Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has said Nigerian leaders make it impossible for upcoming politicians to succeed unless they surrender their soul to them.
Dogara, who was speaking at a conference of young lawmakers organised by the “Not Too Young To Run” movement, in Abuja, said Nigerian leaders have mastered “the art of political witchcraft” that sustains them in politics.
“Our so-called leaders have mastered the art of political witchcraft so much so that if you are independent minded, you are automatically disqualified,” he said.
“If for any reason you are picked, then you have to surrender your soul for them to eat in small bites until you become their worshiper.”
According to Dogara, the challenges of insecurity, unemployment, and inadequate healthcare are hinged on poor leadership and not corruption as is believed.
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“Nigeria’s real disease is lack of leadership; I disagree with all those who say our major national disease is financial corruption; rather, the real disease has been the absence of true leadership,” he said.
“This in turn breeds moral corruption and wickedness. Get a true leader that solves moral corruption and wickedness; when that happens, you will search for financial corruption to no avail.
“Unfortunately, the leadership model we have practised so far is the kind of leadership that produces sycophants who are expected to serve their political godfathers and not the people.”
He went on to berate the “so-called (political godfathers) in the country whom he said “expect the children to fit in and not to stand up to make a difference in the midst of this pandemic sycophancy.”
He told incoming young lawmakers that “if you are ever going to get there, it must be on the wings of discipline that produces character.
“This is because without character, you cannot be men and women of influence and without influence, you cannot change anything. Character means that you cannot be separated from your word; a quality no godfather in history has ever possessed.”