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Politics A Call To Serve, Not A Profession, Says Fashola

The ex-governor asserts that in order to avoid becoming mired in futile politics, leaders must take ethics and values seriously and remember that their role is to serve and advance the interests of the populace.


Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics on April 16, 2023

 

In light of the protracted tenure of political officials, Babatunde Fashola, a former minister of works and housing, has argued that politics is a call to service rather than a profession.

The former minister spoke on Monday while appearing on Channels Television’s Empowering Tomorrow themed: A New Vision for Nigeria, a special programme on the 63rd anniversary of Nigeria’s independence celebrated annually on October 1.

“For those who have a political dream, let me say that politics, for me and for many, is not a profession. It is a vocation; it’s a calling to serve. You can’t be there forever,” Fashola said on Monday.

The SAN noted that getting young people a good education is the first step in addressing the question of what can be done to support them in leadership.

“Therefore, you must have another address; you must have a job that you are doing. You must do that job well. If you are professional, you must operate at the highest professional level,” he said.

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The ex-governor asserted that in order to avoid becoming mired in futile politics, leaders must take ethics and values seriously and remember that their role is to serve and advance the interests of the populace.

“Ethics and values matter in the way that people play politics, and those are the foundations of proper leadership. And in that sense, you do not get caught up in the trappings.

“Leadership is a lonely place, and it is also a compass power that history has shown and be abused; and therefore, it is the restraint in the exercise of leadership – your big authority, rather than for the development and service of the people – that is really the heart of the matter,” he said.

Fashola further stated that when the urge to use a position’s advantages for personal gain arises, public officials can inadvertently lose their credibility.