Metro
Voice of Emancipation: Lessons from Nehemiah (Pt. 3)
…Lessons for Leadership
By Kayode Emola
In this week’s article, continuing with our theme of Lessons from Nehemiah, I would like to consider what the account has to say to us about leadership. This is relevant, not only for those of us who might find ourselves in positions of leadership in the future, but also for those of us who will be _under_ those in positions of leadership: it is important to know what to expect of our leaders so that we may hold them to account.
It is also worth considering that, while most of us will never ascend to the heights of becoming President or a government minister, many of us hold leadership roles within our day-to-day lives. Do you have people under you at your place of work? Congratulations, you are a leader. Are you a parent? Then you’re also a leader of your children. Are you a doctor, lawyer, accountant, engineer, pharmacist, teacher, or undertake any kind of job where people rely on you for your expertise? Then you need to be able to lead them along the path that you are suggesting for them. The principles learned here, therefore, would also be readily applicable to the vast majority of us.
The first principle is that of delegation. A leader cannot, and should not, do everything themselves. Firstly, a leader will not possess all of the skills required to do every job. I take an example from the medical world: in a critical trauma situation, you may need a surgeon, a paediatrician, an anaesthetist. Each of these have particular skills that the other lacks. The surgeon cannot anaesthetise someone, just as the paediatrician cannot perform life-saving surgery. But co-ordinating all of them is the trauma team leader. The trauma team leader, usually a casualty doctor, is likely not to have the level of skill of operating that the surgeon does, nor know the correct doses of medicine to give a child like the paediatrician does, nor have the same degree of prowess with anaesthetic medications that the anaesthetist does. They do not assume the position of ‘trauma team leader’ because they are the best in all these fields. Rather, their job is to keep an overview of everything that is going on, to allow the specialists to focus solely on their own area of expertise. The team leader maintains awareness of all the tasks that need performing, and ensures that each of these is delegated to the person most suitably skilled for doing so.
This leads us to the second reason that delegation is an important leadership characteristic: a leader is required to maintain oversight of the project as a whole. This is impossible if the leader becomes too focused on a single task or aspect of the undertaking. If Nehemiah had become too concerned with ensuring that the mortar was the correct composition and consistency, he might have missed the enemies who were assembling to attack the labourers. He needed to keep his eyes on the big picture.
Finally, if a leader does not delegate, and attempts to undertake too great a portion of the task alone, they will tire, and ultimately burn out. Resultantly, they will be less effective – in fact, they will have gone from being an asset to being an extra burden, as the workers will then have to be looking after the leader and performing the leadership role, as well as addressing their own tasks.
When a leader is delegating, they need to consider the means by which they do so. As previously alluded to, they need to ensure that tasks are given to the most appropriate people to undertake them. They also need to ensure that they communicate this clearly. Failure to do so can cause confusion, stress, demoralisation and demotivation amongst the workforce, as it is unclear what is expected or required of them. Consider the context of being a parent to a young child: if you hand your child a pencil and tell them do spend time drawing/writing, but fail to specify on what or monitor their activities, then if you find that they have written on the wall and shout at them for doing so, they will become confused and upset. In their mind, they were doing what they were told – so why now are they being rebuked for it?
As suggested already, the person in a position of leadership is not necessarily there because they are the best at everything, and so there should be no assumption of superiority. We know very well that this is often not the case in our current situation, where our leaders take the cream for themselves and leave only the dregs for everyone below. If confronted about this, there would often be an attitude of, “I deserve this because I hold [xyz] position.”
Nehemiah was entitled to a portion of food as a member of the governors. But in order that he did not place extra burden on his people, he did not take it. Governors who had preceded him had taken that which was their due and more besides. A leader is put in place to serve the best interests of those in their care; they should take heed that they do so, and face repercussions if they do not. If we turn a blind eye to the immoral actions of leaders, then they will continue to perpetuate such corruption. If they are held to account – and know that they will be so – then a higher quality of leadership will be cultivated.
Not only should our leaders be held to account for the morality of their own actions, but any leader desiring to be considered worthy of the position must take responsibility for the wellbeing of their people. Therefore, if their people are suffering, it is their duty to take action to alleviate it; and if they fail to do so, they must be called to explain why they have not.
As important as meeting the physical needs of the people in their care, a leader must cultivate an environment that engenders good emotional health as well. When the Israelites were grieved, the Levites calmed their distress and spoke words of encouragement to them. A happy workforce is a productive workforce; and a contented community is a cohesive one.
When the leaders started to allow compromise in their standards, Nehemiah did not simply overlook it, with an attitude of, “it’s only a minor thing, so I’ll let them get away with it.” He called them to account for the small transgressions to prevent them escalating into large ones. A small patch of mildew on the wall may only take seconds to clean. But if you ignore it because it is only minor, you will very soon find that is has spread and consumed your entire wall. Now, instead of a simple cleaning job to remedy the situation, you find yourself having to replace the whole wall. So it is with moral compromise. If you permit minor crimes to pass unpunished, then major ones will soon follow. We must hold our leaders to account for the small things, so that we know they can be trusted with the big ones.
At the heart of the failings of Nigeria as a country lies the failings of her leaders to lead well. We must not allow this same rot to spread within our Yoruba communities and nation. Each one of us must be vigilant about maintaining standards, both in our personal lives and any sphere of leadership within which we find ourselves, but also in those appointed to lead us. We must hold our leaders to account, and be humble enough to be held to account ourselves when trusted with leadership positions. In so doing, we will be able to build a new society, a tomorrow that is free of the plague of corruption and consequent national dereliction which so devastatingly afflicts us today.
Special Credit: Dr. Bethan Emola
Metro
Aare Emmanuelking Appreciates Stakeholders As Adron Homes Celebrates 13 Years of Landmark Achievements
Hurray! Nigeria’s leading real estate development company, Adron Homes and Properties, is 13 years today, celebrating more than a decade of groundbreaking achievements in the real estate sector.
A statement released by the management, and made available to Pointblank.ng, remarked that since its inception, Adron Homes has remained committed to providing affordable and luxurious housing solutions, making homeownership accessible to Nigerians across all socio-economic classes.
It further noted that with a vision to bridge the housing deficit in Nigeria and beyond, Adron Homes has consistently set new industry benchmarks, adding that the company has developed and delivered thousands of quality homes in strategic locations nationwide, including Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Abuja, and Nasarawa, expanding the frontiers of modern real estate development.
Speaking on the milestone, Adron Homes’ Chairman/CEO, Aare Adetola EmmanuelKing, expressed gratitude to clients, stakeholders, and staff for their unwavering support.
“This 13-year journey has been one of resilience, innovation, and an unrelenting commitment to excellence. We are proud of our achievements and even more excited about the future as we continue to revolutionize the real estate industry with world-class housing projects,” the Chairman said.
Adron Homes’ success is anchored on its unique flexible payment plans, ensuring that individuals and families can own properties without financial strain. The company has also pioneered infrastructure development in its estates, providing residents with top-notch amenities, security, and sustainable environments in the last thirteen years.
As part of its anniversary celebration, Adron Homes has lined up various customer appreciation initiatives, including exclusive discounts, giveaways, and a series of corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects to give back to the community.
Adron Homes remains steadfast in its mission to redefine the real estate landscape through strategic expansions, innovative housing solutions, and unwavering dedication to customer satisfaction.
A hotel owner, Opara Macdonald, CEO of Leuven Empire Hotel and Suites, located at the Ejigbo area of Lagos, has been arrested by the Zone 2 Police Command on allegations of having carnal knowledge of a 16-year-old boy and others.
Briefing the media on the matter on Wednesday at the Zone 2 Command Headquarters at Onikan, Lagos, which the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP) attended, the Public Relations Officer, CSP Ayuba Ummah, narrated that the Command based on petition submitted to the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of the Zone, who ordered immediate investigations.
She noted that led by CSP Uba Adams, the Zone was able to unravel the case and arrested the culprit, as well as police elements, who were used to attempt to sweep the matter under the carpet.
While acknowledging that investigations are still ongoing, the ZPRO advised parents to always keep an eye on their children, and monitor their every activities.
The full statement reads:
The Zone 2 Command of the Nigeria Police Force hereby parades one Opara Macdonald ‘m’, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Leuven Empire Hotel and Suites, Ejigbo, Lagos, following allegations of having unlawful carnal knowledge of a minor, an act against the order of nature.
This development follows a petition dated January 23, 2025, submitted to the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Command Headquarters, Onikan, Lagos, by one Edozie Christian ‘m’ of Isheri-Osun, Lagos, on behalf of his 16-year-old son. The petition alleged that the suspect, Opara Macdonald, engaged in unlawful sexual acts with the minor.
Upon receipt of the petition, the Assistant Inspector General of Police assigned CSP Uba Bangajiya Adams to conduct a discreet investigation into the matter.
The victim, initially fearful of speaking out due to threats allegedly made by the suspect, confided in his mother. He recounted that Opara Macdonald warned him that disclosing the incident would result in his losing his sanity. Reassured by his mother, the victim detailed how the suspect had taken him from the hotel in his vehicle to his residence at No. 4B, Oshoba Street, Akowonjo-Egbeda, Lagos, where he was forcefully subjected to unlawful sexual acts. Following the incident, the suspect allegedly provided the victim with a bottle of Lucozade Boost and a cash sum of Five Thousand Naira (₦5,000.00).
Upon this revelation, the victim’s parents reported the matter to the Isheri-Osun Police Division. Investigative actions were initiated, but rather than cooperating with law enforcement, the suspect refused to honour police invitations and instead attempted to manipulate the process. Seeking to evade justice, he escalated the matter to the Zone 2 Command Headquarters, where he was subsequently apprehended.
To ascertain the veracity of the claims, the victim underwent medical examination at Mirabel Medical Centre. Additionally, a close friend of the victim, who was present at the hotel on the day of the incident, corroborated the allegations. This friend confirmed that the suspect had been engaging in unlawful acts with the victim and had also attempted a similar act with him, which he resisted. He further presented recorded telephone conversations, chat histories, and video evidence filmed by the victim within the suspect’s residence using the suspect’s own phone.
Initially, the suspect denied knowing the victim. However, when confronted with evidence, he admitted to taking the 16 year old boy to his residence.
Furthermore, it is important to note that the suspect allegedly threatened the victim with psychological harm should he reveal the incident, and since making his confession, the victim has exhibited signs of mental distress.
Investigations also uncovered unprofessional conduct by the initial Investigating Police Officer (IPO), who removed a key witness’s statement from the case file before transferring it to the Zone 2 Command Headquarters. The IPO has since been detained and is undergoing disciplinary procedures.
Contrary to certain media reports, the medical report from Mirabel Medical Centre remains authentic and has not been tampered with in any way. The victim is currently receiving medical care, and upon completion of investigations, the suspect will be formally charged in court.
The Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone 2 Command, urges parents and guardians to remain vigilant, closely monitor their children’s activities, and provide guidance to protect them from harmful influences.
The decomposing body of a member of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Justice Azuka, has been discovered on the 2nd Niger Bridge.
Azuka’s body was discovered by a combined team of security agencies.
The lawmaker representing Onitsha North Constituency 1 was kidnapped on December 24, 2024, along Ugwunabankpa Road, Inland Town, Onitsha.
After weeks of investigation, security operatives from Abuja apprehended the suspects late Wednesday. The arrested individuals later led authorities to the location where they had dumped the lawmaker’s remains.
Police authorities in Anambra State said details of the incident are sketchy.
However, the spokesman of the command, Tochukwu Ikenga, said police operatives have been deployed to the scene.
According to him, further details would be made known to the public in due time.
The incident marks the second kidnapping and murder of a sitting Anambra lawmaker in recent years.
In 2022, Okey Okoye, popularly known as “Okey Di Ok” from Aguata, was abducted and beheaded.
His body was later found around the Nnobi axis of the South-East state. The region has experienced a slew of violence in recent years. Gunmen have at various times attacked public facilities and killed scores of persons despite repeated assurances from government and security agencies.
The calls for secession have also reached new highs in the region in recent years. But no group has claimed responsibility for the wave of violence in the South-East.
