ENUGU–Former Minister of Power, Prof. Bart Nnaji, has advocated a leadership system that is people driven and has the capacity to facilitate effective and sustainable reforms in the country.
Prof. Nnaji stated this during stakeholders summit 2022, tagged, “Leadership Beyond Politics,” organised by The New Enugu Project (TNEP) for leaders in Enugu with the theme, “The kind of leadership we deserve.”
The summit, held at Ingrace event centre Enugu, had in attendance elder statesmen, members of the CSOs, women, the academia, professionals, and young people.
Speaking during the summit, Prof. Nnaji, noted that one did not have to hold political office to impact society positively.
He listed several Nigerians such as Founder and Director of Songhai, the Rev. Father Godfrey Nzamujo; Dr. Pascal Gabriel Dozie; Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala; Dr. Aliko Dangote, who were impacting lives.
The former Power Minister emphasised that a lot could be done if government created enabling environment where investors could feel comfort, and people happy to contribute their quote to national development.
Nnaji said if those vying for political offices could adopt the development model being championed by the New Enugu Project, he was sure, Enugu and indeed Nigeria would be better for it.
So, it is very important that when we’re talking about leadership or thinking about leadership beyond politics that we understand that we all should be part of that journey, that it is possible for you to make a difference, just consider what you can do, that’s why when I see the “New Enugu Project (TNEP) by Ekene Uzodimma, I was happy that there are young people thinking this way that Enugu can become a model for others in the country,” he said.
The President and Co-founder, Living By Design Nation, (LBD Nation) Dr. Chiefo Ejiofobiri, identified ‘problem-solving’ as core to leadership competence.
According to Ejiofobiri, leaders solve problems to transform society positively: having the capability to know the needs of the people and offering sustainable solutions to them.
The Serving Overseer of the Triumphant Christian Church, Pastor Emma Ogidiolu, stressed on the need for citizens to interrogate people’s motives for seeking leadership positions.
According to the Overseer, leadership involves a lot of sacrifice and commitment, and being able to lead the way and bringing hope to the people.
The Convener, The New Enugu Project, Mr. Ekene Uzodinma, reiterated that TNEP was formed for the benefits of Nigerians as a strategic intervention that would play an indispensible role in strengthening and elevating efforts to build a consensus to genuinely address the leadership challenges in the nation.
“One reason is enough reason too many to call for a positive change in the way we do things as a people,” Uzodimma said.
He bemoaned infrastructural decay, hardships, and poverty in the state, without any written down goals and clear objectives to address them by those in government.
“If the head is sick the whole body will be sick. In the same vein, no matter how sound the head is, if the body is sick, it is just a matter of time and the head will lose its sanity or become sick or even die as the body dies,” the TNEP Convener stated.
According to Uzodinma, the solution to the myriads of Enugu State endemic challenges and Nigeria at large requires a multidimensional strategic systems of approach and strategy, emphasing that if the status-quo is not checked or challenged, the future is doomed.
“We’ve been able to develop a four year blue print for Enugu State, so, for us, as you’re campaigning to be governor, and telling us all that you want to do in Enugu, we don’t want to doubt you, we are always optimistic, but we are giving you a blue print, our benchmark, it doesn’t matter what you want to do for us, this one must be basic, if you achieve this in four years, we are satisfied, because we have researched and know that any government that can achieve this in four years would have touched 408 communities in Enugu State, and that alone is a milestone we have been able to achieve with this four year master plan that have become people’s manifesto to those in government,” he remarked.
Participants in the programme said people must rise up and be unite to install a leadership that provides solutions to multiple problems setting the country back and making lives difficult for the citizens.
The New Enugu Project (TNEP) is an ideological change movement that was conceived and created by concerned Nigerians resident in Enugu State with a passion for socioeconomic liberation of fellow country men and women using all legal, socio-political tools and systems available to it (NTEP) at all levels.
