Daniel Dauda, Jos
The former speaker House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Yakubu Dogara has identified character deficit among Nigerian leaders as the major barrier to genuine governance in the country.
Dogara, the 8th National Assembly speaker acknowledged that character is something that requires deliberate effort by all and sundry most especially the leadership but unfortunately, is lacking in Nigeria.
He made the assertion over the weekend in Jos during a book launch titled “Without a name”, written by a veteran Journalist, Emmanuel Gogwim Kayi.
Without a Name book is a personal account of the life, career, and dream of Emmanuel Gogwim Kayi who was an editor with the Nigeria Standard Newspaper and retired permanent secretary, and officer of the deputy governor of Plateau State in 2022.
Describing the author as a paragon of humility whose lifetime is a testament of good character, Rt Hon. Dogara alluded the book offers more than its title suggests; “it’s full of the author’s passion, and it offers a striking portrayal of character we find lacking in our leaders today in Nigeria.
“When we talk about character, it’s important to understand why letters are called ‘characters.’ They don’t change — an ‘A’ remains an ‘A,’ whether in Nigeria, Jos, Abuja, or anywhere else in the world. Character is like that; no one should be able to separate you from your word. The moment you can say one thing and do another, you lose your character. The oneness of God works the same way; you cannot separate God from His word”, he mentioned.
He urged dignitaries to get copies of the book and donate to schools so young people can see that we have had those who have walked this earth, faced challenges — even during the military regime — and never gave up. They kept their focus, and God rewarded them, as He has now rewarded our brother, the author of this book.
On why the choice of the book titled “Without a Name”, the author and celebrant, Emmanuel Gogwim, revealed nothing is permanent in life. ” You need to be humble, I went through a lot of challenges when I was the editor of the Nigeria Standard Newspaper.”
He admonished senior citizens who have retired from active service like him to document their experiences so that it will shape the future of the present and many generations to come.
Represented by Professor Adeyi, Major of the political science department, University of Jos, the 438 book pages were reviewed by the renowned Professor of political economy and resident electoral commissioner (REC) Niger State, Sam Egwu.
