Ebenezar Wikina, a Harvard-trained Journalist and Development practitioner, has stated that leaders without integrity have been undermining the growth and development of Nigeria and the continent of Africa.
According to Wikina, Africa will not experience any meaningful economic rebirth if most of our leaders are bereft of integrity.
He made these remarks while responding to a post by renowned entrepreneur and philanthropist Tony Elumelu, who called for a bold rethinking of Africa’s relationship with the world, urging a shift from charity-driven models to one centred on investment, entrepreneurship, and equal partnership.
Wikina, however, countered by emphasising that one major problem bedevilling Africa was poor leadership, as many men and women without integrity are occupying leadership positions in the continent. These challenges, in his assessment, have contributed largely to the journey of retrogression Africa has been embarking on for several decades.
Most African public institutions, industries and organisations, he added, have had reversals of fortunes because their leadership was not imbued with the necessary quality of morality and integrity.
He said private institutions are not spared either, as many have equally suffered relocation or total liquidation due to management without integrity.
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He said: “Our public leaders do not have the integrity required to attract the investors to build the future we want I attended WEF for the first time when I 22 and this year I turned 33 and we’re still saying the same damn thing!
“11 years of “Africa does not need aid” Meanwhile these men are at IMF-WB meetings begging for aid and taking loans that my generation will be saddled with paying ffs!! We are just a joke bruh. Norway that is hosting Africa summit, is it not the same freaking oil they have?
“How many heads do they have???”
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Integrity in leadership demands that every leader must walk their talk because they must be intrinsically motivated; this is why people who live with integrity are incorruptible and incapable of breaking the trust reposed in them.
However, failure to walk the talk has led to the fall of many leaders, which has consequently reflected on the image of their followers and brought the institutions or organisations they represent into disrepute.
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