Politics
ABDULFATAH Adeyemi, a transformational coach and motivational speaker, has advised members of Topaz and Abuja city Toastmasters’ Club to aspire always to be responsible leaders in their chosen fields.
He gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sideline of the club’s commemorative meeting held in honour of Sonye Allanah, who recently clocked 60 years.
Adeyemi, who was the keynote speaker on the occasion differentiated between holding a position and serving the people as their leader.
‘’There’s a difference between holding a position and actually being a leader, we have to be conscious as leaders and understand that we carry the burden of the future of a people in our hearts.
‘’It is my advice that we should be responsible leaders in whatever capacity we find ourselves. The advice I normally give to people is that this country, Nigeria we actually borrowed it from our children and we did not just inherit it from our ancestors.
‘’So we have to be responsible leaders, and that’s what I want us to work on as individuals and as groups in whichever society or whatever condition we find ourselves.’’
Also, Nnenna Elendu Ukeje, former member of House of Reps told NAN that the job of a leader is to raise hope, saying that quality of leadership is dependent on the quality of followership.
“I believe that in the context of today’s meeting that Nigeria is constantly searching for leadership, and you know one of the questions that jumped out at me was from a young man who asked `where are we? Do we have leaders?’
“And you know the job of a leader is to sell hope. The job of a leader is to ensure that just maybe that question is asked. And the fact that that youngman asked the question means that there’s a failure of what it is that we are doing as leaders.
“And in the generality of the questions and conversations that were had, it was also implied that the quality of leadership is dependent on the quality of followership. By so what do I mean?
“That when the leaders step out of line as there’s a general despondency that I felt in the room, that it is the people who have the responsibility to hold the leaders to account because that is what democracy is”, she said.
The former lawmaker, therefore, called on Nigerian leaders to listen more to the voice of the people and that the followers should speak up louder so as to get the desired results of responsible leadership.
Also, Sonye Allanah, a distinguished Toastmaster and celebrator, restated the principles of leadership for which the Toastmasters’ Club is known, including impacting on the lives of young ones and grooming aspiring leaders.
She also encouraged the members of the public to join such clubs so as to imbibe and harness qualities of leadership necessary for our times.
NAN reports that some of the discussants who addressed the issue of leadership were Gen. Martin-Luther Agwai, Mrs Mausi Segun, and Dr Mike Omotosho.
NAN also reports that Toastmasters is a Non-profit educational Oganisation that operates clubs worldwide for the purpose of promoting communication and public speaking and leadership skills. (NAN)
– Nov. 28, 2019 @ 17:39 GMT |
Tags: Adeyemi Ukeje harp on responsible leadership
