Godfatherism greatest threat to our democracy – Abati

By Peter Moses

Abeokuta

Former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to former President Goodluck Jonathan, Dr. Reuben Abati, yesterday described godfatherism as “the greatest threat to the survival of democracy in Nigeria.”
Abati also said the process of recruiting leaders to position of power in Nigeria had been corrupted and bastardised by “godfathers.”
He spoke as a keynote speaker at a “Public Dialogue and Empowerment Programme,” organised by The Believe Movement in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
The Movement is a socio-political movement and advocacy group put together by a two-time Governorship candidate in Ogun state, Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (GNI).
He maintained that leaders should be chosen on merit, saying that until the process of recruiting leaders into position of power “is changed in Nigeria, the country may not experience any meaningful change, stressing that leadership must be on merit and purpose driven.”
He said: “Leadership is very important but in this country, how do we recruit our leaders? Leaders’ formation is about catching them young, it is about giving the youths the opportunities to rule.
“People often become leaders because they have godfathers or because they have powerful parents and when they get there, it becomes a problem. A leader’s responsibility in office is to be responsible to the people and not a godfather.
“People should not choose their leaders based on godfathers or because of their powerful parents. Our people should be very careful of who they put in power.”
In his address, Isiaka lamented that leaders in the country were “either bereft of ideas or choose to go on ego-trip of personal aggrandisement, thereby depriving the people of their basic needs whereas, government exist for the welfare of citizens and a leader is conscripted to give the people what they need rather than what he feels.”

 

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