Kayode Fayemi
The Immediate past Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, has advised politicians in Africa to place the general interest of humanity above their personal interests.
Fayemi said doing this would enhance good governance in the continent.
The former governor gave the remark while delivering a lecture organised to commemorate the death of a former President of Ghana, the late John Attah Mills, in Accra, the Ghana capital, on Tuesday.
The text of his speech was made available to our correspondent.
Fayemi said, “We need politicians willing and able to rise above their own power interests, or the particular interests of their political parties or states, and act in accord with the fundamental interests of today’s humanity – that is, to behave the way everyone should behave, even though most may fail to do so.”
Speaking on the topic, “Intellectuals in Politics and Governance in Africa: The lessons and legacies of John Atta Mills”, Fayemi lauded the contributions of Atta Mills to the socio-economic development of Ghana during his short tenure in office.
Fayemi told the gathering how the late Atta Mills predicted President Muhammadu Buhari’s victory when the two leaders met in Ghana shortly after the 2011 general election in Nigeria.
He said, “A good politician need not be an intellectual but he should be able to explain, without seeking to seduce; he should humbly look for the truth of this world without claiming to be its professional owner; character and integrity should be more important to him than academic intelligence; he should alert people to the good qualities in themselves, including a sense of the values and interests which transcend the personal, without giving himself an air of superiority and imposing anything on his people.
“In the realm of such politics, intellectuals should make their presence felt in many ways. They could – without finding it shameful or demeaning – accept a political office and use that position to do what they deem right, not just to hold on to power. Or they could be the ones who hold up a mirror to those in authority, making sure that the latter do a good thing and that they do not begin to use fine words as a cloak for evil deeds, as had happened to so many intellectuals in our continent and elsewhere.
“Am I then suggesting that an intellectual necessarily belongs to politics? Put that way, an impression is created that I consider it the duty of every intellectual to engage in politics at all cost. That is not my view. However, it is my profound conviction that Africa requires more than ever before, enlightened, thoughtful politicians with character and integrity who are bold and broad-minded enough to consider things which lie beyond the scope of their immediate influence and benefit
Source: punch
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