Our leaders are intellectually bankrupt - Bishop David Oyedepo

Davido Oyedepo, founder and presiding Bishop of the megachurch Faith Tabernacle and Living Faith Church Worldwide has called out African leaders over their lack of character, capacity and courage to move the continent forward.

While speaking during Covenant University’s 20th inaugural lecture, on Thursday, he noted that unlike their western counterparts, African leaders do not build institutions that would outlive them. He was reacting to a lecture delivered by Jonathan Aremu, a professor of International Economics Relations at CU, themed: ‘Sequencing and negotiating Nigeria’s regional and international trade agreements.’

Aremu had bemoaned Nigeria’s indifference and lack of will power in drafting effective trade policies and negotiations with bodies such as ECOWAS, AfCFTA, EFA and AGOA. The cleric, however, blamed the situation on Nigerian government’s lack of foresight and its inability to identify opportunities that would benefit the people.

According to him: “It is unfortunate that many of our leaders are intellectually bankrupt. When confronted with some of these beautiful initiatives, it is very shameful that they often don’t know the meaning. And if they don’t know the meaning, how will they go about implementation? I have often said it that our leaders lack three Cs-capacity, courage and character.

Where is the capacity when you are bereft of intellect required of a leader? Where is the courage when you don’t have the political will to follow through with policies that will improve governance? And where is the character when all they are thinking is how to win election as many times as possible while ignoring developmental initiatives?”