Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
President, Benin National Congress worldwide, Amb. Aiyamenkhue Edokpolo, has admonished the federal government on the need to develop the political will to tackle the problem confronting the educational sector in the country.
He made the call while speaking on “Functional Education and Effective Political Leadership as a Panacea to Africa’s Growth and Development : a social scientist perspective” at the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue 2024 held in Benin.
Amb. Edokpolo said a very excellent education must come before aspirations for critical leadership in any public place in our country or continent.
Edokpolo added that we should also be extremely clear about irreducible minimums for public office leadership, rather than the ambiguity that pervades such public debates in our
mainstream and internet media.
He said the relevance of education to the leadership transformation of Nigeria, and Africa as a whole,
the idea of obtaining a good education before aspiring to a vital leadership position is extremely simple to grasp, especially when one considers the dangers of entrusting a nation’s justice system in the hands of a mentally displaced person or a poorly educated person.
He said the hypothetical scenario he is trying to paint here is such that, the mentally displaced or a poorly educated person is empowered with the powers to convict and sentence accused persons to death, as well as pardon correctional service inmates on the death roll, members of that society will soon face a calamity beyond their control.
He argued that all of them are expected to be convicted and condemned to death and as a result of the foregoing, there is no doubt that a very good education must be aggressively pursued and ensured by the government at all levels for the citizenry, as this will imply that political leadership succession at any level of government would seamlessly ensure the ultimate good for the majority of the citizenry.
“In a nutshell, political will is sacrosanct to any serious conversation for education and
political leadership of our continent. I have severally averred that, leadership disasters are worse than natural disasters.
“This is so because, it took patriotism and Development Plan for Japan, U. S. A., Russia and other advanced economies to develop technological devices for precise predictions of Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Tornadoes, Avalanche, Cyclone, Winter storm, Mudflow, sinkholes, Typhoons, Volcanic eruptions, etc.
“What this implies is, they predict the occurrences of these natural disasters, and effectively plan evacuation, relocation and humanitarian management schemes to cushion their effects on this citizens or inhabitants.
“Conversely, leadership disaster is such that, the efforts invested in propping-up such a set of leaders in our state, federal and sub- regional constituencies would amount to a historic waste of resources.
“They will end up inflicting more harm than good, not only to the economy, also, to the psyche of the younger generations – who would be disillusioned by the crass kleptocracy and directionlessness that will afflict such a nation.
“In conclusion, let us remember that effective leadership is not just a product of purposeful education, but a catalyst for creating a purposeful and prosperous
education system.
“As we graciously gather here today, as a diverse group of quintessential leaders from both public and private sectors, we are presented with a unique opportunity and responsibility to re-examine and re-commit to the sustainable
development of our beloved motherland”, Edokpolo said.