Former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has urged African leaders to seek to improve the
lives of the people they serve, stressing that such legacy of good works would speak for
them after they leave office.
The former President stated this last weekend in Kigali, capital of Rwanda, where he bagged
the ‘African Democracy and Peace Icon Award’ at the maiden edition of the African Heritage
Concert and Awards.
Dr. Jonathan who advised leaders to prioritise the rights and humanity of the citizens also
noted that the welfare of citizens should guide national aspirations and development
initiatives on the continent.
Speaking further, Dr. Jonathan emphasized that the duty of leaders is to run their countries
properly and efficiently, and “not to dehumanize human beings and make their lives
difficult.”
“What people will remember you for is what should guide our decisions, and I believe every
leader should begin to think that when he leaves office, one day he will be remembered one
way or the other, positively or negatively.”
“Will the world remember you for killing people? Will the world remember you for
unnecessarily jailing people, will the world remember you for destroying their systems or
will you be remembered for doing good?”, he queried.
Other awardees included former President of Tanzania, late John Magufuli; Vice President
of Liberia, Chief Dr. Jewel Howard-Taylor and former President of Botswana, Seretse Ian
Khama.
Dr. Jonathan who thanked the organisers of the event, Heritage Times (HT) for a successful
programme, also maintained that such a gesture of appreciation would encourage African
leaders to do more towards improving the lives of the people.
He stated further: “I was president of Nigeria for only five years. I believe the little
contributions I made within that period and probably after leaving office may have
convinced the organisers to honor me today as the Icon of Democracy and Peace in Africa.
This means that it is not actually how long you stay in the office that will make people
remember you but how well you served them and the little impact you make.”
Ikechukwu Eze
S.A. to H.E. Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan
