Former Nigerian Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines and the Kingdom of Cambodia, (Dr) Yemi Farounbi, has challenged governors in the South-West to examine whether their leadership and governance practices reflect the traditional values of the Omoluabi ethos associated with the Yoruba people.
Speaking PrimeStar News in the concluding part of a wide-ranging interview, asked the governors to assess whether they had lived up to the expectations of the Yoruba people in the areas of development, education, democratic participation, and commitment to the public.
He urged the governors to reflect on the region’s history, particularly its record of free education, housing development, broadcasting, industrialisation and other pioneering initiatives.
According to him, the South-West once demonstrated a strong tradition of developmental leadership, and contemporary leaders should ask themselves what they are doing that could similarly set the region apart.
He specifically questioned whether the governors had demonstrated the same commitment to education and development that characterised the region’s earlier leadership.
Farounbi also criticised what he described as the growing marginalisation of ordinary citizens in the democratic process, questioning the practice of governors imposing local government chairmen and influencing the emergence of lawmakers.
He asked, “Why are the people becoming unimportant in a democratic setting?” stressing the need for leaders to restore the people’s role in governance.
He also appealed to traditional rulers to reflect on the standards set by past Yoruba leaders and monarchs, urging the region to recover values from its past and integrate them into contemporary governance.
Farounbi said the South-West should take responsibility for rebuilding its developmental leadership, adding that the region’s progress remains important to Nigeria’s overall development.
