopia which is not attainable
stricto censo. According to him, one can argue from a secular or syllogistic
point of view that the perception of a leader as being righteous or
unrighteous depends on the leadership circumstances, meaning there is
relativity in righteousness.
He condemned the general perception of leadership in Nigeria as a life
time opportunity to amass wealth at the expense of the led, saying that
it is responsible for the stunted growth of a country blessed with abundant
human and material resources.
In view of the above, Engr. Udeagu wants every Nigerian to support and
contribute to the on going reform programme of the Obasanjo administration.
For him, it is the beginning of a cleansing process capable of turning
around the warped value system which has for long, given this country
an unenviable image in the international community. He observed that
the president has applied savings from oil windfalls and from repatriated
Abacha loot to projects that will turn around the economy. He also remembered
that when the Federal Housing Authority sold some federal government
houses in Lagos, the president condemned it because due process was
not observed. This made him order for a reversal of the sales irrespective
of the fact that some very close relatives of his were beneficiaries.
"This is transparency, this is strict adherence to regulations,
and this is righteousness in leadership". He advised that in 2007
people should not allow those who have shoddy background to buy their
conscience with their ill gotten wealth to avoid enthroning unrighteousness.
Engr. Udeagu also commended Governor Achike Udenwa who has within a
period of six years redrawn the economic, social and political map of
the state, saying that his governorship footprints in the state are
indelible. For him, his developmental imprints, his political sagacity,
his unrivaled rapport with the labour force, his transparency, his humaneness
and care for the down trodden, as well as his peaceful disposition which
has made unprecedented development possible in the state, are all trappings
of a righteous leader.
The Imo State Deputy Governor is convinced that the unrighteous nature
of the society will be completely purged when the local communities
stop idolizing well known dubious but money men, the church stop painting
larger-than-life images of ritualists, because they pay heavy tithes,
and the society stop giving undue recognition to notorious swindlers
and other questionable characters just because they flaunt ill-acquired
wealth.
In his own lecture on "The Righteous Leadership Qualities of the
Executive Governor of Imo State, Chief Achike Udenwa", the Executive
Chairman of Mbaitoli LGA, Chief (Dr.) Osita Opara collaborated with
a well known writer, Henry Clay, by defining "government as a trust
and officers of government as trustees" and that "both the
trust and the trustees are created for the benefit of the people".
He remembered that when Governor Udenwa came on board in 1999, he saw
it as a vision to redeem Imo State, hence his redemption agenda. "He
had a vision of a new Imo rechanneled towards that path of recovery,
progress and economic prosperity. Being focused, he was on a mission
to ensure social justice, rehabilitation of neglected, moribund and
dilapidated infrastructure; provision of basic amenities, reduction
of unemployment by creating job opportunities through the reactivation
of ailing industries and the encouragement of private sector investment
and participation in the state's economy".
The Executive Chairman informs that with the governor's Tripod Vision
of Agriculture, Industrialization and Re-orientation, he tackled the
state problems head-on. "As a visionary leader, he mustered enough
courage to confront the daunting task of re-engineering the socio-economy
of the state. They were big challenges. Within a space of four months,
dividends of democracy began to be felt in the state. All arrears of
salary and entitlements of Imo workers in various government departments
were tackled and cleared, road rehabilitation started in earnest".
Chief Opara is convinced that at the Mbaitoli Local Government Area,
he has followed the footsteps of Governor Udenwa, his master to effect
the life-style of his people.
The chairman who doubles as Secretary of ALGON in Imo State seized the
opportunity afforded by the lecture to pay glowing tribute to president
Obasanjo on his on going reforms, which are sweeping through the land
in the economic, political and socio-cultural areas of the lives of
the people. This he said, is manifest in the wild spread scheming going
on by a cross section of stake holders to get him to continue in office
after the statutory two terms. He therefore states categorically that
Mr. President can stay in office beyond 2007, though that has to be
achieved constitutionally and democratically. "The current amendment
of the constitution and the election of 2007 shall give us the opportunity
to achieve that. Once these hurdles are scaled, Mr. President can stay
in office and continue the good works that he is doing", he concludes.
