Political Class: Let NDDC Develop Niger Delta!

 By Tonnie Iredia

The oil-rich Niger Delta Region of Nigeria consists of Nine (9) coastal southern states of the country; namely: Ondo, Edo, Delta, Bayelsa, Rivers, Imo, Abia, Cross River and Akwa Ibom. The 2006 controversial census recorded for the area some 31 million Nigerians – a figure that would today be about 40 million. What is certain is that the Niger Delta provides over 80 percent of Nigeria’s budgetary revenues and about 95 percent of the nation’s foreign exchange earnings.

Consequently, one would have thought that the area would have on its own merit be at the front burner of Nigeria’s development framework but that has not been so. Instead, the area has been subjected to severe collateral damages caused by the multi-dimensional nature of oil operations thereby completely devastating the environment.

Jakande: Visionary Leader At 89

By Tayo Ogunbiyi

The concept of leadership has always been of tremendous interest to classical thinkers as well as contemporary political and management scholars as our world continues on the path of progressive evolution. On the other hand, visionary leadership theory rose to prominence in 1980-90s, and can be traced back to the political sociology writings of Max Weber and James Macgregor Burns.

* Lateef Jakande

Visionary leadership molds have a twin focal point on who a leader is as well as what a leader does, merging both the trait and behavioural theories of leadership. Visionary leaders are exceptional because they possess a deep sense of personal purpose coupled with an unshakable self-confidence in the ability to realise this purpose.