The issues of true leadership, its purpose, benefits and its potential as tools for individual empowerment and national development recently took the front burner during the 45th anniversary of the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Alumni Association (HHHAA) of Nigeria.
The annual event which held in Lagos came under the theme, ‘Understanding the concept and purpose of leadership.’ It had in attendance professionals from different fields and secondary school students.
Speaking at the event, president Hubert Humphrey Fellowship Alumni Association (HHHAA) of Nigeria, Bosede Oyeleye described leadership as a crucial matter, adding that the existence of Nigeria as a nation in the nearest future depends on what the leaders of today are doing.
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Explaining further she said: “Leadership is worth it. Leadership is powerful, it gives direction to a people; transformational leadership is possible if the leader is genuinely interested in touching lives.”
Describing the youths as future leaders, she stressed the need for older people to ensure they correct unruly youths whenever they come across them.
“Let us be interested in our younger generation. The first time I saw a person in rag jeans, I told myself they are doing rag days, next day I saw them again, I told myself rag days in our time used to be once in a while, what is going on? Until I realised that dressing in rags is now like making fashion statement. If the youths of today for example are said to have no manners, think of how you had opportunities to correct young people around you, but did not.
“Transformational leadership and empowerment starts with every one of us, please don’t look at Aso Rock alone.”
On the theme of the anniversary, Oyeleye affirmed that it aimed to set agenda for what political leadership is really about and how that can be used to pull people out of poverty .
Other aims she said include, elevating consciousness around the importance of sincerity of purpose and effective leadership, encourage active citizenship amongst the people and inspire them to engage the leadership through continuous constructive and non-violent dialogue; and help the younger generation understand true meaning of leadership and challenge them to approach it from the perspective of a tool for solving problems.
Given a brief background of Hubert Humphrey Fellowship, she said it is a Full Bright exchange programme established by the United States Congress in 1978 in honour of the late Senator and the 38th vice president, Hubert Horatio Humphrey.
Considering what Nigeria can do to succeed as a nation, one of the discussants, Itua Olajide Ighodalo stressed the need for Nigerians to be informed about what is happening in the country and who a bad leader is.
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In addition, Ighodalo who is a minister of the gospel as well as the chairman and founder of the African Leadership Group, opined that when Nigerians are informed about the happenings in the country, they will take critical resolution that will make Nigeria the best country in the world.
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