For delivering on good governance in the last one year, Ghana’s premier chartered university, Valley View University has conferred an honorary doctorate degree on Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State, calling him “a model in Africa’s search for good governance”.

The Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof William Koomsion, said the university reviewed the Governor’s antecedent as a businessman and former Senator alongside his ethical leadership since assuming the governorship of Osun State, Nigeria to arrive at its decision.

The Vice-Chancellor lauded the Governor’s multi-million naira education scholarship as a Senator, his sterling records on workers welfare as a Governor, his performance on infrastructure upgrades and his commitment to due process, rule of law and fear of God.

The university which is a Seventh Day Adventist university also invited the Governor as a convocation guest speaker with the theme: Imparting Excellence, Integrity and Service: Nurturing Ethical Leaders in Changing World for which the Governor called on leaders to sustain good governance to safe democracy in Africa.

Accepting the conferment, Governor Adeleke reiterated the importance of good governance for democracy, submitting that the conferment of the doctorate degree is a testimony to his administration’s unbending desire to take Osun to new heights.

“Our administration was only doing what we are elected to do – selfless pro-people service. Little did we know we are being monitored even outside Nigeria. I did not know our modest effort had so much impact beyond our imagination. This is a challenge to do more”, the Governor noted in his acceptance speech.

Earlier in his convocation speech as a guest speaker, the Governor bemoaned the increasing erosion of democratic culture due to the non-commitment of many leaders to good governance.

The Governor, who said leaders face the challenge of balancing questions of excellence and integrity in public service, affirmed that leaders must play according to the rules and avoid unethical activities.

He spoke further at the lecture: “Doing the right thing as a leader in policy delivery is the expected output of every public leader. Ensuring best service delivery with the right moral compass is the best expectation in public life. Achieving both excellence and integrity is the calling of ethical leaders.

“Ethical leaders are expected to be rule-driven, honest, consistent, goal-driven and oriented towards the aspirations of the people. He or she should avoid corruption and ensure public resources serve the public interest. In his mind, nothing should interfere with community’s joint vision. The well-being of the people is the driving force of all ethical leaders.

“Such leaders exist within the African political space but they are increasingly few. Leaders in Africa are faced with multiple issues which undermine the drive for excellence. In the midst of deep poverty and high levels of under-development, the pursuit of excellence in governance is increasingly a goal hardly pursued. Pursuant of self-survival supersedes ideals that focus on responsible and people-driven governance. The environment of hunger, poverty, diseases and huge infrastructure deficit undercut the upholding of noble leadership ideals.

“Much more complicated is the consequent political instability on the continent. Failure of leaders to be rule-driven by abiding by the Constitution brings new actors into the scene. Refusal to abide by term limits and free and fair elections creates an expanded level of leadership deficit. Many leaders lack credibility and legitimacy as the process of their ascendance to power is suspect. Governance thereafter becomes a difficult task as many leaders are engaged in continuous suppression of the rule-driven system.

“As a sitting Governor and a former Senator in the Nigerian Senate, it is my considered opinion that embracing an ethical leadership model will speed up the achievement of public service excellence and good governance in Africa. The complicated social, economic and political challenges facing Africa can only be tackled by leaders who are married to the rule of law, and due process alongside practical fear of God. A leader holding power of life and death over the citizens must be accountable, responsive and citizen-centred.

“Africa cannot achieve good governance if the constitutions are serially violated if elections are violently rigged, if leaders are of the sit tight model. The problem of underdevelopment will remain forever with Africa if public resources are diverted into private pockets, if public contracts are triply inflated and if poor quality projects are foisted on the populace.

“Democracy remains the best vehicle to deliver good governance. Democracy is however sustainable only when leaders govern by the rule of the game. Increasingly, democracy is under serious threat by the low level of ethical leaders and the prevalence of despots pretending to be democrats. Military rule is creeping in across Africa and the continent is at a loss as to how to stem the negative trend.

“At a time when democratic regression is surfacing in Africa, the world is changing at a very fast phase. The threat of climate change is unrelenting at a time when tech advancement is disrupting every facet of global society. Africa is however still battling to provide basic provision of lives for her citizens.

“To achieve excellence in public leadership, Africa is in dire need of ethical leadership. We need leaders who will avoid corruption, a despotic mindset and support deep adherence to the rule of law. We must ensure survival of democracy by sticking to the rule and eschew disobedience of the electoral will of the citizens. Leaders must see their offices as a call to duty to serve and not to be served; to consult and not to dictate, and to observe and not violate the rule of law.

“In my state back in Nigeria, I have four rules of engagement as a Governor namely adherence to the rule of law, zero tolerance for corruption, commitment to good governance and fear of God in public leadership.”

Governor Adeleke was accompanied to the event by the Chief of Staff, Hon Kazeem Akinleye, the publisher of Ovation magazine, Bashorun Dele Momodu, and other top officials of the Osun State Government.

Update news