Key Points
- Bishop Kukah labels Nigeria’s leadership history as accidental and unprepared.
- Marwa highlights the need for leadership skills to address governance failures.
- Start-Rite School symbolizes the role of education in leadership development.
Bishop Matthew Kukah, the Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, has described Nigeria’s leadership history as a cycle of unpreparedness, labeling President Bola Tinubu, former President Muhammadu Buhari, and their predecessors as products of an “accidental leadership cycle.”
Speaking on Sunday at the commissioning of the new Start-Rite School building and the fourth Amaka Ndoma-Egba Memorial Lecture in Abuja, Kukah reflected on the recurring lack of preparation among Nigeria’s leaders, highlighting how circumstances, rather than strategic planning, have often propelled them to power.
A cycle of unprepared leadership
“If we look at Nigeria’s leadership journey, almost every leader came to power by accident,” Kukah said. He criticized Tinubu’s performance, stating that despite claiming to be prepared for office, he has struggled to deliver.
He traced the cycle through Nigeria’s recent history:
- Buhari disengaged from governance before handing over to Tinubu.
- Jonathan, who never aspired to the presidency, assumed office after Yar’Adua’s death.
- Yar’Adua himself planned to return to academia before becoming president.
- Obasanjo, unexpectedly released from prison, took office after Abacha’s death.
“The missing link in all of this is knowledge and preparation,” Kukah said. He argued that while Nigeria has embraced democratic practices like “one man, one vote,” the system consistently fails to produce competent leaders.
Leadership challenges and accountability
Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (ret.), Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), also addressed the audience, emphasizing the importance of cultivating leadership skills early in life. He attributed many of Nigeria’s governance challenges to poor leadership and accountability.
Marwa revealed a disturbing trend in the drug trade involving visually impaired individuals. “We recently arrested a blind man transporting cannabis from Lagos to Kano. His claims led us to others in the cartel, who were also visually impaired,” Marwa said, underscoring the complexities facing law enforcement.
Education and leadership development
According to a report by Vanguard, Marwa paid tribute to Senator Ndoma-Egba, who organized the lecture in honor of his late wife, Amaka Ndoma-Egba. He commended her vision for founding Start-Rite School, which has grown from seven pupils in 2008 to a leading institution serving over 800 students in Abuja.
“The school’s mission of preparing students for a dynamic world aligns with the urgent need for leadership development,” Marwa said.
The event highlighted the need for Nigeria to focus on leadership training and education as solutions to governance and societal challenges. Both Kukah and Marwa called for a break from the cycle of unprepared leadership and a renewed commitment to accountability and competence.
