There is a current distrust between the Nigerian government across all levels and the citizens, according to the president of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Human Development Centre, Muttaqa Rabe-Darma.
Rabe-Darma disclosed this at the weekend in Katsina, during the 13th Umaru Musa Yar’Adua Day Memorial Lecture, organised by the ‘Katsina State First Youth’, Fix Under Grassroots Aids Initiative.
According to him, functional governmental systems require a trustworthy leader who exploits an all-inclusive government, considering all stakeholders as part of the decision-making body. He noted that it also required appreciating people’s functionality and ability, irrespective of whether they acquired knowledge and skills formally or distinctly.
The Yar’Adua centre boss also mentioned that one way to ensure followers’ trust in leaders “is to appreciate that leadership comes with self-responsibility, responsibility to the general public and importantly, to Allah (SWA).”
Rabe-Darma described the Late president and former Katsina State Governor as an excellent transformational leader. He said the Late president exhibited commitment and dedication towards transforming the state as the governor of Katsina and also had plans to move Nigeria to a greater level. He explained that Yar’Adua left legacies in the State that would never be forgotten in the history of Katsina, saying that he was a leader worth imitating.
Rabe-Darma added that the Islamic principle of governance is the best system and model that would make the State governing system workable and curb its multiple challenges.
He acknowledged the need for a new leader-follower model based on Islamic leadership principles to be embraced by the incoming government to succeed.
