Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, has called for the adoption of the Chinese model for leadership selection in Nigeria.
The governor made the call while speaking at the 24th National Conference of the Nigerian Institution of Agricultural Engineers held recently at the Nigerian Society of Engineers headquarters in Abuja.
The governor argued that if properly utilised, Nigeria could benefit greatly from the Chinese model.
“In China, they do selection versus election. First, they will identify credible leaders with proven integrity based on past records. They evaluate the potential of all those who have been in a public office over a period of time; then, they select the best. After that, they subject the best for election,” Zulum said.
Governor Zulum also called on Nigerians to, while advocating for good leadership, be committed to becoming good followers who always promote effective governance in the country.
“Our problem here in Nigeria is not only about the leadership but also followership. I believe we need to shift our focus to two critical components rather than one: leadership as well as followership,” he said.
“However, followership is equally important, so as much as we need good leaders, we also need good citizens who can distinguish between their right and left,” he added