Political Scientist and Chairman, United Nigeria Airlines, Prof Obiora Okonkwo, OFR, has insisted that Nigeria, especially the South East Region, needs people with effective leadership skills to move to the next level in terms of development.
During the lecture delivered at the Michael Okpara Centenary lectures, Professor Obiora Okonkwo, while speaking on the topic “Quest for a New Nigeria”, said, “Sadly, today, most of our political leaders are obsessed with power and less concerned with acquiring the skills needed for effective leadership. I do not necessarily mean formal education, as American writer and polemicist, Mark Twain, reminds us not to let school get in the way of education”.
“However, it must be made clear that effective public governance requires a basic skill-set that those aspiring to public office must acquaint themselves with.”
“To return Igboland to the progressive development template initiated by the Michael Okpara administration, we must make a conscious effort to change our leadership selection process. We need to ensure that only those with the right character, capacity, and an eye on developing legacies for society instead of personal enhancement and wealth are entrusted with public office.”