The University of Abuja, Gwagwalada, FCT, on Tuesday, held its first Inaugural Annual Retreat of the Abuja Leadership Center, to help address challenges of public governance and leadership in the country.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Abdul-Rasheed Na-Allah speaking on the theme, “Building A Centre Of Excellence” said the concept of public governance in the country has been abused.
Na-Allah who was represented by the deputy Vice Chancellor Academics, Professor Clement Alawa, said, the evidence of failure of leadership at all levels abounds, hence the failure spans through communal, ethnicity and religion.
“The effort is geared towards overcoming the leadership crisis in Nigeria on how it can navigate the current leadership challenges confronting the country.
“It is also aimed at addressing the crisis of public governance and leadership which has had telling consequences on all development in Nigeria.
“The centre has been established as an intellectual Vanguard to address real life challenges facing Africa, I choose to focus on the visionary character of substantive thrust of our centre.
“The consequences of the death of leadership across the board could not be more devastating in this anarchic environment replicated across the continent.
“Sterling leadership is critical to development, implying state penetration of the political system, and by implication, the material welfare of the state and society,” he said.
According to him, the continental problem has been expressed in political instability reflected in civil and militant agitations, insurgencies, military interventions in governance and genocides.
He added that the practice of democracy in Africa has been defined by its multiple instrumental character to the public good and public value.
“In effect, the challenge is to interrogate the role of pivotal actors interacting at the macro and micro levels and the dynamic generated by this interaction for the health of the system.
“The challenges of the Abuja Leadership Center, the TETFund Center of Excellence in Public Governance and Leadership, are cut out for it,” he said.
Also speaking, the director of the Centre, Professor Ademola Araoye said the call for global standards of excellence in political policy making has contributed to the downgrade of humanity.
Araoye sad the university is located in an environment that would facilitate the advancement of its mandate, adding that true excellence is associated with an unending process to achieve good ideas and visions.
“It has simply proven that the University of Abuja is made up of dignified men of ideas and intellectuals who are constantly pushing the boundaries of human possibilities in all realms.
“The Abuja Leadership Center is indeed well located innan environment that would facilitate the advancement of its mandate, ” he said. (NAN)