Prof. Patrick Lumumba, a famous Kenyan legal practitioner, says Africa must free itself from politics of money and money bags, by embracing politics of ideas, if it wants to realise its full potential.
Lumumba, a former director of Kenyan Anti-corruption Commission, said this at the 10th memorial lecture of Dr Abubakar Saraki, the father of former Senate President Bukola Saraki on Monday in Abuja.
He added that the continent would also realise it potential as long as the critical mass of the people were enmassed in sorrow and want.
” I am suggesting to you that Africa is not going to grow as long as you who are in positions of leadership, have perfected the art of appealing to the stomachs rather than the minds of the men and women that you lead.
” I am suggesting to you that Africa is not going to realize her potential as long as we continue to conduct the politics of money and money bags , not the politics of ideas.
“I am suggesting to you that Africa is never got to realize her potential as long as we are dividing our people along ethnic lines.
“I am suggesting that as long as you who are in positions of honour and privilege are in the business of dividing our people on the basis of religion,” Lumumba said.
Lumumba said that the ghost of ethnicity, ignorance, poverty and narrow mindedness have to be ostracised, for the continent to follow the path of progress and prosperity.
He said the fact still remained that everything fell on leadership, saying that for Africa to survive and thrive tribe,cultural differences must die and leaders should ensure to be in to serve and not to be served.
Lumumba urged African leaders imbibe the culture of educating their people and be open and transparent so people could hold them to account.
He said that the late Saraki was present on earth like everyone today and he had his time and opportunity summarised in either the good deeds he did or the bad ones.
He said the late Saraki was known for his good deeds that was why he was being remembered.
“So always remember that if you don’t do that which is good and right for your fellow man, there is a day of reckoning.
“There is a day of reckoning and history has demonstrated that it can come in a twinkling of an eye ,history has demonstrated that Kings have been toppled, history has demonstrated that presidents have been removed.
” History has demonstrated that great men have been cut off, history has demonstrated that the masses can rise when they are misled,” he said.
Lumumba called on all those who worked and served under the tutelage of Saraki to take a solemn vow to replicate even beyond what he did.
Former Senate President, Bukola Saraki said the family and associates of his late father believed that it was good to have a national platform to address his father’s passion which was leadership and helping the masses, as part of the celebration of his life and times.
” We have chosen the Leadership and Followership Debate as a way of revisiting Oloye’s belief in having a vibrant, enlightened, discerning, loyal, informed, and involved followership.
“These are people who can hold the leadership accountable, responsible and responsive as well as take decisions that can guide and guard the leaders.
” Let me make a quick observation that if my father was around, he would be so proud of the gathering in this hall this morning.
“He would be so happy the way Nigerians have forgotten our differences to celebrate him.He would be happy to see the multi-party, non-partisan, purely patriotic, and nationalistic colour of this gathering,” he said.
Saraki said that his last father represented all Nigerian political parties and all their diversities.
