The Senior Pastor of Daystar Christian Centre, Oregun, Lagos State, Sam Adeyemi, has appealed to Nigerian leaders, especially the ones in government, to be cautious of how they exercise their power as it will determine their place in history after they are gone.
According to him, it is time for political leaders in Nigeria and Africa as a whole to add conscience to the way they administer their people.
He emphasised the need to govern with a sense of responsibility for the welfare of the people.
Pastor Adeyemi, a leadership expert, bared his mind on a Channels Television programme: “Sunrise Daily,” on Saturday.
He noted that Africa continues to grapple with a ruling elite that prioritizes personal economic gain over the welfare of the masses.
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He stressed the need for political leaders to shift from self-serving governance to a more inclusive and equitable approach.
While expressing frustration at the growing wealth of a few while many citizens continue to suffer, Adeyemi also cited monarchies in the Middle East, where despite the absence of democratic systems, development thrives because the ruling elite governs with a sense of responsibility.
He lamented that Nigeria’s elite class seems incapable of such selflessness but remained hopeful for change.
Adeyemi said: “Let me add a point here: I read a book about several years back: ‘Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty,’ by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson, two professors of economics.
“They studied why countries are more developed than some, while some are not.
“The basic thing they found out was the political evolution of each country.
“They found out that in most countries, the natural tendencies of humans, you have a small group in the elite class.
“They control the political power and then they use the political power to channel the economic resources to benefit themselves and the people close to them.
“That’s where Africa still is.
“That’s where we still are and the countries that have been the most powerful, they broke the elite class.
“They broke it.
“That’s why they introduced democracy and equality as a value.
“It started from France.
“That French revolution thing.
“Right now, the citizens are shouting and crying, while some people are making money they’ve never made before, billions they’ve never made before.
“The political class, the elite class will favour itself.
“But we have a beautiful model coming out of the Middle East where they don’t even have democracy.
“They are monarchists.
“Why are they developing?
“Because they have an elite class that has conscience.
“Elite class that feels for the people.
“Nobody voted for them and you can’t vote them out.
“They just chose themselves to be good to their people and empower their people.
“It is so sad I must say that when we look at our own elite class, it seems it cannot even redeem itself, but we can only appeal and honestly I’m appealing.
“I’ve become part of the elite class now.
“I set up a leadership class 22 years ago to help push some people into that elite class to have some leaders that have conscience.
“I’m appealing to those who have found themselves in positions where they have power, political power, at the end of the day they will pack you inside the box.
“My dad passed away a few months back, we buried him about four weeks ago.
“As I looked at his coffin, I remembered a book that I read in my library: ‘It all ends up in the box.’
“In my family, we love to play Monopoly, a financial education game, and at the end of the game, we will pack everything in the box.
“Life is like that.
“They will pack you inside the box.
“You may use your political power to control the narrative, control the media, not even allow anybody to say anything against you, one day you will go and the truth will still come out.
“So what will be your place in our history?
“What a huge opportunity we have in Nigeria, in Africa.
“A whole continent is suffering.
“I just want to appeal that it is time for us to add conscience.
“What else do you want to achieve in your life?
“It’s a rare opportunity to be a leader at a high level.
“Two hundred million people, only a few people occupying few positions.
“As we celebrate Nigeria’s Independence, I want to appeal to those of us that occupy positions, especially in government, that it is time to add conscience to that power and realise success is not about what you acquire, it’s actually about what you give.”