The Emir of Kaura Namoda in Zamfara State, Sanusi Mohammed and Anyim Pius Anyim, former senate president have blamed the rising insecurity in the country and slow pace of development on leadership failure.
Mohammed, who shared the same view with Anyim stated this at the launching and public presentation of a book titled: “Leadership Principles for Junior Commanders in the Military’ written by Chukwu Obasi, a colonel in the Nigerian Army in Abuja.
Mohammed who is a retired major from the Nigerian Army said the security challenges Nigeria was facing lies with poor leadership, insisting if the country has effective leadership from the grassroots it would not have been plunged into the present hardship.
He said: “So when you look at the security challenges we are facing in Nigeria lies with leadership, if we get the leadership right from the grassroots, our problem will not be as at today, everybody is leader and if you are a leader you have to accept you are a leader.
“I don’t want to hear I’m tired, a leader is supposed to face challenges and when you face the challenges you address it.
The followers have no other thing but to pray for you to survive,if you don’t pray for the leadership then you are in trouble.
“I commend the efforts of the military to reduce insecurity in this nation, they are fully committed to see that we sleep with our two eyes closed. I’m happy this book Leadership principles for Junior military commanders is like one of the criteria to solve Nigeria’s problem because I believe Nigeria military are the best leaders in Nigeria”.
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Former Senate President Anyim Pius who chaired the occasion said leadership failure was mainly responsible for the setbacks in the country, and called for rightful leadership recruitment process to check the anomaly.
“I want to believe that the basis for our setback today is on the process of leadership recruitment. When leaders are recruited without proper training, certainly, they would not have any basis to apply certain principles that would make them do their work efficient and dependable.
“The interface between the military and the civil society has become an inescapable narrative and we must build the interface in such a way that we would know the dividing line . There’s a nexus between the administrators of the polity and the defenders of the polity and both must work hand-in-hand and understand their boarder lines in other to deliver services”, he stated.
Faruk Yahaya, chief of Army Staff, who was represented by AO Oyelade, a brigadier general called for the inclusion of the leadership principles highlighted in the book in the curriculum of Corps Headquarters and training institutions.
The Army Chief while calling on Nigerians to share intelligence with the military for security of lives and property said: “We are servants of the people and will continue to serve. But it’s equally important that we understand the dynamics between that interactions. We need you to function just like you need us for the security…is very important that the populace give information.
“By writing this book the senior officer has bequeathed his contribution on leadership to those at the base of the Nigerian military hierarchy triangle. The effective use of the book and its application therefore resides with us the senior commanders who are saddled with the responsibilities of training the junior and upcoming ones”, he stated.
