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The Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese Bishop Matthew Kukah insists President Bola Tinubu, his immediate predecessor Muhammadu Buhari, and other past leaders found themselves in power by accident.
Kukah, who spoke at the inauguration of Start-Rite School’s new building and the 4th Amaka Ndoma-Egba Memorial Lecture in Abuja yesterday, bemoaned the “accidental leadership cycle” that has robbed the country of greatness.
He lamented that knowledge is the key element missing in Nigerian leadership. He said the actions and activities of past presidents or Heads of State had shown that none of them were fully prepared before assumption of office.
The cleric said: “If we are to start from the beginning, you will find that almost every leader who came to power in Nigeria did so due to one accident or another.
“President Tinubu, who said he was prepared for the role, is struggling. We are still trying to get off the ground. He took over from Buhari, who had already given up.
“Buhari succeeded Jonathan, who thought he would retire after being deputy governor, but circumstances thrust him into power.
“Jonathan succeeded Yar’Adua, who had planned to return to teaching at Ahmadu Bello University after his governorship. “Yar’Adua, in turn, succeeded Obasanjo, who was unexpectedly released from prison to become president.
“Obasanjo took over after Abacha, who was being positioned by five political parties to rule indefinitely until nature intervened.
“Abacha succeeded Shonekan, who was a business executive at UAC before being called to serve as Head of State. “We can go on and on, but the fundamental issue in governance is knowledge.
“Leaders need a deep understanding of their environment.” Kukah stressed that while the world has changed, the expectations of leadership have not.
Also speaking at the event, the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) Chairman, Buba Marwa, stressed the importance of instilling leadership qualities at an early age.
He attributed the country’s struggles with various societal vices to failures in leadership and accountability. The ex-military chief also raised concerns about a growing syndicate of visually impaired individuals involved in the illicit drug trade in Nigeria.
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