Shettima urges leaders to groom better successors for democracy sustenance

Vice President Kashim Shettima has called on serving good leaders to groom successors who are better than them for the sustainability of the soul of democracy.

The Vice President stated this at the unveiling and public presentation of a book written by Dr Goke Adegoroye, a retired federal permanent secretary, on Thursday in Abuja.

Our correspondent reports that the title of the book is: “Leadership in the Nigerian Civil Service, Five Decades of Lessons in Performance, Encounters and Triumphs.”

Shettima, represented by the Dr Aliyu Umar, Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Vice President’s Office, said that Nigerian leaders must make succession planning a way of governance.

He described the book as a gift to a nation that is still finding its rhythm, adding that it was a call to see mentorship as an act of responsibility, not charity.

“The sustainability of every form, the credibility of every institution, and the very soul of our democracy, depend on the willingness to prepare successors, who are better than us.

“Our history is littered with policies that began well but vanished with their pioneers because no one was prepared to carry the torch forward.

“We must speak plainly — a political culture that does not believe in succession is not designed to survive, it is designed to fail,” he said.

According to Shettima, President Bola Tinubu is a model in Nigeria’s political history, as far as leadership succession planning is concerned.

“Long before succession planning became a buzzword, he had already sown his seeds across Nigeria’s political and administrative terrain.

“His genius was not only in leading but in identifying those who could lead after him in Lagos.

“He built institutions, empowered people, and mentored a generation of technocrats and politicians, who have continued the work he had begun outside Lagos and Nigeria,” he said.

The Vice President emphasised that continuity was not accidental but a result of foresight, adding that foresight was what leaders must institutionalise across all spheres of national life.

He urged Nigerian leaders to bridge the gap between potential and opportunity, and build a nation, where every child knows the path of leadership is paved by preparation, not privilege.

Shettima admonished leaders to deliberately nurture, train, equip, inspire and mentor the young ones to succeed them, adding that no reform would outlive its architects unless it was institutionalised through deliberate succession.

“We cannot leave the future to chance. We must prepare the next generation of leaders. If we fail to be leaders, we cannot be surprised when institutional or institutions collapse.

“Leadership is not performance. It is sacrifice, and sacrifice cannot be taught in theory, it must be nurtured through mentorship and examples.

“Our young people are watching but watching is not enough, they must be engaged, they must be trained, they must be trusted,” he said.

He noted that the event was an opportunity to honour the author, reflect on the moral compass of public service, and “hold a mirror to ourselves, to our institutions and to the future.”

He said that the public service was a laboratory for reform while its strength lied in the quality of the young ones waiting in the wings.

“The familiar cliche that the youth are the leaders of tomorrow has become outdated, they are the leaders of today, they are the leaders of now,” he added.

Also speaking, the author described the book as his reflection and introspection to offer advice and guidance to Nigeria’s elected, appointed and career leaders on governance and public service.

He expressed the belief that the lessons, tips and recommendations provided in the book would offer a pathway to enhancing leadership effectiveness in the Nigerian civil service.

“I was unable to see the impact of my 35 years of service to the nation. My 35 years of service was more than what it took to transform Singapore from Third World to First World.

“It was more than what it took China to move from its current position as the second largest economy in the world, and more than what it took Dubai, Malaysia and Brazil to transform from sleepy to vibrant economies,” he said.

Adegoroye said that he identified two main groups, the civil service and the political class, as the major problems of Nigeria.

He detailed the challenges to include the rampant corruption and political meddling in the civil service; political transition from one administration to the other; as well as politics and election.

“I believe very strongly that if Nigeria is to move forward, it must start with the strengthening of its bureaucracy. Our civil service must be transformed into an effective machinery of running government affairs.

“The starting point is for the President to endeavor to appoint credible and competent men and women of impeccable integrity into the three central bureaucracy offices of Secretary to the Government, Head of the Civil Service, and Chairman of the Federal Civil Service Commission.

“He must commit himself to ensuring that occupants of these three offices achieve this goal, and as a matter of principle as a nation, we must give room for the best persons or candidates to emerge in positions of governance and the bureaucracy,” he said.

Earlier, Chief Olu Falae, the chairman of the occasion, the Baba Oba of Akureland, and a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, urged others to write their memoirs like Adegoroye.

“So I want to appeal to all of us that we must discard any modesty, any preoccupation with other engagements and put down for posterity your experiences and achievements.

“The situation in the future may be different, but the methods of resolving problems and crises will remain valid; we’re not writing for this generation, we’re writing for posterity, so please do try to write,” he said.

Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, represented by Dr Deborah Odoh, the Permanent Secretary in her office, described the book as capable of making the civil service efficient, productive, incorruptible, and citizen-centred.

She expressed the hope that it would also serve as a guiding resource for public servants, policymakers, scholars, and other stakeholders in the development of the nation’s administrative institutions.

“As we continue the march toward an innovative, rule-based and performance-driven civil service, intellectual efforts such as this will serve as a compass for future generations,” she said.

The book reviewer, Prof. Victor Ayeni, said the author had produced a commendable book, which he should rightly be proud of, and recommended it to policymakers, practitioners, scholars and researchers.

Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, the book’s chief presenter, said Nigeria needed to tap from Adegoroye’s rich knowledge and experience, adding: “We need people like him to energise the youth to become role models.”