NEWS
Valley View University Confers Honorary Doctorate Degree On Adeleke
. . . Cites Governor’s Records On Good Governance
. . . Save Democracy By Delivering On Good Governance, Governor Adeleke Tasks African Leaders
For delivering on good governance in the last one year, Ghana’s premier chartered university, Valley View University has conferred an honorary doctorate degree on Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun state, calling him “a model in Africa’s search for good governance”.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof William Koomsion said the university reviewed the Governor’s antecedent as a businessman and former Senator alongside his ethical leadership since assuming the governorship of Osun state, Nigeria to arrive at its decision.
The Vice-Chancellor lauded the Governor’s multi-million-naira education scholarship as a Senator, his sterling records on workers’ welfare as a Governor, his performance on infrastructure upgrades and his commitment to due process, rule of law and fear of God.
The University which is a Seventh Day Adventist institution also invited the Governor as a convocation guest speaker with the theme: Imparting Excellence, Integrity and Service: Nurturing Ethical Leaders in Changing World for which the Governor called on leaders to sustain good governance to safe democracy in Africa.
Accepting the conferment, Governor Adeleke reiterated the importance of good governance for democracy, submitting that the conferment of the doctorate degree is a testimony to his administration’s unbending desire to take Osun to new heights.
“Our administration was only doing what we are elected to do- selfless pro-people service. Little did we know we are being monitored even outside Nigeria. I did not know our modest effort had so much impact beyond our imagination. This is a challenge to do more”, the Governor noted in his acceptance speech.
- Save Democracy by Delivering on Good Governance- Adeleke
Earlier in his convocation speech as a guest speaker, the Governor bemoaned the increasing erosion of democratic culture due to the non-commitment of many leaders to good governance.
The Governor, who said leaders face the challenge of balancing questions of excellence and integrity in public service, affirmed that leaders must play according to the rules and avoid unethical activities.
He speaks further at the lecture: “Doing the right thing as a leader in policy delivery is the expected output of every public leader. Ensuring best service delivery with the right moral compass is the best expectation in public life. Achieving both excellence and integrity is the calling of ethical leaders.
“Ethical leaders are expected to be rule-driven, honest, consistent, goal-driven and oriented towards the aspirations of the people. He or she should avoid corruption and ensure public resources serve the public interest. In his mind, nothing should interfere with community’s joint vision. The well-being of the people is the driving force of all ethical leaders.
“Such leaders exist within the African political space but they are increasingly few. Leaders in Africa are faced with multiple issues which undermine the drive for excellence. In the midst of deep poverty and high levels of under-development, the pursuit of excellence in governance is increasingly a goal hardly pursued. Pursuant of self-survival supersedes ideals that focus on responsible and people-driven governance. The environment of hunger, poverty, diseases and huge infrastructure deficit undercut the upholding of noble leadership ideals.
“Much more complicated is the consequent political instability on the continent. Failure of leaders to be rule-driven by abiding by the Constitution brings new actors into the scene. Refusal to abide by term limits and free and fair elections creates an expanded level of leadership deficit. Many leaders lack credibility and legitimacy as the process of their ascendance to power is suspect. Governance thereafter becomes a difficult task as many leaders are engaged in continuous suppression of the rule-driven system.
“As a sitting Governor and a former Senator in the Nigerian Senate, it is my considered opinion that embracing an ethical leadership model will speed up the achievement of public service excellence and good governance in Africa. The complicated social, economic and political challenges facing Africa can only be tackled by leaders who are married to the rule of law, and due process alongside practical fear of God. A leader holding power of life and death over the citizens must be accountable, responsive and citizen-centred.
“Africa cannot achieve good governance if the constitutions are serially violated if elections are violently rigged, if leaders are of the sit tight model. The problem of underdevelopment will remain forever with Africa if public resources are diverted into private pockets, if public contracts are triply inflated and if poor quality projects are foisted on the populace.
“Democracy remains the best vehicle to deliver good governance. Democracy is however sustainable only when leaders govern by the rule of the game. Increasingly, democracy is under serious threat by the low level of ethical leaders and the prevalence of despots pretending to be democrats. Military rule is creeping in across Africa and the continent is at a loss as to how to stem the negative trend.
“At a time when democratic regression is surfacing in Africa, the world is changing at a very fast phase. The threat of climate change is unrelenting at a time when tech advancement is disrupting every facet of global society. Africa is however still battling to provide basic provision of lives for her citizens.
“To achieve excellence in public leadership, Africa is in dire need of ethical leadership. We need leaders who will avoid corruption, a despotic mindset and support deep adherence to the rule of law. We must ensure survival of democracy by sticking to the rule and eschew disobedience of the electoral will of the citizens. Leaders must see their offices as a call to duty to serve and not to be served; to consult and not to dictate, and to observe and not violate the rule of law.
“In my state back in Nigeria, I have four rules of engagement as a Governor namely adherence to the rule of law, zero tolerance for corruption, commitment to good governance and fear of God in public leadership”, the Governor concluded the address with a standing ovation from students and top dignitaries at the occasion.
Governor Adeleke was accompanied to the event by the Chief of Staff, Hon Kazeem Akinleye, the publisher of Ovation magazine, Bashorun Dele Momodu and other top officials of the Osun state government.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
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The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.
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