ARMSTRONG ALLAHMAGANI, Bauchi –
A former Chaplain of the Chapel of Victory, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Dr. Emmanuel Ndububa, has urged Nigerians to elect leaders in the forthcoming general elections based on their character, pedigree and vision they have and their past track-records.
Dr. Ndububs, who stated this in an interview shortly after delivering a message during the ordination of a Pastor, Dr. Kalu Joseph, and the inauguration of the Council of the Chapel of Victory, ATBU, Bauchi, said the president situation in Nigeria needs a leader with great capacity.
“Nigerians should be more concerned about electing people who have character, pedigree and vision. When I see some Nigerians making emphasis based on tribe and other sentiments, I feel upset. What we are in now in Nigeria requires people with capacity, people who can do the thing (governance) because it is doable. When you look at other countries, you see leaders who are delivering”.
“The people should be those who have done something before we can make reference to at the Presidency, at the states, National Assembly and all elective offices. Look at the history and see people who have been marginalized and give them a chance, people must be seen to be carried along and that is very important,” he advised.
Ndububa, who is currently a lecturer in the University of Abuja, also charged Nigerians to elect a President that would include everyone in governance and not one that would be narrow-minded based on religion and ethnicity.
He that: “Anybody who seeks to be President of Nigeria now, must seek to carry everybody along, he must not be narrow-minded based on ethnicity or religion. Once you exclude some people, they won’t care. It’s like, carry you burden alone and they will leave you alone. But nation building requires all hands to be on deck, I think that is the mistake many leaders in Nigeria are making.
“If I am to be the President of Nigeria today, my first duty would be to see how I can unite Nigerians, give all of them a sense of belonging so that when I say ‘let’s go this way,’ they’ll believe it and go with me. If you don’t start with that, forget about every other thing. You must carry everybody along, because nation building is not just the duty of one man or two people. That you are leading does not mean the other people are not important, and to lead the rest, you must give them a sense of belonging.
“There are a lot of people who do not seem to have a sense of belonging in Nigeria now and it is not only on ethnic basis, gender basis, the youths. The youths for example in Nigeria today, are disillusioned, they feel they are not wanted. Once any President does these things and he has a programme and a vision, people will follow.
“If you look at what is happening in other countries, you don’t even have to start discovering anything new to do, its just straightforward. That’s why we are baffled at where we are at the moment.”
He appealed to politicians that not to sponsor thugs to cause violence and unrest just because they want to win elections, appealing that: “please, let them allow Nigeria to be. The average Nigerian wants peace, he want is to work, earn a living and see progress in their life, they should just give us peace.”
He called on Nigerians to support the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct free, fair and credible elections.
According to him, “If our elections have credibility, if there is integrity in our electoral system, the next thing is to appeal to Nigerians not to give these rabble-rousers a chance to be in government again. But it’s difficult to appeal to them if they are not sure that the system will work, if they know that somehow, these people will rig themselves in, they won’t care.
“So, the issue of our elections having integrity is germane. Once Nigerians see that it is working, they will troop out to go and vote and choose those leaders they want and we’re so tired that we are no longer looking at whether you’re my brother or not, but anybody that can do the work.”
He charged the newly ordained Pastor and the newly inaugurated Council members to live above board and teach their followers the Word of God with any fear.
“One of the most important functions of spiritual leadership is to teach the people of God the Word of God, and before you can do that, you yourself must have developed a firm and deep relationship with God himself. If you will communicate the word of God, you must be acquainted with that word,” he admonished.
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