The Chancellor and Chairman, Board of Regents, Covenant University, Dr David O. Oyedepo, has reiterated that anybody can be a leader provided the person is willing to fulfil the demands of leadership at the first Leadership Development Masterclass of the African Leadership Development Centre (ALDC) for 2021 held on Thursday, April 8, 2021.
While making his presentation at the masterclass, Dr Oyedepo said that out of his crave to see the black race acknowledged, he had developed several modules to make the black man realise that he was not inferior. He pointed out that the Masterclass was created out of the ingenious ALDC platform to exemplify that the challenges of the black race were surmountable.
Leadership, according to him, was not by occupying a position but by making outstanding contributions. “Many people today have high grades in school but can’t compete with artisans in the same field because they did not engage. Great leaders are not those with tens of degrees but those who change their world with the knowledge acquired,” he said.
Dr Oyedepo stated that the real worth of a leader was in the values he provided, the feats he has accomplished and the impact he has engendered. He stressed that leadership was not about talking the lead but taking the lead; not by appointment but in one’s attainment; and not in the titles we wear but in the values we bear. Leadership, he continued, was validated by taking the lead in a given field.
While elucidating further on the significance of leadership, Dr Oyedepo said that leaders were learners as every committed learner was a potential leader, and people with nothing to offer should not be considered for leadership positions.
Dr Oyedepo highlighted the five Biblical steps to realizing full leadership potentials as having a vision for one’s life, learning how to pursue the vision of one’s life, having wisdom which is the know-how of a given task, self-discipline, and sacrifice.
The Chancellor, however, did not end his lecture without addressing some issues raised by members of the audience at the masterclass attended physically and virtually. On the issue of a perceived narrowing space for the involvement of the youth in political leadership, Dr Oyedepo advised every youth to unearth what were the issues in the current political leadership, what the youths had that could be used to address the issues, and how much price they were willing to pay as the situation would not remain the same forever.
About people who see themselves as too young to take responsibility, Dr Oyedepo, using the Biblical Joseph as an example, said the young ones should start taking responsibility because the earlier they rose to take responsibility the better for their lives. He also counselled that people might not be able to play their roles well without having role models. “No great name in any field without accredited references they engaged with before rising. Mentorship is a fundamental requirement for the making of leaders,” he said.
Dr Oyedepo’s lecture was subsequently x-rayed by a panel of discussants featuring some faculty and staff of the University including the National Youth Pastor, Living Faith Church Worldwide, Pastor David Ndubueze. Other members of the panel were Dr Azuibuike Ezenwoke, Dr Stephen Ibidunni, Mrs Shola Coker, Mrs Iruka Omenye, and the Executive Secretary of the Covenant University Students Council, Miss Oluwatoyin Akintan.
The Registrar, Covenant, Dr Oluwasegun Omidiora, while addressing the issue of commitment to a vision by members of an organization, said that buying into a vision bred commitment. He added that there would be no commitment until the visioner finds those that buy into the vision. Dr Omidiora appreciated the efforts of the leadership and members of the ALDC for facilitating the leadership masterclass and hoped the learning platform would be sustained.
In his message, the Director, ALDC, Dr Lanre Amodu, appreciated the Chancellor for providing the platform for the emancipation of the black race. He said he believed that people could do much more with their lives if they tried as one did not have to accept situations the way they were. “They can change them. We allow foreigners to solve our problems, and we pay for it. We should stop running away from our problems; let’s stay and find solutions to them,” Dr Amodu admonished.
He assured participants that the masterclass and other innovative events would be regular programmes under the platform of the ALDC.
Also at the event were Principal Officers of the University, faculty, staff and students.