Lai Mohammed advocates selfless leadership

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, on Friday admonished political leaders to shun selfish acquisition of material things at the detriment of the people and state development.
The minister gave the admonition when he paid condolence visit to the families of Late retired Gen. David Bamigboye in Omu-Aran, near Ilorin in kwara state.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports Bamigboye, who at the age of 29 became the first military Governor of old Kwara state – comprising the present day Kwara, Kogi and some parts of Edo states – died at 78 years.
He will be buried in his home town, Omu-Aran, on Saturday.
Addressing newsmen after signing condolence register at the deceased home, the minister said, “leadership is not about how much money you amass for yourself, rather, it is about how much legacy you are able to leave behind”.
He said: “Governance is not also about fat bank account one has, but about infrastructural development, social, economic and educational impacts on the governed.”
He urged political leaders to emulate the qualities of the late Bamigboye whom he said, left the legacies of laying the foundations for the development of the present day Kwara and Kogi states.
Mohammed added: “What impressed me about this man is the fact that he was undaunted. If you look at Nigeria of 1967, for instance, there was civil war and instability, yet he took his task with single mindedness.
“Despite the turbulent time and the challenge to balance the ethnic, religion and other interests, he set the standard and laid good foundation for the development of Kwara and Kogi states.
“For a man so young, he was creative and determined in his vision for governance, which he translated to several educational and social infrastructure he built.”
The minister said that with foresight, patriotism and selflessness the late General brought development to the state in the area of infrastructure, education and social amenities.
He added: “His deeds are living after him and our prayer is that God will rest his soul and preserve those he left behind.”