‘Nigeria Needs Selfless, Transformational Leaders’

Former Federal Permanent Secretary Olusegun Adekunle has said Nigeria needs selfless and transformational leadership to overcome its numerous problems.

Adekunle, who spoke with LEADERSHIP at the 10th remembrance anniversary of the Late Brig. Gen. Benjamin Adekunle (rtd)  at the Ikoyi Vaults and Gardens in Lagos urged Nigerian leaders to live selfless lives and have the nation’s and people’s interests at heart.

He added that Nigeria needs straightforward, patriotic, upright leaders who care about the citizens’ interests, as this will foster peaceful coexistence among us.

He says, “The late Brigadier General Adekunle was a patriot, a coordinator, an umbrella that brings people together and says things straight from his mind.

I think his training in Sandhurst modelled him in that manner, and he submitted to civil authority by maintaining his integrity and personal interest for the nation till the very end. At the same time, we are proud to reckon with him both in his lifetime and when he is no more.”

The nephew of a Nigerian Civil War hero said that Nigeria as a nation misses selfless people who have an interest in and love for the country that will unite and aid peaceful coexistence and togetherness amongst us.

“He trained people, and some of those mentored are coming up and stepping up to live a worthy path in various business, policy formation, and government sectors.

While alive, the Late Brigadier General Benjamin Adekunle was described as magnanimously supporting diverse charitable institutions for social development causes that significantly impacted various beneficiaries within his community and the nation.

Consequently, he was fondly remembered as having led the Third Marine Commando with great panache and determination during the Nigerian Civil War. His large army and public following made him the most popular Military Commander during the Civil War.

Commenting on his life and times, Busola Olagunju Adekunle, daughter of the civil war hero, said, “He was a hot family man who was selfless, who loved children and understood them. He was good-hearted and a family man. He was a strict disciplinarian but loving and looked after his children in detail.”