At Aig-Imoukhuede Memorial Lecture: Political position isn’t leadership, Kukah tells Nigerians
•Success without service empty—Aig-Imoukhuede
•Leadership is responsibility, joy of serving —Fola Adeola
By Peter Egwuatu
THE Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Kukah, yesterday challenged Nigerians to rethink their understanding of leadership.
Kukah, in his keynote address delivered at maiden edition of Pastor Emily Aig-Imoukhuede Memorial Lecture to commemorate the fifth anniversary of her passing, also said leadership should not be confused with political office or position.
The cleric spoke as speakers at the lecture repeatedly emphasised that family remained the first training ground for leadership and that national transformation would not occur without strong moral foundations at the family level.
Among the array of dignitaries at the lecture were Fola Adeola, co-founder of GTBank; Sam Amuka-Pemu, Publisher of Vanguard Newspapers; Nduka Obaigbena, Publisher of THISDAY Newspapers; former deputy governor of Edo State, Chief Mike Oghiadomhe; and former chairman of Zenith Bank, Jim Ovia.
Others included Uzoma Dozie; Mr and Mrs Roosevelt Ogbonna; Temi Popoola, Group Managing Director of NGX Group; Tunde Fowler; and members of the Aig-Imoukhuede family.
Delivering his address, Fr. Kukah said many of Nigeria’s problems stemmed from the tendency to equate leadership with power, rather than influence and service.
“Leadership is not office. You can occupy an office without being a leader, and you can lead without holding any office. Leadership is influence. Leadership is responsibility,’’ he said.
He stressed that leadership must always be judged by whom it served and the extent to which it promoted the common good.
He warned against a culture where public office became a vehicle for personal gain, rather than service to society.
Drawing examples from history, religion and global politics, the cleric maintained that strong institutions and sustainable national development were built on moral foundations, values and character.
He lamented what he described as the erosion of ethical values in public life and called for a return to integrity, accountability and compassion.
The bishop further noted that Pastor Emily’s life represented a model of servant leadership rooted in faith, humility and concern for others.
He said: “Leadership is about vision, values and character. Character is what you do when nobody is watching.”
The event also featured a panel discussion moderated by Fola Adeola, who framed the conversation around the four themes that shaped Pastor Emily’s life: service to God; service to family; service to nation and leadership.
Adeola said: “They are not four worlds, they are one house. The thread that runs through every room and holds the whole house together is service.”
According to him, leadership, properly understood, is not the privilege of being served but the responsibility and joy of serving others.
The panel brought together accomplished women leaders, including Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Esther Walson-Jack, and leading corporate lawyer, Mrs Zelda Akindele.
The discussion explored the realities of balancing faith, family responsibilities, professional obligations and public service.
Walson-Jack shared a deeply personal story about choosing public service over personal convenience when she left her husband and young children behind to take up an assignment in Bayelsa State, following the state’s creation.
The decision, she recalled, was painful but necessary because she believed she had a duty to contribute meaningfully to the development of the new state.
“It was then that I began to understand that leadership means service,” she said.
Reflecting on the values that have guided her career, Walson-Jack highlighted hard work, integrity, diligence and empathy as the pillars of her leadership philosophy.
On her part, Mrs Akindele spoke candidly about the challenges of balancing family life with professional leadership.
She noted that modern leadership often involved navigating competing demands from work, family and society, adding that true balance was a daily struggle, rather than a permanent achievement.
“There is no world in which anyone has everything all of the time. Everyday involves choices and priorities,’’ she said.
She observed that today’s leaders operate under intense public scrutiny, particularly in the age of social media, where personal and professional lives wereconstantly on display.
Despite these pressures, she stressed the importance of authenticity and remaining true to one’s values.
The speakers repeatedly emphasised that family was the first training ground for leadership and that national transformation cannot occur without strong moral foundations at the family level.
Earlier in his welcome remarks, Chairman of Access Holdings Plc, Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede, paid an emotional tribute to his mother, describing her as a woman whose life was guided by purpose and responsibility.
According to him, Pastor Emily believed that every opportunity carried an obligation and every blessing imposed a duty to bless others.
He said she lived her life answering four important calls: the call to serve God, the call to serve family, the call to serve country, and the call to serve humanity.
“She believed that life was not meant to be lived for oneself alone. Every gift carried responsibility. Every opportunity carried an obligation. Every blessing carried a duty to bless others,’’ he said.
He recalled that even in her later years, she remained deeply concerned about Nigeria and constantly prayed for the country’s progress.
According to him, despite the challenges confronting the nation, she remained hopeful that Nigeria’s best days were still ahead.
Reflecting on the values she passed on to her children, Aig-Imoukhuede said the greatest inheritance from their parents was not material wealth but an enduring example of service, integrity and purposeful living.
“It was an example that taught us that success without service is ultimately empty, that influence without purpose is wasted, and that the true measure of life is not what we accumulate but what we contribute,” he said.
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