Omo-Agege, Afenifere Exchange Words Over Bad Leadership In Nigeria

The Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege and the spokesperson for Afenifere, Yinka Odunmakin, on Friday exchanged words over the view that leaders or followers are responsible for bad leadership in Nigeria.

The Senator representing Delta State Central senatorial district had blamed the followers, Odumakin, however, disagreed with him saying, “when a fish begins to rot, it starts from the head and not the tail.”

The duo stated this at the 10th annual independence lecture in Abuja organised by a political movement, The Change We Need (Nigeria), with the theme, ‘Social contract and leadership in Nigeria: Experience and Prospects.’

The event was organised by the General Overseer, Charismatic Renewal Ministries and chairman, African Centre for Leadership, Dr Cosmos Ilechukwu.

The Deputy Senate President who was represented by his Chief of Staff, Otive Ighuzor, said that to deliver good governance in the country, there is a need for total loyalty and acceptability of the authority.

He said, “When people vote, they express the type of government they want and deserve. When we vote right, good leaders naturally emerge. On the contrary, when they accept inducements, offer themselves as thugs to snatch ballot papers and create terror during elections, bad leaders become the trophy.”

Odumakin, on his own side, said followers would naturally obey the law when they see their leaders doing the same.

He said, “It is the kind of leadership that we have that produces the kind of followers that we have in Nigeria. In a situation where the people do not matter; and you have pauperised them, they are not empowered to act or change government.”