By OGEMDI OZOEMENAM, Uyo
The President of Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe has urged alumni associations in the country to mentor students and younger graduates on civic duty, leadership, and public service as a way of bridging the gap between classroom and country.
He gave the charge during the 119th National Executive Council (NEC) & 30th Biennial Convention of the University of Nigeria Alumni Association.(UNAA) held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State capital.
Barr Osigwe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) who spoke on the topic “Ethical Leadership: The Strategic Role of Alumni in Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy,” said Nigeria’s democracy will only grow stronger if young people are trained not just to pursue success, but to pursue it ethically.
This, he said, could be achieved through structured mentorship programs, leadership seminars, and internship opportunities to raise a generation that marries competence with conscience.
Osigwe, an alumnus of UNN, described ethical leadership as a style of leadership in which a leader consistently acts with integrity, fairness, accountability, and respect for the rule of law, and makes decisions based on what is right and in the best interest of others, rather than personal gain.
According to him, ethical leadership involves leading by example, upholding moral and professional standards, being transparent, and accepting responsibility for one’s actions, especially in positions of authority or public trust.
“A leader who does not steal public funds but who is silent in the face of injustice is not ethical. A leader who possesses personal integrity but wields power without accountability is not ethical. A leader who excels professionally but abandons their civic responsibilities has only half-fulfilled their duty,” he said.
Mazi Osigwe maintained that ethical leadership encompasses integrity, accountability, fairness and service.
He argued that the role of alumni in nation-building must go far beyond social gatherings, reunions, and networking events to promoting ethical leadership through personal example.
“The role of the Alumni in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy must therefore be deliberate, structured, and sustained through these five key aspects:
Civic Education and Voter Mobilization, Mentorship and the Pipeline of Ethical Leaders, Policy Advocacy and Institutional Reform, Supporting the Rule of Law and Judicial Independence, and Combating Corruption.
“Ethical leadership in a constitutional democracy is obligatory for every person who holds public trust, hence should be upheld at all times.”
The NBA President however appreciated UNAA for organising the event, which he believed would go a long way in addressing deficiencies in ethical leadership in the country.
“The motto of our prestigious institution is “To Restore the Dignity of Man.” Those words are not ornamental. They are a marching order to every Lion and Lioness. In a Nigeria where dignity is crushed daily by poverty, corruption, and injustice, restoring it is not someone else’s job. It is ours.
“The 30th Biennial Convention of the University of Nigeria Alumni Association should be remembered not merely as a gathering of great minds, but as the moment when the alumni of the University of Nigeria committed, with renewed vigour and collective purpose, to being the ethical leaders that Nigeria’s democracy demands,” he concluded.
