Gov. Sule tasks Nigerian leaders on contentment, selfless lifestyle

Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has challenged leaders at all levels to lead life of contentment, accountability, integrity and selflessness in order to provide dividends of democracy to their people.

Sule gave the charge while delivering a lecture on Thursday at the 13th Anniversary and Awards ceremony of Verbatim Magazine held at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja.

The lecture had as its theme: “Changing Times and Challenge of Leadership in Nigeria: Candid Views of an Uncommon Patriot.”

He noted that the quality of leadership in Nigeria had continued to go down in spite of the legacies left by the forefathers as captured by Chinue Achebe in his book “The trouble with Nigeria.”

According to Sule, leadership is all about problem solving, providing solutions and benefits to the led.

“It is about understanding your environment, understanding the solution that the people need, it is being accountable, transparent, having integrity and a character that aligns with the wishes of the people,” he said.

The governor added that a good leader should be fair and provide inclusiveness, distribute projects and appointments evenly.

“He must be courageous, have contentment, accept constructive criticism, manage diversities with the ability to learn from mistakes, while accepting the assets and liabilities of his office,” he said.

Sule said he entered politics to contribute to the development of Nasarawa State and listed his numerous contributions to the growth of the state.

“We came into Nasarawa with an idea and a focus, knowing what to do collectively as a team; we have done that and the state is better than we met it. This is what leadership is all about,” he said.

He commended the magazine for the efforts in shaping the course of the nation through investigative and factual reportage.

In his remarks, Prof. Dantani Wushishi, the Chairman of the occasion, and Registrar of National Examinations Council (NECO), said that Verbatim Magazine had come a long way in the area of journalism.

He commended its editorial style]and policies adding that the manner and way they report NECO activities endeared it to the council.

Wushishi said that a leader should be focused with determination to solving peoples’ problems.

“Leadership is all about solving problems. It is all about understanding the people you are leading and their needs.

“All that Nigerian leaders need to do is to be more transparent and focused on identifying the needs of Nigerians in order to address them.

“They must give direction to the people and the society at large as far as development and progress are concerned,” he said.

Wushishi described the Verbatim Magazine as one of the leading magazines in Nigeria and urged the public to patronise it through advertisement placements.

“This will enable the magazine to continue to strive and leave a legacy in Nigeria with the younger generations relying on it to understand the dynamics of the country,” he said.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa in his goodwill message commended the Editorial Board of Verbatim for the event and Gov. Sule for delivering an insightful and thought provoking lecture.

Musa said that effective leadership demands synergy among stakeholders.

He said it should also be anchored on integrity, honesty, transparency and accountability adding that leadership should be seen as a call to serve.

Earlier in his welcome address, Mr Tobs Agbaegbu, Editor-in-Chief of Verbatim Magazine appreciated the people for honouring the event and those that contributed to the success of the programme, especially the governor of Nasarawa state.

He said the magazine started 13 years ago to provide insightful commentaries, in-depth analysis, informative and educative news stories to the people of Nigeria.

He said the event was to commemorate a milestone in the magazine’s journey in journalism and as a product of the defunct Newswatch Magazine.

According to him, the magazine did not belief in fake news hence had ventured into investigative journalism adding that they would remain committed to providing high quality journalism that would continue to inspire Nigerians.

He hoped that insights shared in the event on leadership would reshape peoples’ approaches to nation building

Supreme news reports that Verbatim Magazine is an Investigative News Magazine dedicated to truthful and dedicated journalism.

The highlight of the occasion was the cutting of the anniversary cake and presentation of 2024 Verbatim Distinguished Patriot Award to distinguished Nigerians including Sule.

The award recipients also included Gov. Dikko Radda of Katsina State; and Vice-Chancellor of Nasarawa State University, Prof. Sa’adatu Liman.

Others were the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, Minister of Arts, Culture and Creative Economy Hannatu Musawa and Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye the Director-General, National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) .