A former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has said the process of recruiting people into elective positions in the country must change to ensure emergence of good leaders.
He said it was unfortunate that governance is the only job where people do not need to meet any specific qualification requirement to be considered fit for it.
Jega said this in his opening remarks at a pre-Ramadan lecture organised by the University of Lagos Muslim Alumni Association.
A copy of the address was made available to our correspondent on Monday by a former National Commissioner of INEC, Prof. Lai Olurode.
He said character, competence and capacity should be possessed by anyone aspiring for leadership positions.
Jega said, “We must develop an overwhelming consensus that political leadership cannot remain the only job for which no qualification appears necessary except to have a lot of money, usually, stolen money.”
“It is clear that for as long as the current pattern of leadership recruitment continues, our troubles will continue.”
“It is for this reason that we must find a way to bring relevant criteria to bear on the selection of leadership. We have got to find a way of making character, competence and capacity to determine who leads.
“To my mind, this should be made the main item on the agenda of all patriotic citizens ad organised civil society and community – based groups for active participation in the political and electoral processes of our country leading to the 2023 general elections.
“If, or when, we have good people in leadership positions, in governance, the resolution of many of our national challenges would become much easier, from restructuring, to reposition the economy and addressing the needs and aspirations of Nigerian citizens.”
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