Some residents of Lagos on Friday urged African leaders to emulate the life of former South African President Nelson Mandela for his sterling leadership qualities.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), they said the late Mandela, even in death, was a towering figure as well as institution.
A senior lecturer at the Centre for Entrepreneurship Development (CED), Mr Luqman AbdurRahman, said that even though the deceased had the opportunity to cling to power, he relinquished it after serving one term in office.
“Mandela represents what we call selfless service in Africa; he fought for independence of the South Africa from apartheid.
“As African leader, he had the opportunity of continuing as president, but he bowed out.
“If it were other African leaders, they would use their position to extend their tenure.
“But look at Mandela, he left power willingly and became a hero. Even in death, he is an institution. People are learning so many things from him.
“Every statesman in Nigeria should also make himself an institution like Mandela’’.
In his contribution, the Director of Social Communication, Catholic Archdiocese of Lagos, Monsignor Gabriel Osu, described the late Mandela as an embodiment of unity, love, peace and understanding.
“ Mandela was an embodiment of unity, that is, he united both white and black, and our leaders should learn what it means to be upright.
“He was an upright man, a man of peace, a man of love and understanding.
He applied practical knowledge with leadership, he was ready to forgive and forget the wrongs of others. So, we have a lot to learn from him.
“ We pray and hope we will be able to live with his ideas’’.
The spokesman of the Association of African Traditional Religion of Nigeria (AATREN), Mr Lekan Ajirotutu, urged African leaders to equip the hospitals in their countries.
He noted that the late Mandela while he was ill received treatment in a South African hospital, unlike many others , who would want to be flown to Europe with public funds.
“Mandela has been ill for many years and he was once the president of that country, and I have never heard that he was taken out of his country for treatment.
“So, if the African leaders can learn from that, that when you are a leader, you take treatment from your country. That will make them improve our medical facilities.
“The leaders should also know that nothing is permanent in life so nobody should feel he wants to own the whole world.
“We never heard that he was the richest president in the world, but with the little he had he was able to maintain his name and dignity’’.
