By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
As Nigerians go to polls tomorrow, (Saturday) the President and Chairman of Council, Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered), Dr. (Mrs.) Christiana Atako, has identified competence, capacity, character, courage as well as the skills of humility, empathy, genuineness, and fear of God as some of the qualities the Nigerian electorate should look out for while choosing the next set of leaders in the upcoming general elections.
Dr. Atako, who encouraged the electorate to choose wisely as they perform their civic responsibilities, tasked the voting public to consider only those who have the right leadership skills with commitment to selfless service.
According to her, “In addition to having the earlier identified qualities, I urge Nigerian electorate to vote right by choosing the right kind of leaders who have the virtues of integrity, efficiency, effectiveness, probity, fairness, accountability and transparency which are some of the values the Institute shares and practices.”
The NIM Boss admonished Nigerians to “look at the antecedents and pedigree of those running for leadership positions at all levels of governance, not just presidential position, in the nation’s next democratic dispensation as they cast their votes in the general elections.”
Speaking further, Dr. Atako, advised the electorate to eschew violence, ballot box snatching and other forms of electoral malpractices which threaten the nation’s nascent democracy while refusing to be induced, intimidated or manipulated.
“Vote with your clear conscience to bring in people that will leave a legacy for the next generation”, she added.
In addition, she enjoined the electorate to shun divisive tendencies of choosing leaders based on ethnic and religious sentiments which have been the bane of the nation’s democratic experience.
In a statement signed by the Administrator of the Institute, Mr. Akin Iroko, the President commended the Federal Government and the Independent National Electoral Commission for all the visible effort they have made so far to ensure that they give the nation fair, free, safe and credible elections.
Dr. Atako advised politicians to embrace the spirit of sportsmanship by accepting election results or seek redress through the judiciary by going to court, if dissatisfied with the results, instead of resorting to undemocratic means to reclaim their mandates. She believes that the nation will get it right if all concerned play by the rules.
