Only courageous leaders can move Nigeria forward —Islamic cleric

A Muslim cleric and university don, Dr Asif AbdulAzeez-Olatunbosun, has said only courageous and transparent leaders could run the affairs of the country and restore peace,  as well as   economic stability .

The  Islamic cleric,  who is a principal lecturer and Chief Imam of Tai Solarin College of Education, Omu-Ijebu, Ogun State, said most Nigerian leaders lacked  vision, courage, fairness, morality and financial transparency, lamenting that such is responsible for the recent incident of ‘budget padding’ at the National Assembly and series of cases of diversion of public funds to personal usage, involving some public officers.

He said  this  when he delivered the 21st Ramadan lecture of Ola-Olu Muslim Society of Nigeria ,at the Central Mosque of The Wings Group of Schools, Iwo, Osun State, held in honour of Sheikh Alhaji Hamoda Tiamiyu Oyebode-Adisa.

Delivering the lecture  tagged  “Challenges of leadership, morality and financial transparency in Islam,”  he  insisted that the  current security and economic challenges facing the country would have been curtailed had  former President Goodluck  Jonathan, taken a courageous step towards curbing the menace of corruption before it escalated to the  current  level.

Among the  people present on   the occasion are, the Aragbiji of Iragbiji,  Oba Abdulrasheed Olabomi, Dr  M.O. Aremu of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Ogbomoso,  and    Professor Lai Olurode.

Also,  the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Adewale Akanbi,  on the occasion, charged leaders to be God-fearing,  adding that they should  remember that life is ephemeral and whatever position they hold today is transient.

The traditional ruler  stated that a leader should always see himself as a servant of the people who is saddled with the responsibility of ensuring the well-being of his people,  advising them to desist from any act capable of tarnishing their image

On the state of the nation,  he commended President Muhammadu Buhari, for his relentless effort towards moving the country to the promised land.