‘Politicians are not Role Models, Don’t Copy Them’

Kuni Tyessi in Abuja

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Gtext Holdings, a conglomerate of several companies, Dr. Stephen Akintayo, has called on Nigerian youths to shun the idea of having politicians as role models and mentors.

Speaking at the Emerging Leaders Conference (EL) in Abuja on the topic: ‘Disruptions, creativity, and innovation: The language of the future’,  organised by GOTNI Leadership Centre, Akintayo said politicians have failed in creating innovations that can serve as a road map for the teeming youths of the country.

Advising that youths must discover their assignments and purpose on earth with a leap of faith towards determining success, he said leaders must be innovative, and encourage it by building a culture that fosters innovation among others.

He added that it was not only demeaning to be a graduate without a job, but a sign a laziness and shamelessness to wait on the government, adding that all that is needed is hope to have things figured out.

According to him, “Ways to foster organisational innovation include having leaders who must encourage innovation, build a culture that fosters innovation, and having in mind the formal strategy.

“In doing so, the availability of budget and setting a direction in which the innovation must follow must be provided by the leaders, and this is lacking in the lives of our politicians. Your politicians are not the role models you will want to be. Don’t copy them.”

In his address, the CEO of GOTNI Leadership Centre, Dr. Linus Okorie, said with the unfolding global events, the future of the world rests in networking.

Also encouraging the youths on skills acquisition and awareness, Okorie said networking has proven to be a skill in which without it, “you can’t go anywhere. Networking is now the economy where the people are the currencies.”

Encouraging the youths to embrace leadership and be men and women of character, Akintayo said there’s no substitution for what they hoped to achieve in life, adding that the future of the Nigerian youth is now and the concept of their leadership must be remodeled.