…rejoices with Pastor E.A. Adeboye who turns 83
Veteran journalist and former presidential aide, Laolu Akande, has called on Nigerian political elites to prioritize public interest over personal and political expediencies.
Speaking on the My Take segment of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande on Channels Television on Sunday, he expressed concern over the continued neglect of pressing national issues by leaders at all levels of government.
Akande referenced a recent Gallup Poll that examined global expectations from leadership, emphasizing that leaders should embody hope, trust, compassion, and stability.
“Last month, a new Gallup Poll research was done globally. And the result found out what people want from their leaders or, in my view, what is in the public interest? 56% of the respondents said it’s hope, 33% said it’s trust, 7% said compassion and 4% said it’s stability. This means leaders in all spheres of life ought to DILIGENTLY look out for the public interest in order to truly leave a lasting positive impact on their people and time.
“So, in every appearance in public, in every action leaders take, they ought to ask themselves whether such action or words offer hope, trust, compassion and stability to the people. Those are the things that summarise public interest.”
He criticized the political class for prioritizing personal and partisan interests over national development. Addressing the recent gathering of former Nigerian leaders at the launch of General Ibrahim Babangida’s book in Abuja, Akande noted that the event failed to acknowledge the pain and injustices surrounding the annulment of the June 12, 1993 election.
“Since we started Inside Sources, some among the political elites have been wondering on whose side I am in the political divide. Am I for the government of the day or am I for their opponents? This is simple. As a journalist, someone has to be on the side of the public good. It’s called public interest commentary.
“So, where was the public interest when all but one of our former leaders gathered in Abuja recently to launch IBB’s book and nothing was even said about the pains that the annulment of June 12 caused? Or, even the mention of the many lives lost in the protests that went on for years after the annulment? Where was the public interest on that day? The annulment itself was an act of injustice. And now that IBB has taken responsibility, no one, not even President Tinubu, raised the issue of restorative justice. Where’s the public interest?
“That event showcased how our elites can come together around their private personal interests. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. But why do our leaders find common ground for personal tributes, yet they’re indifferent at times when it’s time to solve pressing national issues? Where is the public interest?”
Akande further condemned the National Assembly for prioritizing trivial matters over critical national challenges, describing Nigerian governance as a “theatre of misplaced priorities.”
“Consider our National Assembly – the highest legislative body that’s meant to shape the future of the country. Rather than them to relentlessly tackle urgent national issues such as poverty, insecurity, and inflation, the federal lawmakers are engrossed in petty disputes, shambling over seat arrangements, nightclub altercations, and the likes. Where’s the public interest?”
He also cited Rivers, Lagos, and Osun states as examples where political infighting has overshadowed governance.
“In Rivers State, the political infighting between Governor Fubara and Minister Wike has overshadowed existential issues in that state such as environmental degradation, infrastructural decay, and the long-ignored oil spill disasters in Ogoniland. Instead of governance, we witnessed a relentless battle for political supremacy. Where is the public interest?
“In Lagos, the economic nerve center of Nigeria, people are grappling with an inflation crisis, worsening living conditions, and a sudden rise in tuberculosis cases – I mean a broken healthcare delivery system across the country actually – yet what occupies the attention of the Lagos State House of Assembly is a power struggle between political figures.
“In Osun State, the state finds itself trapped in a familiar cycle. Political actors engaged in a bitter struggle for control over local government administration while the real issues—dilapidated schools, absent healthcare system, insecurity, economic stagnation—go unaddressed. But the governor is dancing away and his opponents are boasting of federal mights. Where is the public interest?”
Despite his criticisms of political leaders, Akande took a moment to celebrate the contributions of Pastor E.A. Adeboye on his 83rd birthday, recognizing his impact beyond the religious sphere.
“Inside Sources joins in wishing Pastor E.A. Adeboye, a man of wisdom with unrelenting anointing, a happy 83rd birthday today. There must be very few people, if any, among us who wouldn’t see that Pastor Adeboye is indeed a Nigerian Pastor. However, the impacts of his contributions go beyond the spiritual to the making of new leaders in virtually every facet of our national life. And even globally. We rejoice with him and pray that he’ll forever be a shining example of personal integrity, tremendous compassion for people, and a patriotic Nigerian.”
