IBADAN – Former Governor of Ogun State, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, has called for a constitutional amendment to mandate a minimum educational qualification of a Bachelor’s Degree or a Higher National Diploma (BSc/HND) for individuals aspiring to the offices of President, Governor, and members of the National Assembly.
Amosun made the proposition on Tuesday in Ibadan while delivering the keynote lecture at the 2nd Lam Adesina Annual Lecture Series. The event, with the theme “Sustaining a Legacy of Effective Leadership in Nigeria,” was held in honour of the late former Governor of Oyo State, Alhaji Lam Adesina.
The former governor asserted that the complexities of the modern world require leaders with intellectual depth, analytical skills, and a robust grasp of governance. He insisted that public office must not become “a refuge for the unprepared” but should be a platform for the competent.
He linked Nigeria’s persistent challenges—including poor governance, insecurity, unemployment, and poverty—directly to a failure of leadership, despite the country’s vast resources.
“Since independence, our country has fluctuated between hope and setbacks, largely due to the absence of sustained, effective leadership,” Amosun stated.
Expanding on his reform agenda, Amosun advocated reintroducing civic education and history into the national school curriculum. He emphasised that a healthy democracy depends on an engaged and informed citizenry.
“Democracy thrives not only on good leaders but on informed and active citizens. Where citizens are passive, uninformed, or indifferent, leadership easily degenerates into despondency, abuse of power, authoritarianism and lack of accountability,” he warned.
In a strong stance against corruption, the former governor also proposed a lifetime ban from public office for any leader convicted of corruption or abuse of power. This ban, he suggested, should extend to complicit family members and associates, describing corruption as “the greatest betrayal of leadership.”
He urged Nigerians to emulate the late Lam Adesina’s legacy of integrity, stating, “The journey to effective leadership begins with one step — the decision to do right, however small the opportunity.”
The event was graced by several dignitaries, including the National Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ajibola Bashiru; the representative of President Bola Tinubu, Mr Sunday Dare; and former Senator Monsurat Sunmonu, who all paid tribute to the enduring legacy of the late former governor.
