Former president and CEO of Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc., Transcorp, Valentine Ozigbo, has expressed worries over alleged lack of concern from Governor Charles Soludo regarding the rising insecurity in the state.
He pointed out that the governor’s silence on security issues like kidnapping, particularly the recent abduction of the retired Archbishop of the Niger Province, Most Rev. Prof. Godwin Okpala, is alarming.
Speaking at a Townhall Meeting in Lagos, to discuss the state and way forward for Anambra and South-East region, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate for the 2021 Anambra State governorship election, argued that Soludo’s leadership style was lacking in emotional intelligence, compassion, and willingness to listen to others.
According to him, the current administration’s inability to address the security challenges facing the state is a reflection of its leadership deficit.
Ozigbo, who has declared his intentions to vie for the governorship position on the platform of the Labour Party, LP, next year, emphasised the importance of leadership qualities such as humility, emotional intelligence, and compassion in addressing the challenges bedeviling the state.
He opined that Soludo’s failure to demonstrate these traits has contributed to the state’s insecurity problems. “I feel that one of the fundamental things about leadership is what I call the gift or skill of emotional intelligence and that is what I am bringing to the table”, the LP chieftain stated.
He continued: “Apart from being competent and knowing what to do; acknowledging that you don’t know it all, humbling yourself to listen to others, respecting and showing love and compassion to one another, and knowing your environment are also very important in leadership. And that is what I think is missing in the leadership of Anambra State currently.
“The gentleman there today doesn’t listen to anybody. He thinks he knows it all and it is very telling of his acts. There is no compassion; there is nothing to show that this man is worried about the situation in the state.”
He doesn’t even speak about it. You hear that an archbishop has been kidnapped, and there is no comment from the governor.
“Beyond that, the highhandedness; the ‘Akaodo’ syndrome and the paucity of law and order are apparent. The question is: Who in Anambra is happy? Which institution is happy? Which department is happy? Hardly would you find any. So Anambra people are not happy and this is part of the discussion today. Let’s hear from those in Lagos. Are people happy with how Anambra is? How many of you are going home for Christmas? Are you excited to go home? Are you perturbed? Are you worried? Are you concerned? And that is the conversation.
“The truth is that our people are totally sad; very sad. Anambra people are not satisfied. The level of insecurity is horrendous, and there is not even any hope; there is no sign that something good is going to come out of this administration as far as security is concerned.”
The former Transcorp boss however highlighted the need for a more inclusive and responsive leadership style, saying, “You have got to be a different kind of person. You have got to be someone who understands that leadership is not just about what you can do, but who you are.”
