Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has called on newly graduated students to embrace ethical leadership, humility, and empathy as they prepare to take on leadership roles in society.
The Governor made this call on Monday, November 11, during the 3rd convocation ceremony held at the privately owned university in Ibadan, where he was the guest lecturer.
In his lecture, Governor Makinde emphasized that the qualities of ethical leadership, humility, and empathy are integral to the development of a well-rounded and responsible leader and guide decision making process.
He urged the graduands to consider these principles not only in their professional lives but also in their daily interactions with others.
The governor maintained that leadership was not just about power and authority but about understanding the needs of the people, acting with integrity, and consistently making choices that have the capacity to positively impact others.
While urging the graduated students to endeavor to lead by example as they begin a new journey into the world of work, he charged them to always be guided by humility and empathy.
The Governor highlighted the importance of ethical behavior in a rapidly evolving world, stressing that those in leadership positions must prioritize the well-being of the society above personal gain.
He pointed out that in recent years, the need for ethical leadership has become even more urgent, given the growing challenges of corruption, inequality, trust deficit, and social unrest.
“You are inheriting a world that requires not only knowledge but also compassion, you must be prepared to listen, to understand, and to act in ways that promote unity, justice, and progress.”
He also took time to acknowledge the resilience of the graduands, particularly in light of the challenges faced by students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Governor congratulated them on their perseverance, dedication, and success despite the multidimensional challenges facing the country.
The convocation ceremony saw the conferment of degrees to hundreds of students across various disciplines in the university.
In addition to the Governor’s address, the event featured keynote speeches and awards to outstanding students who demonstrated exceptional academic and social leadership.
“Let me define ethical leadership; it is about guiding others with integrity, transparency, fairness and commitment to do what is morally right even when faced with difficult situations. Leadership is not a work in the pack; you take thousands of decisions that would affect millions of people.
“Recall that during Covid-19, the whole world was locking down but we did not lock down in Oyo State. It was a difficult decision because I had to go against the entire world. We did the analysis, spent days to go through our data and putting logic and science into it.
“Let me give the Herod Agrippa example. He was pompous. But ethical leaders are not proud and even God said, pride comes before destruction. So, to be a good leader, you have to be humble and teachable and avoid anything that contributes to pride. I have seen people who flatters and have said ‘if not for me, Oyo State may not even wake tomorrow’, and I told them that it’s not true because I can drop dead at any moment and Oyo State will still wake up and things will continue.
“I was here during the campaign leading to 2019 election and Baba annointed me and said I would become the Governor. That was before the election and the anointing sealed everything.
“So, Herod Agrippa should have rebuked the people and told them not to call him a god. And we saw what happened when he listened to flatterers. We may not face instant judgement like Herod for accepting undue flattery and sycophancy but history is full of example of how things go badly in nations where the leaders listen to psychophants.
“Great leaders surround themselves with leaders who can tell them the truth. Now is the time to start practicing that. Choose quality friends and mentors. You need to decide the kind of leaders you want to be and look around you for good example of such leadership. Start imitating their waya and actions, which is very key.” Makinde said.
The Governor however, encouraged the graduands to remain lifelong learners, maintaining that the pursuit of knowledge should not end with the completion of their degrees and reminded them that true leadership is a continuous journey of growth, reflection, and service to humanity.
Speaking on the impact of speedy budget preparation, presentation,and legislative approval to delivery of good governance,the governor said: “For the past five years, we have presented our budget on time and ready on or before the first of January of the following year. This year won’t be an exception. I personally chair the Treasury Board.
“When we came in, budget performance in Oyo State was around 35 per cent, but since we came in, we have pushed to see that it goes above 70 per cent, and we keep tracking, not just by talking.
“As of today, the 2024 budget is at 64 per cent performance and we are able to do that because we went honked down, go through the numbers and go to all the zones in Oyo State to request for what they want as we don’t just invent things and put in the budget. So, it is a very important process and that is why I asked that they allow me present this lecture.
“I will like to focus my attention on the graduating students because they are just about going into the world and this lecture specifically is for you. I am sure if I go round and start asking why you don’t want to take on the political leadership position in Nigeria, you would have different answers. And one of the answers most of you would give would be on the unethical behavior of Nigerian politicians in general. Most of you, because of what they have deposited in you, don’t want to stain your white clothes and you want to avoid politicians.
“The problem we have is that the less good people are trying to work into governance, the more the unethical people would continue to thrive. This is because nature would not allow vacuum. If the good ones are not coming into that phase, the phase would be filled with unethical people.
“Throughout history, God has used political leadership to carry out his purpose. In fact, Paul the Apostle said there is no authority except by God and he said Christians should pray for those in authority. So, whether you like those in authority or not, pray for them because their decisions will impact on almost everybody.”
The Chancellor of the university, Bishop Francis Wale Oke, presented an award of leadership excellence to Governor Makinde on behalf of the school management and Board of Trustees.
Present at the event were the Chancellor; Bishop Francis Wale Oke and Rev (Mrs) Victoria Oke, Pro-Chancellor and Chairman Governing Council, Dr Samson Adeleke, vice chancellor; Professor Timothy Adejumo, and other top management of the institution.
