Obasanjo, Gowon, Jonathan, others for BSN African leadership initiative conference

By Adeola ogunlade

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, ex-Head of State General Yakubu Gowon, former President Goodluck Jonathan, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, and other notable figures are scheduled to attend the 11th edition of the African Leadership Biblical Initiative (ABLI) conference, organized by the Bible Society of Nigeria (BSN).

The event, themed “Value-Based Leadership: A Model for Africa,” will take place at the Nigerian Airforce (NAF) Conference Centre in Abuja from Monday, October 21 to 24.

During a recent media briefing in Lagos, Pastor Samuel Sanusi, General Secretary and CEO of the Bible Society of Nigeria, explained that the ABLI was established in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2010 during a special session of the African Union prayer breakfast, attended by African Heads of State and Governments.

He pointed out that Africa is facing severe challenges, being regarded as the least developed and poorest continent globally.

He said: “How did we reach this point? The root causes have been poor leadership, greed, corruption, and mismanagement.

He further said that through this conference “We desire to stir up the minds of our leaders to embrace leadership with integrity and fear of God. We desire to birth leaders who will lead with honesty, transparency, and a steadfast commitment to ethical principles: leaders who will take decisions that align with core values of integrity.”

He noted that the society desired to set a new agenda for African leaders and Nigeria in particular, calling on African leaders to shun greed, and corruption and rise to make deliberate efforts to develop the continent

Keynote speakers at the event are Justice Mogoeng Mogoeng, former Chief Justice of South Africa, and Dr. Zienzi Dillon, founder and CEO, Carmel Global Capital, New York. The plenary session with the theme, ‘Values of social harmony, justice, integrity, and wisdom,’ will be moderated by Mrs. Juliet Binitie, Director of Programmes, Institute for National Transformation, Lagos, Prof. Mike Ozekhome, Justice Catherine Bamugemereire, Justice of the Supreme Court of Uganda and Dr. Vishal Mangalwadi, social reformer and Christian philosopher