A cleric has identified the absence of selfless and compassionate leadership as the killer-ailment hindering the growth and development of Nigeria and its people.

This selfish leadership is visible in the church, the academia, business/industry, the civil service and most pronounced among the political class, says the General Supervisor/Minister-in-Charge of ThankGod Awaited Liberation Ministry, Ikeja, Lagos, Mr. Francis Otukwu.

The cleric said during a sermon that the situation is most regrettable because those who abuse their positions of leadership are either Christians or Moslems, given that few Nigerians publicly admit being atheists.

He stressed that the essence of leadership is service to humanity at whatever level a Christian finds him/her self, either in public service or the private sector, adding: “Whether people believe it or not, service is a seed: whatever an individual sows, he/she will surely reap.”

Otukwu read relevant portions of the Scriptures (Mark 9:33-37; Luke 9:46-48; John 13:12-13) where Christ Jesus, whom he described as our model leader, taught that the greatest among his disciples should be their servant. “This is the origin of the concept of Servant-leader, which Christ exemplified. That is, leading by example, with a spirit of humility, selfless service, compassion and the fear of God,” he said.

On the relationship between leaders and followers, he read from Romans 13, where the Bible specifically charges believers to “Obey state authorities, because no authority exists without God’s permission….” He noted that this portion of the Scriptures equally connotes that God will not fail to punish leaders who deliberately or selfishly betray the trust placed on them, particularly religious leaders and elected officials.

Given the sickening level of impunity among Nigerians in leadership position, he wondered whether they believe in the Bible at all, even though most of them profess Christianity and attend churches regularly.

Though the message was punctuated with proverbs, he elaborated the following: “Fish starts rotting from the head.” This, according to the cleric, snugly fits Nigeria’s situation, as the collapse of moral values is more noticeable among the top echelon of the society, adding that corruption and other vices now flow from the leaders to followers. “This is an unwholesome development for an enormously endowed country like Nigeria,” Otukwu lamented.

He advised Nigerian leaders to take a cue from the developed world, where everybody is equal before the law, so much that even the elite unconditionally obeys the laws of the land. “This, and compassion for the ordinary folks, is the secret of their development,” he stated.

•Photo shows Otukwu.