The Vice Chancellor of Salem University, Lokoja, Kogi State, Professor Alewo Johnson Akubo, has called on Igala elites to stop being selfish and begin using their influence to develop Igalaland, stressing that the time for lip service is over.
Speaking at the 30th Anniversary of Who’s Who in Igala Land held at Chida International Hotel, Abuja, Professor Akubo decried what he described as elite self-centredness, which has continued to undermine meaningful progress in Kogi East. “Many of our elites get into power and immediately block access to themselves, focusing only on personal comfort and forgetting the people,” he said.
He warned that this attitude is a major contributor to the lack of development across Igala communities, despite the presence of Igala sons and daughters in powerful positions across Nigeria. “We have had governors, senators, ministers and generals — yet, our land looks abandoned,” he lamented.
Akubo described the elite disconnect as tragic, noting that many leaders refuse to speak the Igala language or interact with their people. “Greet them in Igala, they respond in English. What a tragedy!” he said. He emphasized that leadership is not about isolation but serving and connecting with the people.
Quoting the Bible in Ezekiel 34:2–4, he warned: “Woe to the shepherds who feed only themselves. You have not healed the sick, strengthened the weak, or bound up the injured.” He stressed that true leadership must be people-driven, not position-based.
The professor also highlighted the dangers of political elitism without mentorship, blaming the current state of political confusion on a failure to raise future leaders. “We are not mentoring anyone. Everyone wants to be king. We hoard power and die with it,” he said, comparing this to other regions like the South-West where mentorship is a structured political culture.
Professor Akubo further called on the elite to stop equipping youths with weapons for elections, only to abandon them afterward. “We are arming the youth for thuggery instead of empowering them with education and enterprise. The violence we face today is a product of our own hands,” he stated.
He warned that if Igala elites continue to pursue individual success at the cost of collective progress, the region will remain in stagnation. “We cannot keep building fuel stations and hotels while our schools, roads, and hospitals rot,” he said.
To chart a new course, Akubo called for deliberate investment in mentorship, education, and unity. He praised leaders like Archbishop Dr Sam Amaga for investing in institutions like Salem University, which he said is raising global leaders and offering quality programs that rival top universities nationwide.
Professor Akubo ended his speech with a strong message: “It’s time to stop echoing noise in empty halls. Let our influence speak through development, not just in titles. Igala elites must rise — not for themselves, but for the people.”
