Nsukka, Nigeria – Gov. Charles Soludo of Anambra State says ethical leadership promotes transparency, accountability and merit, urging everyone in the country to embrace it.
Soludo said this in Nsukka on Friday while delivering a lecture titled “Ethical Leadership, Security and Sustainable Development”, organised by The ‘Ethics, AI and Higher Education Strategy (EAISTRAP)’, University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN).
He said ethical leadership means doing what is right, following due process and giving merit to the right person no matter whose ‘Ox is gored’.
“This is why ethical leadership promotes transparency, accountability and merit not considering who is involved or where one comes from.
“In ethical leadership, political patronage has no place, merit is rewarded though hardwork and dedication to duty as well as judicious use of resources,” he said.
The governor said his administration is anchored on ethical leadership that rewards merit, hardwork and qualifications in both employments and appointments not minding if one is an indigene of Anambra State or not.
“Many of the primary and secondary school teachers recruited recently were not from Anambra State. We recruited because them because they are qualified; two civil servants who are non-indigenes are now permeant secretaries in the state because my administration rewards merit no matter where you come from.
“One of the ways to move our country forward is for everyone to reward hardwork and merit not minding your local government or state of origin,” he said.
He, however, said that ethical leadership had its hazards and consequences as many who believe in cutting corners would attack a leader who insist on ethics, good values and merit.
“It is not an easy task to insist that the right thing should be done no matter whose ‘Ox is gored’ but if you maintain your ground those people attacking you will either bow or run away.
“I have earned the trust of Anambra people. They call me ‘The Solution’ because everyone knows I always go for the best; my mission in Anambra is to lay the solid foundation that will make Anambra the Dubia of Africa,” he said.
He said his administration is flushing out fake pastors and fake ‘native doctors’ because these people are deceiving our people, especially youths, by telling them there is no need for hardwork; that one can become rich overnight without hardwork.
“Our forefathers believed in hardwork, I do not know where these fake pastors and native doctors get idea that when you perform one evil ritual or the other you get rich over night without hardwork.
“My administration is prosecuting many of them and if they are found guilty by the court they will be jailed,” he said.
Soludo, a former Central Bank Governor, hailed the UNN Faculty of Social Sciences, led by Prof Chidi Nzeadibe, the Dean of the faculty, for seeing that his administration is rooted on ethical leadership that had transformed the state immensely.
“This is home coming for me not only as an alumni but also as a lecturer in UNN. I must say with all sense of nostogia that I missed the classroom, as this year marks my 27 years as a professor,” he said
In a remark, Prof. Oguejiofo Ujam, Acting Vice-chancellor of UNN, said that the university would continue to be guided by fundamental ethics of restoring the dignity of man.
Ujam, who was represented by Prof Romanus Ezeokonkwo, the Deputy Vice-chancelor, Administration, described Soludo as superlion and great ambassador of UNN who have done the university proud in many ramifications.
in his address, Nzeadibe, the Dean of the faculty, said Soludo was chosen because of his administration’s ethical leadership in Anambra State.
“We should all relax and enjoy the intellectual meal from this erudite professor and governor of Anambra State who has transformed the state with his wealth of knowledge and quality leadership,” Nzeadibe said.
Earlier in a remark, the Team Leader/Chairman of EAISTRAP, Prof. Casimir Ani, said that history of Ethical leaders would be incomplete without mentioning Soludo who in less than four years of his administration had transformed the state to Africa’s Dubai.
“Gov Soludo is a game-changer; he is the one that built Government House and Government Lodge since 1991 when the state was created.
According to him, the future of Nigeria’s sustainable development lies in inculcating ethical leadership and good management of resources in leaders
