Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha on Thursday blamed the prevalence of human rights abuse in the country on poverty.
Okorocha said this while presenting a paper at a National Dialogue organised by the Human Rights Commission in Abuja.
He said the prevalence of human rights abuse and the rising state of insecurity in the country were due to lack of visionary leadership and good governance.
The governor noted that tribalism and selfishness were responsible for bad leadership in Nigeria.
Okorocha therefore called on leaders to imbibe the spirit of good leadership through sacrifice, political will and the promotion of the Nigerian culture.
“Effective leadership, good governance and human right are three topical issues that are very timely considering the security situation of the country and of course the entire world.
“Today, it is Boko Haram in the North; it is kidnapping in the South-South and South- East; it is OPC in the South-West; it is Coup de’tat in Mali.
“What we see in Nigeria today is that most often we have managers and not leaders. Managers maintain the status quo, but leaders improve on the status quo.
“Sometimes also we mistake politicians for leaders and that is one of my greatest cry. Nigeria’s democracy has produced for us politicians and lot leaders. Politicians are thinking about the next election while leaders are thinking of the next generation.
“Ingredients of leadership is vision – ability to see the future from today and a leader is a mad man who sees the future and hooks himself in the future while calling others to come.
“No wonder the bible said where there is no vision my people perish,” he said.
He also called for the decentralisation of powers from the federal to the state and local governments in order to tackle the current security challenges in the country effectively.
Mrs Sarah Jibril, Special Adviser to the President Goodluck Jonathan on Ethics and Values, who also spoke at the event, called on both Christians and Muslims to uphold ethical values.
She said the purity of character was a great virtue that was required by all Nigerians in order to tackle the rising cases of corruption in the country.
Jibril pointed out that the adherence to ethics was a prerequisite for effective governance and good leadership as well as a key factor for the respect of human rights.
Chairman of the event, Prof Jerry Gana in his speech, said human development was central to effective leadership, good governance and the respect for human rights.
Gana pointed out that education was one of the key issues that needed to be given adequate attention in the quest for human capacity development.
“Respect for human rights is the corner stone for building a civilised society. Any society that intends and wishes to be recognised as a modern state moving towards development that values the international community must respect in all ramifications, human rights.
“People should matter to us far more than this because they form the core of a nation’s resources. If you want to transform a nation you don’t begin with the materials.
“The most vital, critical and central are human beings. When you transform the people the people will transform the environment.
“When you care for them they will look after the nation. The central thing for me is to project to our people the concern, the passion, the desire the capacity of any leadership to ensure that the peoples inters tae paramount not only in terms of educating them, although education is extremely important.
“This is because the light of education drives away ignorance and if you say education is expensive try ignorance,” he said.
He called on the Federal Government to be focused, adding that one of the qualities of good leadership was focus.
On his part, the Executive Secretary of the Human Rights Commission, Prof Bem Angwe said the increasing rate of human rights abuse in the country made a call for a national dialogue inevitable.
He said it was necessary to address the issue of good leadership and governance as they were basic to respect of human rights.
The Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Mike Omeri said patriotism was key to good leadership and the respect for human rights..
He urged Nigerians to be humble and have respect for the rights of others.