NATIONAL President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Sampson Ayokunle, has said that the development of a state or nation depends on the level of competence and commitment of its leaders and not monetary allocation.
The CAN President, who advised Nigerian leaders not to allow themselves to be intimidated by the challenges they meet in office, noted that the ability to manage provocation was an acid test of a leader’s spiritual maturity.
Ayokunle made the assertion at the Christian Ecumenical Centre, Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, during the inauguration of the recently re-elected CAN executives in the state, while congratulating Governor David Umahi for the infrastructural transformation of the state irrespective of its little allocation from the Federal Government.
He regretted that the present day Nigerian leaders, in their alleged deceitfulness, only amplified times of bad economy for the people to hear while offering neither the news nor desired services during economic boom.
Speaking on the topic, “The Portrait of a Competent Christian Leader”, AyokunIe identified leadership failure as organisational failure, insisting that it was not the size of a state’s allocation that determined its development but the competence of its leader.
He identified the portrait of a competent leader to include the ability to repair, serve in utmost integrity, be a steward of God and not of self; seek leadership and not easily give in to provocation, among others.
Ayokunle said, “How many of us in leadership can stand and say like Daniel? How many of us in leadership can stand like Samuel, and say, examine me? One of the banes of the Nigerian society today is self business.
“I was hearing those in power saying that the nation is poor now; the economy has gone bad. When economy did not go bad, did we see any difference?”
The CAN President, however, extolled Governor Umahi for his prudence and ingenuity, which he said, had brought great transformation to Ebonyi State in spite of its poor federal allocation and urged the inaugurated CAN executives to be stewards of God and not of self.
He noted, “I am aware that the Federal allocation coming to this state is about the second lowest of all the states in Nigeria. Now, you have made us to know that it is not the allocation you are getting from government that can lead to transformation of any state. It is about the ingenuity of the leader to commit the resources into laudable projects.
“In 1996, I was in this state. When I was here in 1996, Abakaliki was a dust. The road that we came through, from Enugu to this place, was like a death trap, very bad. For me now to come and see a brand new city, I couldn’t believe it. I just want to salute the ingenuity of the leader.”
Governor Umahi, in his remark, described the reelected State CAN Chairman, Very Rev. Father Abraham Nwali as not only a religious and secular leader, but also a man with extraordinary passion for the vulnerable groups in the society, adding that he was a source of pride to the state.
Umahi, represented by his Deputy, Kelechi Igwe, while appreciating the National CAN President for visiting the state, urged the newly inaugurated state executives to bear the light of model leadership attributes, adding that Nigeria would be better when Christian leaders assumed the reference point of good leadership.
Nwali, in his acceptance speech, pledged to work for the unity of the Church in the state, step up the course of evangelism as well as run a transparent, integral, embracive/open door policy in the administration of the affairs of CAN in the state.
Those inaugurated with Nwali were Rev. Scamb Nwokolo as the Vice Chairman; Rev. Donatus Njoku as Secretary; Rev. Paul Joseph Philip as Treasurer; and Rev. Joseph Nwibo as Assistant Secretary.
Also inaugurated were the chairmen and members of the various directorates of the association in the state.
