Ekweremadu stated this in Awka, the Anambra State capital on Monday while delivering the 2012 Zik Lecture Series organised by the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists. The lecture was entitled, ‘True Federalism and the Political Ideology of the Great Zik’.
He said it was still a surprise to him that as educationally advanced as the South-East “we still send to the National Assembly some people who can barely write their names”.
Ekweremadu, who described the late Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe as a knowledgeable leader, said without knowledgeable leadership, the country was heading nowhere.
According to the lawmaker, the country needs leaders that are patriotic, selfless, knowledgeable, incorruptible, who have a lot of integrity and who will always put country first.
He said, “For Nigeria’s, particularly, low development or rather lack of it has been variously traced to successive national leadership.”
Ekweremadu said though a proper federal structure and an error-free constitution were desirable, without purposeful and transformational leadership, they would not help the situation in the country .
He said, “Even the best constitution or federal structure in the world cannot yield the best of democracy dividends or drive the lofty dreams of a nation unless there is a general commitment by the leadership and citizens alike to live by the principles and letters of that constitution and the norms that promote development.”
Ekweremadu added that Nigerian leaders had often mistaken stubbornness and arrogance as principles in politics, saying “this hasrobbed Nigerians of great opportunities of linking up with modernity and technology”.
He added, “Leaders who cannot think beyond their immediate environment have nothing new to offer their people.”
Ekweremadu urged Nigerian leaders to adopt sound principles like Azikiwe did in his days so that they could lead the country into the elite corps of nations.
First son of Azikiwe and Owelle of Onitsha, Chief Chukwuma Azikiwe, said for any leadership to have meaning it must identify with the downtrodden.
He said, “If our farmers and the have-nots are empowered, then they will impact our economy and themselves.”
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ReplyDeleteAnonymous...
the only literary qualification nigerian politicians need is how to write ZEROs' after the last figures in monetary terms.money,trillions of it is all that matters not service.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn`t matter what ppl say but what you do in life as a person.Keep doing your best Mr President.
ReplyDeleteWe know that very well and thanks to PDP
ReplyDeleteOga Deputy Senate President, why do you make statements you have answers for . Dont you know what it takes to become elected in Nigeria , is it not you and your colleagues that have refused to bring sanity to our electoral policies therefore , we have only thugs and money miss road representing us ... stop complaining , you guys are all the same .
ReplyDeleteit is rather a sad onefor the deputy senate president to have publicly aknowledge that most of the senators could barely write thier names.Whose fault is it?The electorate?I dont think so.Not with the party politics we play in this country, how do you expect those that knows how to write thier names be voted into office when the 'God father' factor is still very relevant in our polity.God help[nigeria!!!
ReplyDeletecould the senate president be crying wolf when there is none?he is a product of the dismal electoral sytem we have in the country.what we need as a nation at his time is a paragdym shift from our status quo!!!
ReplyDeleteWho is deceiving who? What point is Ekweremadu trying to prove? You lots are the same by-products of the same process. Wonder if you could have said this before you were elected...God is watching.
ReplyDeleteDis is d more reason dat we should learn to vote for individual credibility and not party. Miscreants and hoodlums come under the name of party and dey get nominated and "appointed" not elected. We talk and dont document lessons learned and subsequently improve in the way we should do things.
ReplyDeleteThis is capital lie because he can not defend this utterance.let me ask who among the senators from south east that can not spell his name let him mention.The major problem of this country is corrupt leaders not illiterate leaders which he is among. Iguess he was shot of words.
ReplyDeleteWe still have other revelations to make concerning most of you legislating for this country unless you are ready to repair this nation from many damages emanating from leaders we are producing every four years' it is in all sector in Nigeria not only limited to N/A alone
ReplyDeleteAre you surprised?definitely not.
ReplyDeleteBirds of the same feather...cheap blackmail...can the Deputy Senate President repeat his words in presence of his colleagues? With his technical know how to writing his name...what has he achieved and contributed apart from rubber stamping Mark...its very shameful for a leader of his calibre to be making careless statement of this nature in public domain.
ReplyDeleteWell all have the filling of that with poor performance so far by the senates,However let the DSP prove his claims by mentioning names..........and maybe INEC should start conducting aptitude test before the election proper.
ReplyDelete