The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Capital Markets, Senator Osita Izunaso, on Wednesday lamented what he described as the growing presence of untrained and ill-prepared individuals occupying political offices across the country, warning that leadership is being mistaken for mere occupancy of power.
Izunaso, who represents Imo West Senatorial District, raised the concern in Abuja at the official launch of Leadership 365: Daily Reflection for Effective Leadership, a book authored by Dr Linus Okorie, President of the GOTNI Leadership Centre.
Speaking at the event, the lawmaker stressed that leadership goes beyond holding political office, noting that many Nigerians wrongly equate authority with leadership.
Izunaso also decried the absence of deliberate leadership training in the country, arguing that political actors are often allowed to assume leadership roles without the discipline, conduct and values expected of leaders.
“In this country, we do not train leaders. We just assemble people, and people start talking as if they are leaders. There must be a way leaders should talk. A leader doesn’t talk or walk anyhow because people are watching you.”
“Dr Okorie has demonstrated deep thought and some leadership ideas in his book. Leadership is part of our everyday life. But oftentimes people misunderstood leadership to mean only those who occupy political positions, which is not correct.
“The fact that you occupy an office does not make you a leader. Most times leaders are born, most times leaders emerge. If you have 12 children in a class, watch them carefully. Watch their mannerism—the leader among them will emerge. Leadership is not about occupying a high position,” he stated.
Continuing, the Senate Committee chair also advised young Nigerians to shun the culture of quick wealth and instead seek out positive role models whose lives and values are worthy of emulation.
“For the younger ones coming up, do not embrace the culture of let’s get rich quickly. Rather, imbibe the culture of having role models. There must be someone you admire as a role model. Money shouldn’t be the motivation to make anybody your role model,” he admonished.
In his remarks, the author of the book, Dr Linus Okorie, emphasised that sustainable national development depends largely on intentional investment in leadership development rather than reliance on technology alone.
“Progress evolves only when men and women of vision, skill and courage seize the opportunity to change things for the better. In the 21st century, I have been told that technology and AI are on the rise.
“But the truth of the matter is that there is nothing that will be as powerful as the human spirit. The human spirit, when properly channelled, can cause a change that could transform businesses, institutions and nations.”
Okorie added that countries that have recorded significant progress did so by consciously grooming successive generations of leaders.
“Today, there is nothing as powerful as grooming, intentionally, the next generation of leaders for any nation.
“Nations of the world that made great progress are the ones that invested heavily in the leadership capital of our citizens.”
Explaining the motivation behind the book, he said it was written with the future in mind and designed to inspire daily leadership reflection among individuals determined to make a difference.
Concerns over poor leadership have long dominated Nigeria’s public debate, with successive administrations often criticised for policy inconsistency, weak institutional capacity and governance driven more by patronage than competence.
Political observers say the lack of structured leadership grooming, coupled with a political culture that rewards loyalty and wealth over merit, has continued to produce leaders ill-equipped to manage complex economic, security and social challenges facing the country.
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