A former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. TY Danjuma, has decried the dwindling quality and standard of leadership in Nigeria.
He challenged those currently in public office, to look beyond themselves and take immediate steps to stem the tide to leave behind a nation for future generations to inherit.
Danjuma, gave this advice while receiving in audience a delegation of members of the League of Northern Democrats (LND), who paid him a courtesy visit in his Ikoyi, Lagos Residence.
This is even as Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo has asked the League to expand its operations to include the rest of Nigeria.
General Danjuma lamented that the quality of political leadership in Nigeria is “going down and down and down”.
According to him, the situation is “worse in the North.“ He urged leaders to sit up and stem the worrisome tide.
This was contained in a statement issued by the LND, in Abuja, yesterday.
Danjuma was quoted as advising members of the League to pursue their vision with measured doggedness because they are up against a section of “a corrupt political class with plenty of power and money” that will be ready to fight back to continue being in power.
Leader of the LND delegation and former Kano State Governor, Sen Ibrahim Shekarau, while speaking during the visit explained that the visit was to brief General Danjuma on the vision and mission of the League which was principally to influence the emergence of credible leadership, most especially in the North.
This, the LND said, can be achieved by forging unity among the various northern interest groups, facilitating a credible leadership recruitment process across all offices and making the North a bloc of first influence in Nigeria.
Shekarau lamented that, right now, the North is immersed in insecurity and backwardness in education, economy and in general development.
He said the LND of Northern is intensifying contacts and consultations with eminent statesmen to tap into their vast knowledge of politics and leadership which are crucial to society.
Responding to this, General Danjuma said while age is no longer on his side, he commends members of the League for this initiative and its commitment and promised to offer his support in any way he can.
The general, became emotional when Muktari, the son of late Prime Minister Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, recounted some events of January 1966, he described the late Sir Balewa as a truly great man.
Earlier, during a similar visit to former President Olusegun Obasanjo in his Presidential Library, in Abeokuta, Obasanjo commended the league for the initiative.
He, however, advised members of the league to expand their initiative beyond Northern Nigeria to accommodate other sections of our country.
He said: “Anytime you people metamorphose into a League of Nigerian Democrats, come back to me and I will be your patron.
“I share your concern about the situation in Nigeria, but if you’re a National League, I will join you and even be your Patron if I cannot be active because I’m getting old.”
The former President noted with that the calibre of membership of the delegation, he is confident something good will come out of it.
He expressed gratitude to Shekarau for his commitment while commending the group for taking the trouble to come to Abeokuta despite the harsh economic situation in the country.
He also commended Dr Umar Ardo for his foresight in convening the group.
Earlier, Shekarau informed President Obasanjo that the group was with him to tap from his wealth of experience in governance and leadership.
In his vote of thanks, the Secretary of the group, Hon. Emmanuel Jime, thanked God for the life of President Obasanjo, whom he described as the most “nationalistic and detribalized Nigerian alive.”
Recall that the LND was conveyed in July and since then it has been engaged in several activities, making consultations and trying to define itself.
It gained good ground with former Vice President Namadi Sambo, General Martin Luther Agwai, General AbdulRahman Dambazau, General Alwali Kazir, and a host of other critical northern leaders. And its membership has been on the increase.
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