BY JUDE EHEBHA 

EKPOMA – A professor of Philosophy, Monday Lewis Igbafen has advocated for leadership restructuring in Nigeria to engender good governance in the county

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Professor Igbafen who is of the Department of Philosophy, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State made the call while delivering the 127th Inaugural Lecture of the University, Ekpoma, titled: “Pluto’s ‘Philosopher King’ and the Quest for Political Order in Nigeria”.

The Inaugural lecturer, a former ASUU chairman, AAU-chapter  and current Benin Zonal chairman of ASUU, noted that for Nigeria to experience good governance, rulership in the country must be restructured such that leadership is anchored on virtues and ethics.

According to him, the present method of making leadership through hook and crook will plunge the country into what he called “social perfidy similar to Hobbes dreaded state of nature”.

He pointed out that leadership should not be all-comer affairs, warning that no human society survives the kind of political arrangement in place in Nigeria in terms of leadership selection.

He said Nigeria needs ‘Philosopher King’ described by Plato, adding that Nigeria risked disorderliness by ignoring Plato’s advice which states that “ Mankind will have no respite from trouble until either real philosophers gain political power or politicians become by some miracle, true philosophers”.

“Those in Nigeria’s leadership class should be educated and trained to divest themselves of natural instinct or innate of greed, self, ego, corrupt tendencies and unrestrained craze for primitive accumulation.

“The most fundamental and pressing restructuring Nigeria needs, is for leadership to inject dose of competence. Leadership should not be all-comer affairs, including thugs, touts, and layabouts. The need or urgency for restructuring of the country’s rulership is inevitable” he stated.

The acting Vice Chancellor of the Ambrose Alli University, Prof. Sunday Olowo Samuel described the inaugural lecture topic as apt due to what he called uncertain political atmosphere currently being witnessed in Nigeria and the unpatriotic nature of some politicians in the country.

He expressed gratitude to God for the victory of the Edo State Governor, Senator Monday Okpebholo at the Tribunal and the approval of the N70, 000 minimum wage for AAU by the Governing Council.

He reaffirmed management’s commitment to uninterrupted academic calendar and prompt payment of salaries and pensions.