Governor Sule blames economic downturn on bad leadership, urges need for transformative leadership

By David Odama

Governor Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa State has stressed the urgent need for transformative leadership to address Nigeria’s systemic challenges, emphasizing accountability, vision, and courage as critical pillars for national progress.

Speaking at the Verbatim Magazine’s 13th Anniversary Lecture and Award Ceremony in Abuja, Governor Sule delivered a candid assessment of Nigeria’s leadership failures while drawing from his personal experiences and governance strategies in Nasarawa State.

Drawing comparison to the 1980s and the first republic, particularly when prolific Nigerian author, Chinua Achebe wrote his book, ‘The Trouble With Nigeria’, corruption, which the Governor identified as the bane of leadership in the country, has metarmphosed from ‘massive’ as pointed out by Achebe 42 years ago to “supersonic” dimensions.

According to him leadership is a dynamic, solution-driven endeavor rather than a mere title.

“Leadership is an action. It’s a verb. A leader must solve problems and provide benefits to the people without jeopardizing their future,” he asserted.

He cited example of effective leadership as can be seen in Angola where the country’s leadership were able to harness the country’s oil resources to the point of now surpassing Nigeria’s oil production capacity.

Governor Sule pointed out he visited Angola after the country came out of a war, with none of the international oil companies desirous of venturing into Angola but that the leadership there provided the direction for Angola to rise up as an oil producing country that eventually summoned the courage to exit the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

He added that currently Angola is producing 2.1m barrels of oil while Nigeria, which used be the major oil producer, now produces barely 1.4m barrels.

“Nigeria at the time was producing 2. 2- 2.5m barrels of oil. We were the kings of Africa. Today, Angola is producing 2.1m barrels of oil. Angola is one of the most attractive places to visit. Nigeria on the other hand, is producing just a little over 1.4m barrels of oil. We have gone the other direction. The crisis that we didn’t have, today we have some of them in the Niger Delta,” he said.

The Governor blamed the economic downturn on bad leadership.

“I know you invited me so I can tell you as it is. Even if I am the one doing the wrong thing, I should tell you I am the one doing the wrong thing. I should not be afraid to say so because when we understand where we are coming from, or where we are, it will help guide us to where we should go to,” he added.

He equally identified prudence, honesty and contentment as key leadership traits without which Nigeria would continue to flounder.

“Prudence and honesty, similar to that of the first republic, similar to what Achebe has said, are essential when you are managing public resources. Public resources must be managed with some level of honesty and prudence,” he said.

The Governor decried a situation where leaders lack the necessary courage to sanction and punish especially erring officials that are close to them, thereby giving the impression that one can get away breaking the law.

“You must have the courage to punish even those around you. The day we have leaders in this country that would say, I am not going to steal but I won’t allow anyone around me to steal, we will see a sense of direction for this country.

“Sometimes we relax the laws for those around us because they are so close to us we are afraid to punish them. Any country that does not have punishment that country will have problems. I just came back from Saudi Arabia. In Saudi Arabia, not even the army, police but common vigilante will direct leaders, even governors not to cross certain areas and the people would obey. The law in Saudi Arabia works. If you make any mistake, one hand is gone. One mistake and they will take you somewhere and you may not come back with all your limps intact. The people are therefore very careful and they follow rules carefully to make sure they don’t break the law. If we have that in Nigeria, we would not continue to have problems. We will start by punishing whosoever is around us. That is the courage,” he added.

He said Nigerian leaders must cultivate the habit of contentment and to shun unnecessary amassing of wealth.

“We must have contentment also. All the idea of amassing wealth, you gather all kind of wealth and at the end of the day, you die. Contentment is part of the solution and part of the traits of leadership,” he said.

Governor Sule also said leaders must be willing to accept criticism, recounting his engagement with a critical NLC chairman, who later became the state’s Internal Auditor, and how he was able to turn adversaries into allies through dialogue.

Reflecting on his tenure as Managing Director of African Petroleum (AP) in the early 2000s, he recounted how prudent management transformed the company from a N26 billion debt-ridden entity to one with a N5 billion positive balance sheet within five years.

“We didn’t sell assets; we focused on integrity and operational efficiency,” he noted, linking this principles to his approach in public service.

He explained how upon inauguration into office as Governor in 2019, he embarked on his transformative agenda with Nasarawa establishing institutions like the Nasarawa State Investment Development Agency (NASIDA) to attract investments and the Economic Advisory Council, chaired by Prof. Konyinsola Ajayi, to ensure accountability.

Other key reforms included implementing a Treasury Single Account (TSA), a Sovereign Wealth Fund, where 5% of IGR is reserved for public-private partnerships, and robust procurement laws.

He emphasized that for leaders to be effective, they must prepare for their responsibilities.

Governor Sule also addressed his objections to aspects of the tax reform bills initiated by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly the proposed VAT increase.

While supporting modernizing the country’s outdated tax laws, he argued that higher VAT during 30% inflation would inflict hardship on the citizens and disadvantage states like Nasarawa, with his advocacy leasing to revisions in the bill.

“You must be firm in what you believe in. Recently, I got into trouble with some people when they misunderstood what we are doing with the tax reform bills. When the tax reforms bills went to the National Assembly some of us didn’t even know it went. But we started seeing things in the bills. Remember, I was elected under APC. I was one of the governors that believed that after president Buhari, power should rotate to the South. We fought very hard to ensure that it did. So, I can’t be among the governors criticizing the President. Sometimes people misunderstand speaking your mind and criticism. I didn’t like some of the things in the tax reforms bills,” he explained.

He appreciated President Tinubu for giving them a listening ear and for accepting to review the tax reform bills to reflect the concerns of the governors, particularly regarding the planned increase in VAT, as well as the VAT sharing formula.

Emphasizing continuity as a necessary aspect of leadership, Governor Sule said he chosed to complete 90% of inherited abandoned projects, as well as resolve inherited liabilities.

“Leadership means inheriting both assets and liabilities,” he remarked, urging successors to build on foundations rather than discard them.

Earlier, in a welcome address, Tobs Agbaegbu, Editor-in-Chief, Verbatim Magazine, said the leadership lecture series brings together thought leaders, policymakers and Industry experts to share their perspectives on pressing national issues.

Highpoint of the event was the award of excellence to selected leaders, including Governor Sule who received the Governor of the Year award In Good Governance and Integrity in Public Service.

Prominent Nigerians who attended the event include the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Arc. Ahmed Musa Dangiwa, as well as Professor Dantani Wushishi, Registrar, National Examination Council (NECO).