A good leader must be guided by divine wisdom, not by mere intellectual knowledge. And like King Solomon, a leader whether religious, traditional or political should be compassionate, sensitive to the people’s needs and have an understanding heart. This much was made known by the Archbishop of Abuja, Most Rev. Ignatius Kaigama in a Homily he delivered recently at St. Agnes Parish, Wuye, Abuja. Archbishop Kaigama’s sermons taken from the book of 1 Kings 3:9 said Solomon, rather than asking for wealth, long life, increase in military might or destruction of his enemies, instead asked for wisdom: “Give your servant a heart to understand how to discern between good and evil,” Which he noted pleased God to grant him even much more. He condemned what he described as the crave for power in Africa among politicians and even some religious leaders, and the mind-boggling manipulations to achieve it leading to threat to life, unjust judicial pronouncement, buying of votes and promoting dubious interests of god fathers.
The Prelate added that a true leader should have respect for human life, give each person a sense of belonging, promote equitable distribution of available resources. A wise leader, he counseled, should recognize the potentials in others and bring the best out of them in the interest of the common good, just as he is equally conscious of seeking Heavenly things which endures forever. He however found consolation in the second reading, noting that whether calamities, violent conflicts or the COVID-19 pandemic, the world is currently battling with and other evils are not new to God. Archbishop Kaigama said the recent revelations about pervasive corruption in some government sectors are worrisome and unfortunate, describing the cost of governance in the face of a pandemic of poverty as scandalous, insisting that hope is not lost though. He noted there are still many good Nigerians who have made the country proud in recent times. The appointment of a Nigerian as Vice Chancellor of a UK university and a Nigerian who in Japan returned a missing wallet with huge sums of money, give one hope that all is not lost.
