Former
President of the United States, George Bush, on Thursday told the
leadership of the country and its people to fight corruption, saying it
had become the obvious challenge against its development.
Bush,
who is in Lagos as a guest speaker at the Access Leadership Conference
2013, said corrupt people, no matter how highly paced, should face the
wrath of the law.
The event, which was organised by Access Bank
Plc with the theme, ‘Embracing Sustainable Leadership, attracted world
leaders, including a former President of Ghana, Mr. John Kufuor.
Bush,
who commended the country for its current democratic dispensation and
sustenance, said the US encouraged governments that fight corruption by
giving them aids to support their economies.
He noted that the
criteria for receiving aids had been tied to countries that ensured that
anti-corruption strategies were in place.
“You must apply the
law, no matter how powerful somebody may be, as this encourages
entrepreneurship and economic development,” he added.
While
calling for improved trade relations among African countries, Bush said
it was in the interest of the US to encourage economic growth in vital
countries like Nigeria.
Bush said, “As President of a powerful
and rich nation, I think it is important to set goals and also achieve
them. It is important for us to encourage and stay engaged with other
world economies.”
On his role in Iraq, Bush said he did not regret his decision to remove Saddam Hussein.
“There were no mistakes in removing Saddam Hussein. I am sure that the Iraqis are better off without him,” he added.
On
the economy, the former US president said the private sector was a key
driver of world economies, noting that the US could not fix its balance
sheet without the sector. He, however, said tax relief should be used to
stimulate private sector.
Kufuor explained that leadership that would readily impact on the people must start with example.
Citing
the example of the Ghanaian economy during his tenure, he said he
adopted the style of living within means, maintaining fiscal discipline
and empowering the private sector.
Kufuor said, “Ghanaian economy
was near to nothing when I came in. But with resolve and commitment,
coupled with knowledge in political strategy and economics, we were able
to lead by example and urged our people to follow. We got huge debt
relief as our creditors saw our resolve to do what is right.”
The Senior Advisor at Deloitte, Christopher Meyer, said leadership crisis was an issue of lack of authenticity and empathy.
He
added that empathy as leadership trait could motivate leaders to change
from broadcast policy to a two-way communication, which offers them
first-hand perception of the people.
Thursday, 12 December 2013
Fight corruption, Bush tells Nigeria
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