Be Good Followers In order To Be Good Leaders, Lamorde Charges Youth

[EFCC]

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ibrahim Lamorde, on Thursday June 6, 2013 charged Nigerian youths who are aspiring to leadership positions to be good followers as well, noting that the problem of Nigeria is not entirely that of bad leadership.

Lamorde who spoke through Mr. Osita Nwajah, Ag. Deputy Director, Public Affairs at the ongoing Young Aspirants Leadership Fellowship programme at Bolingo Hotel & Towers Abuja, stated that by being law abiding and shunning all forms of corruption, Nigerian youths would emerge as worthy leaders of tomorrow.

''Be alive to your environment, monitor the people you relate with and do things within the ambit of the law'', he charged.

The EFCC boss urged the youths to identify themselves as potential force in the fight against corruption and help in the re-invention of Nigeria as a corruption-free nation. Citing the famed writer, Chinua Achebe who had posited that the problem with Nigeria was squarely that of leadership, Lamorde added that the followership also has a key role to play in nation building as one cannot be a good leader if he fails to be a good follower.

Giving examples of failures of leadership of the political class as exemplified by the incarceration of James Onanefe Ibori former Governor of Delta state, and the ongoing prosecutions of other past governors, ministers and public servants across the nation, Lamorde said, corruption violates human rights, distorts public expenditure pattern of the society, and reduces the effectiveness of public administration as it impoverishes the poor.

In his remark, the organizers of the youth fellowship, and Executive Director, Young Stars Foundation, Kingsley Bangwell, said that the first edition of the Young Aspirants Leadership Forum is designed to identify young people of high leadership pedigree.

"This workshop is to help youths understand political leadership, run for office and the dangers of corruption in political aspiration and its impact on the citizenry," he said.

EFCC Media & Publicity Unit

[EFCC]