Embrace ethical leadership, Adeleke urges African leaders.

Embrace ethical leadership, Adeleke urges African leaders.

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke.

Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has urged those in positions of authority in Africa to embrace the ethical leadership model in a bid to ensure excellence in public service and good governance.

The governor made this known while delivering a convocation lecture on the theme: Imparting Excellence, Integrity and Service: Nurturing Ethical Leaders in Changing World’ at Valley View University, Accra, Ghana, after the university had conferred on him an honorary doctorate degree.

Adeleke, who identified attributes of ethical leaders, said they were always rule-driven, honest, consistent, goal-driven and oriented towards the aspirations of the people, added that such leaders would avoid corruption and ensure public resources serve the public interest.

He, however, noted that such leaders existed within the African political space but were few, lamenting that leaders in Africa were often faced with multiple issues that would undermine the drive for excellence.

Proffering solutions to this challenge, Osun State Governor, in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, obtained in Osogbo on Sunday, further said, “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.

“Doing the right thing as a leader in policy delivery is the expected output of every public leader. Ensuring the 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.

“Many leaders lack credibility and legitimacy as the process of their ascendance to power is suspect. Afterward, governance becomes a difficult task as many leaders are engaged in the continuous suppression of the rule-driven system.

“To achieve excellence in public leadership, Africa is in dire need of ethical leadership. We need leaders who will avoid corruption and a despotic mindset and support deep adherence to the rule of law. We must ensure the survival of democracy by sticking to the rule and eschewing 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.”

Speaking earlier, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Prof William Koomsion, said the institution reviewed Adeleke’s antecedent as a businessman and ex-federal lawmaker, alongside his ethical leadership since assuming the governorship of Osun, to arrive at its decision.

He 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, the rule of law and fear of God.