Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Former lecturer in Faculty of Agriculture, University of Benin, Prof. Dan Enobakhare, has called for the need for the nation to have a leader with the sound moral values and uprightness if it must move forward economically and otherwise.
He said no country can ever rise beyond the level of the leaders, no matter the abundance of its endowed resources.
Prof. Enobakhare made the statements while reviewing the book title:” Dialogue with My Fellow Old Boys,” written by HRH Ogiefo Festus Iduozee, JP, as part of the activities to mark the 80th Anniversary of Immaculate Conception Olds Boys Association (ICCOBA), Benin City, Edo state.
According to the book reviewer, he said while emphasizing on a topic in the book title:” Policy Reforms in a Globalized Economy: Which way Nigeria, asserted that Nigeria relished in the fast global economy, but failed to acknowledge the enormous sacrifices, determination that other countries have put into their institutions.
Given his opening remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, Chief D. O. Odigie, said reading such a book like this would make one to forget whatever problem one might have encountered in life.
He said the book is not only useful to the adult, but to the youths also.
” Maybe some people don’t know that is about 40 years now that the HRH Prince Festus Iduozee had ascended the throne of his father, as the Enogie of Evboesi.
“Inspite of community activities, communal administration; it could be crisis or peace, and other disputes he was still able to write this book. He has been accepted by the majority of his people from his father’s blood.
“Reading book like this prevent your mind from going through painful things.
“This book is not only for adult, but it can also be useful to the youths,” he said.
He appealed to all the participants to go home with the book that nothing is too big or small and thanked them for gracing the occasion.
In his postulation on sound leadership in page 156-157 in the book, the Author of the book, HRH Ogiefo Festus Iduozee, JP, said the importance of sound leadership to the development of a country cannot be overemphasized.
HRH Iduozee said, it is a basic fact that, no country can ever rise beyond the level of its leaders, no matter the abundance of its endowed resources.
“The importance of sound leadership to the development of a country cannot be overemphasised. It is a basic fact that no country can ever rise beyond the level of its leaders no matter the abundance of its endowed resources.
“That is why great countries worldwide ensure that the best possible leaders man their key leadership positions.
“The way forward for Nigeria! -a leadership with clarity of vision and mission and core values, in the face of the negative effects of globalization, is vital for sustainable growth and development.
“Even though resources are necessary for economic development, their existence alone does not constitute a sufficient condition. They require good management and governance which we lack in this country.
“Government must embrace the fact that the right to development places the human person at the centre of the development process and recognise that the human being should be the main participants and beneficiary of development.
“So far, our unemployment rate is very high; over 50 percent poverty level is also too high for a country of over two hundred million people; education system bastardised; abysmal decay of infrastructure; energy sector comatose; high inflation rate; agricultural, industrial, health sectors are moribund; banking, ICT and insurance sectors are not yet in firm footing.
“Meaning that policy reforms in place have not translated into the uplift of the lives of majority of the people because corruption is the bane of our leadership process.
“Through the instrumentality of the international finance institutions – ensure that their prescribed reforms are implemented without questioning, and whereas they simultaneously shape globalization to further their own interests.
“In the circumstance, government must be wary, like China did, in following the policy reform dictates being foisted on the country by the World Bank and its allies,” he said.
In his speech, the President of ICCOBA Worldwide, Engr. Ighodalo Edetanlen, extolled the author for finding out time to write the book.
He said the author has channeled his time and resources in the association.
“We are here to honour you for the time and resources you have put into this association. We thank God for his life, and there is no amount of money that we will use to launch this book that will be compared to the efforts you have injected into this body,” Engr. Edetanlen said.