US-based professor of leadership, Dr. Princess Halliday, has berated governors of some Nigerian states where food items meant as palliatives during the COVID-19 pandemic are being discovered and looted.

Calling the act disingenuous and shameful, the globally-recognised leadership expert said this is why leaders in Africa must wake up and recognise the fact that leadership is primarily designed to serve the interest of the people and not the leaders’.

She said Tuesday in a statement: “To every leader of the governing states where hidden palliatives were discovered, I will simply ask them whose interest they are supposed to be serving. Do they represent themselves or are they against their people? The entire situation is alarming. I am still discombobulated. Thousands of food items hidden in huge storage facilities as opposed to distributing them to the people?For every state where these hidden palliatives were found, it is shameful and disingenuous, to say the least. As a leadership expert, I insist that Nigerians have been dehumanised for too long. The palliatives belong to the people and they simply took them.”

As part of Nigeria’s 60th Independence anniversary celebrations, Halliday had called for the establishment of a ministry of leadership as part of the measures to professionally overhaul destructive leadership elements in the Nigerian system. “I believe that a Ministry of Leadership needs to be created to govern leadership affairs in Nigeria effectively. In 60 years, no ministry has carefully evaluated how leadership is exhibited in Nigeria. Through this ministry, destructive leaders can be professionally overhauled. I can say that Nigeria has some great leaders. These leaders need constant personal development to help stabilise their emotional intelligence and emotional agility. I am honoured to have been bestowed an Extraordinary Ability in Leadership in the United States due to my tenacious desire for authentic leadership, diversity, and Inclusion. This is a tremendous honour, and I am thankful to the United States. I am exceptionally focused, self-directed, committed, and passionate about leadership,” she said.