Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole has chided Nigerian leaders for not giving the youth the opportunity to lead, rather they prefer to ‘die in office.’
The ex lawmaker had expressed his frustration over the matter in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital at the commencement of a public lecture of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAB).
The Lecture was entitled : “Mentoring and the challenges of leadership in Africa.”
According to Bankole, “These leaders failed to mentor those who are to take over from them and what we have instead are sit-tight leaders, who decide to die in office. Nigeria will only be placed on the path of progress, growth and development when we start to prepare our youths for leadership.
“Proper tutelage is indispensable for success in any vocation and Nigeria must urgently start the process of dis-allowing untutored and untested persons from been given the saddle of leadership.”
Bankole said: “I wish to propose that we give further thought to ensuring that the choice of deputies is underlined by the requirement of competence and a modicum of collective enlightened self-interest.
“Another is the development of the agricultural sector. Studies have shown that our farming population across the country is ageing fast.
We must seek to build a system that enables us make creative use of people, who have occupied leading positions in our national life to gain useful experience.”
Bankole was of the opinion that democracy would survive if mentoring of upcoming leaders was taken seriously.