Elder statesman and former Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Dr Christopher Kolade has described the presidency of Dr Goodluck Jonathan as one that is lacking in leadership.
Kolade stated this yesterday in Lagos while speaking as Chairman, at the 6th Christopher Kolade Symposium organised by the Nigerian Leadership Initiative (NLI).
Commenting on the theme; “Centenary Leadership: Nigeria at 100 and the next 100”, Kolade said notwithstanding the current jingles on Nigerian television stations likening President Jonathan to great world leaders like Lee Kuan Yhew, Late Nelson Mandela and late Dr Martin Luther King Jr, the attitude of the President to daily loss of innocent lives in the country did not support such claim.
He said, “Parts of leadership qualities you need to imbibe include ability to take responsibility. Apart from being responsible, you must also be able to sacrifice for others and you must be able to add value.
“In leadership, you cannot make value-added contribution until you are able to identify what is it you don’t like about this country; what is it that you can accept and what is it you cannot accept. The essence is in you. The capacity to identify what is right or wrong is not what you can borrow or buy. It is in you.
“Some nights ago, I was watching television and some people were telling us that we have never had it so good. I am in my 80s and I can tell you that Nigeria has had it much better than now.
“They even said it was not easy for Lee Kuan Yew, it was not easy for Nelson Mandela and it was not easy for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Mr President, keep doing it. Keep doing the good works because we who are with you are much more than those who are against you.
“Tell me something, is that part of Nollywood? Is that part of an entertainment? Let me cite one example. They always say I am father to all and I accept. If somebody makes me leader of a group and there is something in that group, l should be able to stand by the group.
“Let me tell you, if 59 boys are killed in Yobe State and you as a leader, the next day went to Kano State and danced in a political rally, then I say, that is not leadership. It can’t be.
“This is not about not being an Ijaw or non-Ijaw. It is not about being a South-South or not South-South. It is about leadership. It is about the fact that those who were killed were human beings.
“If some suicide bombers bombed a place and you as a leader has political rally the next day, the least you can do is to postpone the programme. Even if they are not your children, all you need to do is to sympathise.
“If it comes to a point that we don’t care about who is leading the country, then we have lost it. We know we are in deficit. What we have today are leaders who are in pursuit of personal gains and not about the future.”
Earlier in his address, the Chief Executive Officer of NLI, Yinka Oyinlola, said the idea behind organising the annual symposium is to enrich discourse on the best way to make leadership effective in Nigeria.
“The anticipated results are to enable an understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of leadership in Nigeria; enable the existing leaders to draw lessons from the past; motivate the younger generation for critical thinking on leadership; and enable a constructive dialogue on the expectations of the Nigerian youth on leadership matters,” Oyinlola said.
There was no immediate reaction from the Presidency as Jonathan’s spokesman, Reuben Abati; political adviser, Rufai Alkali; and public affairs aide, Doyin Okupe neither answered phone calls nor replied text messages to their cell phones yesterday.
Daily Trust recalls that Dr Kolade was appointed the Chairman of the Subsidy Reinvestment and Empowerment Programme (SURE-P) by President Goodluck Jonathan in January 2012. Kolade however resigned in September 2013.

Source:http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/daily/top-stories/41312-christopher-kolade-jonathan-not-a-good-leader

Kolade is Obasanjo's man.
Jonathan should expect such open criticisms from Obj's key men so long as he and Obj remain far apart politically

Kolade should go and seat down, why dint he tell GEJ all this when he was Sure-P chairman? He's out of office now and he's talking shit.

Gej should give all the Yoruba people post in his govt especially those educated illitrates with a lot of Ph.ds

seunmsg:
Kolade should go and seat down, why dint he tell GEJ all this when he was Sure-P chairman? He's out of office now and he's talking shit.

na the game be that,we go chop your money but still tell you the truth

seunmsg:
Kolade should go and seat down, why dint he tell GEJ all this when he was Sure-P chairman? He's out of office now and he's talking shit.

Mind you he earned no salary as sure P chairman.

Kolade is right. Jonathan is a manager and has not yet become a leader. Being a manager and being a leader are two different things.

It's old news na, everyone knows this Mr Kolade

Anyone close to GEJ should please let him know that the aba-ikot ekpene and aba-umuahia roads connecting enugu, imo, abia, akwaibom and crossrivers had since become literally impassable. The eastern flanks of southeast and southsouth will soon be cut-off. Let the president know this and take action.

makzeze:


A former Nigeria’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Dr. Christopher Kolade, on Thursday condemned President Goodluck Jonathan for not showing the right leadership in the manner he had been handling his responsibilities as the nation’s leader.

He spoke at the sixth Christopher Kolade Symposium organised by the Nigeria Leadership Initiative, an organisation he was a pioneer patron.

He made specific reference to Jonathan’s decision to honour a political rally in Kano shortly after a bombing that killed several people early in the year, saying the best he could have done was “to postpone the political event.”

For choosing to continue with the programme, he said, the President did not demonstrate that he was sensitive to the pains of the people

While chiding the campaigns of pro-Jonathan non-governmental organisations, the respected statesman said, “Nigeria was, at every other time, better than now.”

He lamented the drift in leadership quality, a situation that he said should worry Nigerians.
Source:http://www.dailytrust.com.ng/daily/top-stories/41312-christopher-kolade-jonathan-not-a-good-leader

Every enlightened, honest and unbiased local and international observer of what's happening in Nigeria would reach the same conclusions as this seasoned and respected diplomat, and that is, GEJ does not show enough concern, talk less of the right leadership, in his handling of the terrorist attacks by BH.

Even when such attacks claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent citizens of the country he is supposed to be leading, the impression he has been giving to Nigerians and the world at large is that of an unconcerned, cold-hearted, irresponsive or even irresponsible figure-head.

No wonder he had to defend himself earlier this week in Kano, through his VP, that he (JEG) and his government were not behind the BH killings in the North! This rather strange defence by the president must have come after he had realized how more and more Northerners, both Muslims and Christians, are becoming more vocal in their exasperation at the government's inability to protect them against the brutalities of the BH savages; and their frustration is increasingly turning into suspicion that the GEJ's government, or at least some elements within it who harbour an undying pent-up desire for vengeance against the Northern Muslims and Christians alike (for some historical reasons), are using their positions in the government 'to allow the North to bleed too'.

Although there might not be any truth in all such allegations, yet it is a fact that GEJ's ineptitude and lack of purposeful and committed leadership during, and in the aftermath of, the killings in the North, has clearly created a huge leadership vacuum and divided this country like never before, as a result of which the fertile ground was prepared for all these dangerous suspicions emanating from the North.

LogicPower:



Every enlightened, honest and unbiased local and international observer of what's happening in Nigeria would reach the same conclusions as this seasoned and respected diplomat, and that is, GEJ does not show enough concern, talk less of the right leadership, in his handling of the terrorist attacks by BH.

Even when such attacks claimed the lives of hundreds of innocent citizens of the country he is supposed to be leading, the impression he has been giving to Nigerians and the world at large is that of an unconcerned, cold-hearted, irresponsive or even irresponsible figure-head.

No wonder he had to defend himself earlier this week in Kano, through his VP, that he (JEG) and his government were not behind the BH killings in the North! This rather strange defence by the president must have come after he had realized how more and more Northerners, both Muslims and Christians, are becoming more vocal in their exasperation at the government's inability to protect them against the brutalities of the BH savages; and their frustration is increasingly turning into suspicion that the GEJ's government, or at least some elements within it who harbour an undying pent-up desire for vengeance against the Northern Muslims and Christians alike (for some historical reasons), are using their positions in the government 'to allow the Notrh to bleed too'.

Although there might not be any truth in all such allegations, yet it is a fact that GEJ's ineptitude and lack of purposeful and committed leadership during, and in the aftermath of, the killings in the North, has clearly created a huge leadership vacuum and divided this country like never before, as a result of which the fertile ground was prepared for all these dangerous suspicions emanating from the North.

Very well said, @LogicPower. Kudos.

(I just had to quote the post in full in order to preserve it on my own side.)

P34c3
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MostIncredibleDFirst:
Anyone close to GEJ should please let him know that the aba-ikot ekpene and aba-umuahia roads connecting enugu, imo, abia, akwaibom and crossrivers had since become literally impassable. The eastern flanks of southeast and southsouth will soon be cut-off. Let the president know this and take action.

Keep quiet! you must be an APC person..

GEJ till Shekau becomes a born again Christian!

“Some nights ago, I was watching television and some people were telling us that we have never had it so good. I am in my 80s and I can tell you that Nigeria has had it much better than now." - Christopher Kolade

Please tell them Elder Kolade

Splashme:
Kolade is Obasanjo's man.
Jonathan should expect such open criticisms from Obj's key men so long as he and Obj remain far apart politically

seunmsg:
Kolade should go and seat down, why dint he tell GEJ all this when he was Sure-P chairman? He's out of office now and he's talking shit.

2cato:
Gej should give all the Yoruba people post in his govt especially those educated illitrates with a lot of Ph.ds

Let it be known that Christopher Kolade did not collect salary or allowance as Chairman of Sure-P but as an elder statesman and a seasoned administrator who is well advanced in age, he should be able and be bold enough to tell truth to power. We all know these things but its unfortunate that the President's supporters like to stand truth on its head and rather embrace falsehood.

duwdu:


Very well said, @LogicPower. Kudos.

(I just had to quote the post in full in order to preserve it on my own side.)

P34c3
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Thanks duwdu.

OAM4J:


Please tell them Elder Kolade

He said he is in his 80s then it means he is among those that destroyed this country and benefited from the rot.
he should do the needful that is go and die and let's have progress.