Pastor Sam Adeyemi has expressed concern over the growing lack of empathy and compassion among some Nigerian leaders, noting that many have become disconnected from the struggles of the nation’s poor.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Thursday, the Senior Pastor of Daystar Christian Centre said this disconnection has made it increasingly difficult for such leaders to provide meaningful direction for the country.
He added that many are now more focused on maintaining political power than improving the lives of citizens, and that the fear of losing influence is a major reason behind frequent defections between political parties.
“Some of our leaders, it is even obvious from the way they speak, that they have lost touch with the reality of the poor, they have no empathy, no compassion,” Adeyemi said. “So, we want to create an environment that will make it possible for those in leadership to lead us in the right directions to make the right decisions.
“Some of them are being threatened that they would lose their next election, that is what they are defecting. So their own survival is being threatened.”
Powerful godfathers
Adayemi suggested that the Nigerian political scene is breeding leaders who are not in touch with realities because rather than people deciding who leads them, political godfathers now do.
He said that the way these leaders rise to power causes them to become scandalous, forgetting the people.
“I wish we had the perfect scenario that it is the citizens that actually elected people but we have seen over the years the power of the godfathers in our politics. They have built their influence over many years.
“These are educated people, these are highly intelligent people, some of our best, it is just that in the process of wanting to succeed in this Nigeria, they bent here and bent there and by the time they arrive at the top that they wanted to go, they have become crooked.