Nigeria can’t experience transformational leadership with fake federalism – Archbishop Adeleye
From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
Former Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Calabar Archbishop Tunde Adeleye has disclosed that Nigeria is deceiving itself without true federalism.Archbishop Adeleye disclosed this in Calabar during the second anniversary of his Birthday Colloquium which had as theme: Recovering Nigeria Through Transformational Leadership”.
According to him, “Unless we have true federalism, we are deceiving ourselves and nothing will work.
“There is no reason why somebody will stay in Abuja and tell another in Calabar when to go on holiday and how the police should function, the present situation of fake federalism will not work.
“Where one person is governing 250 million people, you cannot do anything and there is no need to deceive ourselves.
“We cannot continue like this and expect transformational leadership, it’s not a problem of young people because some of the people being tried today by the EFCC and others are young people alongside their fathers and forefathers”, he said.
Also speaking, a guest lecturer and Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Ika, Rt. Rev. Godfrey Ifeanyichukwu Ekpenisi said there is a possibility of effective, transformational and successful governance if Christians are actively participating in politics.
He added that Bible did not discourage political participation as seen in Proverbs 29:12 stressing that by being involved in politics, Christians will become the light and salt of the society.
In his words, “political participation is a duty for Christians, we call on all our numerous parishioners who feel led to participate in politics to step out, stand tall and do so. It is only through this that we can shine and give the universal salting test”, he said.
Also speaking, a former commissioner for commerce in the state Pastor Rosemary Archibong said Nigeria is desperate for evidential change.
Pastor Archibong said after six decades of independence, rhr country cannot be put side by side with other developing nations.
She said, “We are paying the price which we inflicted and sustained on ourselves.
“However, we are the agents of transformational leadership because the change we seek should start with us”, Pastor Archibong said.
Earlier, the convener of the Colloquium and Lord Bishop , Anglican Diocese of Calabar Rt. Rev. Prof. Nneoyi Onen Egbe said the Colloquium which comes up once in two years is to celebrate Archbishop Tunde Adeleye and his wife Ezinne Lady Dorothy Tunde – Adeleye.He disclosed that it is aimed at being an outreach for the society we live in, so people will learn from the lectures that will be delivered what the mind of God is and that of the Church as far as leadership is concerned.He emphasized that we should transform ourselves so we can bring about transformational leadership in our various corners and ultimately recover Nigeria.He also disclosed that this will be done one person at a time by allowing ourselves to be transformational in the things we do.
